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Does anyone have experiences of leakage of sea cooling water exchangers? What is best metallurgy for sea cooling water exchangers in a refinery? What are the important quality parameters of sea cooling water? How does one prevent corrosion of sea water exchangers?
 
Answers
03/05/2013 A: Dhiren Rindani, Reliance Industries Ltd, dhiren.rindani@ril.com
Best matallurgy for sea cooling water is Titanium for tubes. Sacrificial aluminium anode for protecting rubber lined water jackets.
16/05/2011 A: keith bowers, B and B Consulting, kebowers47@gmail.com
Coastal LNG facilities usually employ sea water for cooling. Titanium is the material of choice for long trouble-free life. Periodic cleaning to remove sea water side fouling is essential. Proper design is critical to avoid eddies and low flow/no flow areas that will harbor deposits and then corrosion.
Admiralty brass is also used successfully, but deposit removal is more critical.
Thorough clarifying and filtering and de-aeration of the seawater helps prevent/control deposits.
16/05/2011 A: Mike Watson, Tube Tech International Ltd, mike.watson@tubetech.com
A lot over 27 years. Best metallurgy practice depends on working environments.
If you check with owners of large ocean going vessels who will provide best practice. Tube Tech International Ltd have plugged, repaired and retubed several sea water condensers containing cupre nickle, alu brass, copper, titanium etc. To minimise wear factor is to have a mechancial on-line condenser tube cleaning system which ensures tubes are kept clean, with a periodic dart clean say every 2 years.
Refineries tend to use carbon steel hence even more important to clean regularly to avoid under scale corrosion. Chemical dosing is a solution but personally environmentally a no no plus you can be at the mercy of the chemical dosing company plus no guarantee to remove all the scale all the time. Recommendation is a one off back to bare metal clean, eddy current or IRIS integrity inspection (one off, wall thickness check) then install a mechanical online cleaning system.