212923 Bahx Repair

Tuesday, March 15, 2011: 9:40 AM
Crystal B (Hyatt Regency Chicago)
Sam Willard, HETSCO Inc., Greenwood, IN

Abstract:  Repair of brazed aluminum heat exchangers requires specialized knowledge.  While repairs can be done successfully, improper procedures can result in irreversible damage to the vessel.

 The paper will describe weld and repair procedures for external as well as internal leaks.  External leaks can typically be repaired by grinding the defect area and welding the crack.  Internal repairs require the removal of headers or header sections, locating the leaking layer and the seal welding of this layer or layers.  The overall exchanger profile needs to be reviewed at this point to see if additional layers under adjoining streams will need layers blocked in order to maintain the balance of the heat exchanger. 


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