Air cooled condenser(inside tube) chemical cleaning

[ryuchangmyong]

Dear ALL

Does anyone have experience for chemical Acid cleaning in Air cooled condenser inside tube.
Tube thickness is very thin(mild carbon steel(ASTM A618), 1.6mm) where to welded with Tube sheet. So I'm concerned about effect on tube failure after Acid cleaning.

 

[EdStainless]

Why would you clean the steam side of a condenser?
This surface should be pristine, after all it only saw condensate.
But carbon steel? really? I am guessing that you don't really care about condensate purity then, especially give the high oxygen levels in most air cooled condensers. All of them that I have ever seen were stainless steel.

You approach this like any chemical cleaning. You first test to see that your cleaner (chemicals, temperature and time) will remove what you want it to, and not hurt the tubes.
Then you make sure to monitor the concentrations, temperatures and time when you clean the actual unit. The fluid must be circulated to assure that all tubing is treated uniformly. Then flush and rinse.

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P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube