Boiler tubes storage

[Adnan.B]

Hello All,

we have amount of boiler tube walls stored, the tubes are kept indoors and away of water ingress.
I am looking for recommendations, standards or technical practices for boiler tubes prolonged safe storage.

thank you.

 

[MJCronin]

A recommended practice from this website: (partial excerpt)

http://www.industrialboiler.com/Res...practices-for-replacement-boiler-tube-storage

"Many tube suppliers specify heated indoor storage for replacement tubes. In most power plants there is not enough indoor heated space for this purpose so that tubes are stored outdoors However, tubes can be stored outside for extended periods if proper precautions are taken to prevent rusting.

The first requirement for good storage is that all replacement tubes should be capped. This protects the tubes from accumulating dirt, debris or water. Most vendors use inferior plastic caps for this purpose. When stored outdoors these caps become brittle as a result to the elements and crack letting in rain water and moisture. Severe rusting is a result, especially if the tubes has previously been acid cleaned. If tube are to be stored outside for an extended amount of time, more preferable are UV - treated polyethylene plugs which will not become brittle and are less susceptible to mechanical damage. These offer excellent protection for little cost. For tubes with weld end preparation, metal caps can be used instead of plastic plugs for extra protection against the nicks and dings that happen to some tubes in every bundle.

Even with capping, some internal rusting can occur because of condensation. It is simply not possible to maintain an air tight seal in every tube. Thus some form of corrosion protection is needed for outdoor storage regardless of how well the tubes appear to be capped. Cold drawn tubes will be coated with a film of oil on the inside when they are received from the fabricator or supplier. This oil will prevent rusting of the tubes for a short term (up to approximately three months) and should not be removed until the tube is ready to go into the boiler. The oil can be easily removed by steam cleaning or by washing with hot water and detergent solution. If oil film is removed, the tubes should be used immediately to protect against corrosion as discussed below"

Tell us more about your specific situation ....

MJCronin
Sr. Process Engineer