U-Tube Exchanger Cleaning

Cleaning of U-Tube Exchangers can be challenging and time consuming for the Plant Operations. Restoring efficiency, increasing the duration between cleanings, and extending the life of the exchanger are critical to optimizing plant operations.  Choosing the most effective chemistry and industrial cleaning method can achieve ideal results.  However, what do you do when you’re told yours is “uncleanable”?

Solution

Our plant cleaning division was able clean a heavily fouled outside diameter (OD) of a U-Tube exchanger. Our lab report determined that aragonite, siderite, magnesium oxide, and Fe0₆Si₄ were present, and the deposits had a combination of iron, calcium, magnesium and silicon compounds. This U-Tube exchanger was deemed “uncleanable” by a competitor. We cleaned this difficult exchanger by selecting a custom blend of foam chemistry and processes that we modified in-house, which was all reviewed and approved by the client prior to starting the job.

Advantage

Blackstone Pipeline & Environmental Solutions has provided safe engineering plans, reliable equipment and experienced personnel to clients for cleaning tube side and shell side of U-Tube heat exchangers since 2002.  We have the experience and knowledge to design a custom cleaning solution to meet the clients’ needs, even when others have said it was not possible to remove the foulant from the bundle.