N E W S R E L E A S E from FURMANITE ASIA PACIFIC
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Downtime avoided for petrochemical plant with bespoke leak sealing design
Probable downtime at a petrochemical plant, as a result of worsening leakage from a heat exchanger expansion bellow assembly, was successfully averted thanks to specialist on-line pressure leak sealing expertise from Furmanite, the technical services company geared to maximising asset uptime, with an unusual, purpose-designed clamp.
The leak, on a steam system at the petrochemical plant in Pakistan, was believed to have been caused by bellow design limitations and threatened to become worse with time as the high pressure steam cut through the bellow joint.
Furmanite designed a clamp to encapsulate the full one metre diameter bellows and meet the high temperature (over 300°C) and high pressure (around 90 barg) ratios of the system, sealing onto the 24 inch formed shell on either side of the bellows. Notably, the metre long, four tonne clamp was glanded at one end to allow for the thermal expansion and movement of the bellows assembly, which allows movement up to 22mm in length, during operational cycles.
Designed as two clamp halves bolted with 3.5 inch bolts and a circumferential seal and half joint seal at one end (designed to accommodate the high pressures and high temperatures involved), the clamp was injected at the glanded end with Furmanite’s valve compound. This provided effective sealing but, critically, without curing, thereby allowing movement whilst ensuring the seal.
Given the considerable weight of the clamp enclosure, a permanent support structure was designed to accommodate the additional load bearing considerations involved.
Installation of the clamp presented further challenges, given the size of the clamp and the congested environment in which it was fitted. The fitting of the bolts was particularly difficult given t
he small clearance hole allowed and precision fits involved.
“The high pressures and high temperatures, coupled with the need to allow the bellows arrangement to continue to move within the leak sealing clamp made for a very specific set of requirements which we were able to meet, providing the installed solution just 10 weeks from the initial enquiry,” Furmanite Malaysia operations manager Chris Lord commented. “Moreover, this was achieved with no disruption to plant operations. This is typical of the way we’re able to engineer solutions to help plant operators keep their plants operating and earning efficiently.”
For further press information contact:
Sarah Manwaring-White, Keep in Touch Ltd,
Tel: +44 (0)1451 844 488 Email: sarah_mw@keepintouch.co.uk
Issued on behalf of Furmanite Asia Pacific