TPT November 2007

P roduction of H eat T ransfer T ubing

The company’s new Excaliber is a portable rotating-shaft tube and pipe cleaner. Pneumatically driven, it uses convenient plant air and water with simple foot pedal operation to send a rotating nylon, stainless steel or brass brush down tubes or pipes up to 60ft long and from 3 / 8 " to 1 1 / 2 " in diameter. Recent applications of Conco’s cleaning systems include the STP nuclear power plant in Texas and the North Omaha Station coal-fired power plant in Nebraska, which reported severely fouled condenser tubes due to the build-up of calcium carbonate scale. Using Conco tube cleaners designed for this specific problem, tens of thousands of tubes were cleaned in a matter of days, increasing power output while contributing to a ‘greener’ atmosphere. At a dairy facility in Australia and in a brewery in the USA, Conco’s Excaliber systems were used to clean the tubes in critical heat exchanger units.

ID cleaning systems to remove heat exchanger contamination

During the various processes involved in the manufacture, storage and assembly of tube and pipe, interior diameters are often contaminated by deposits that can range from cutting oils and coolants to swarf, chips, grit, grease and all sorts of ‘dirt’. particularly undesirable when that tube or pipe is destined for use in heat exchangers, chillers, boilers and equipment designed for food, beverage, chemical, pharmaceutical and other processing systems where ‘clean’ is mandatory. Conco Systems, Inc, USA, offers a variety of solutions to this problem, stepped in accordance with degrees of contamination as well as size and material configuration of the tubes and pipes. All of the company’s solutions are mechanical, and avoid the safety issues involved with chemicals, high pressure and other systems. The company’s tube shooting method, for example, is quick, efficient and productive. Using Conco’s Model 200-B pump system, tube cleaners are shot through tubes at 200-300 psi water pressure. The cleaner travels through the tube at 10-20ft/sec, removing contamination and leaving a clean, polished bare metal inside diameter. The Conco tube cleaners are sized in stepped increments from 5 / 8 " to 1 3 / 4 ", and are available in configurations that include This contamination is

nylon brush, stainless steel brush, metal bladed and stainless steel bladed. Special cleaners are available for use in U-tubes and for removing severe deposit scale such as calcium carbonate. The extensive range of cleaners allows job- matching to the type of contamination, from oil and grease to hard deposits, as well as to the type of tube material, from copper to stainless steel and exotic alloys. Conco’s HydroDrilling system uses water flushing and rotary action to quickly and economically remove contamination from the inside diameters of tubes and pipes used in such applications as heat exchangers, chemical reactors, condensers, re-boilers and absorbers. The system is effective in tubes and pipes from 3 / 8 " to 6" in diameter and up to 40ft in length. The system typically cleans 20ft tubes in 30-90 seconds each, spinning a selection of bits or nylon, stainless steel or brass brushes at 1,000-2,000rpm.

Conco Systems, Inc – USA Fax : +1 412 826 8255 Email : info@concosystems.com Website : www.concosystems.com

Duplex stainless steel tube and pipe RathGibson, USA, is a manufacturer of precision welded straight lengths and coil, seamless, and welded and drawn stainless steel, nickel, and titanium tube and pipe. The company offers 2205 duplex stainless steel for use in steel boilers, super heaters, heat exchangers, and condenser tubes. These applications are most commonly found in the oil and gas, chemical, petrochemical, power generation, and general commercial industries.

Sold as a dual certified material (UNS S31803/S32205), 2205 is currently RathGibson’s most requested duplex alloy. The company claims that the product’s duplex austenite- ferrite structure results in excellent stress corrosion cracking (SCC) resistance and room temperature yield strength compared to conventional austenitic stainless steels.

fi Conco’s Excaliber portable rotating-shaft tube and pipe cleaner

› RathGibson produces millions of feet annually of 2205 tubing in both straight lengths and coil form

The austenite phase of 2205 allows the product to keep the ductility and formability of common austenitic alloys, such as 304, 316, and 317. The ferrite phase of 2205 brings SCC resistance. RathGibson maintains a 40-60 per cent ferrite content in its 2205 tube and pipe, to optimise these desired characteristics, as well as to provide corrosion resistance and strength.

RathGibson – USA Fax : +1 608 754 0889 Website : www.rathgibson.com

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N ovember /D ecember 2007