New Coating Materials Further Advance Anti-Foul Performance
Recent advances in material research have led to durable, low-surface energy, thin-film coatings that further improve release performance of stainless steel, titanium and copper alloys exchanger tubes. Refinery manufacturers frequently specify these new low-surface energy coatings for application to exchangers in which alloy tube-material has been specified to solve cooling water pitting and deposit corrosion...
Read this E-blast DownloadThe New Paradigm for Heat-Exchanger Fouling
Heat exchanger fouling is a significant cost to refinery and petrochemical manufacturing, resulting in lost production, increased maintenance, poor asset utilization, increased CO2 production.It has been estimated that heat exchanger fouling has a cost of 0.25% of GDP, which, in the United States, annually equates to $537 billion. CO2 production related to operational fouling in refining alone is equal to 88,000,000 tons of CO2 per annum...
Read this E-blast DownloadLow-Surface-Energy Gives Curran Coatings Superior Anti-Foul Performance
The anti-foul performance of Curran International heat exchanger coatings is found in the application of a low-surface-energy film onto the tube surface. This maximizes the contact angle of the fluid interface at the tube, improving hydrophobic and oleophobic performance. Combined with an inherently low-surface roughness, these Curran Coatings reduce surface energy of carbon steel to more than three-times compared to new, uncoated carbon steel...
Read this E-blast DownloadCurramix 3500™ Anti-Foul Coating Improved Crude Preheat Exchanger Duty
Crude preheat exchangers are essential to refinery manufacturing and operational efficiency. These exchangers are closely monitored for fouling and pressure drop. When operators are able to maintain greater levels of duty for longer periods, the return to the unit is improved production yield, energy savings, and CO2 reduction. To compare the expected benefits of Curran anti-foul coating applied to a crude preheat exchanger, the study compared Curramix 3500™-coated exchanger and an uncoated exchanger...
Read this E-blast DownloadCurran Anti-Foul Exchanger Coatings Improve Refinery Operations – Worldwide
Curran Coatings minimize tube fouling and inhibit corrosion. Fouling causes reduced heat transfer, leading to production bottlenecks and increased maintenance durations. Corrosion risks the integrity of exchanger mechanical performance and plant safety. Refinery process and reliability engineers can select from a full portfolio of Curran Thin Film Coatings; coatings that reduce surface energy and enhance release at the substrate...
Read this E-blast DownloadHeat Exchanger Foul Release Coatings for Crude Refining
Advanced low-surface-energy coating materials targeted for heat exchanger fouling in a range of crude fouling services have expanded Curran International’s tube coating portfolio.Materials and application techniques have been developed for exchangers that are subject to performance decline related to crude processing. Such as, crude pre-heaters, vacuum bottoms, FCC slurry, produced water and desalting services...
Read this E-blast DownloadFieldwork for the Hardy… A Journey to Land of the Northern Lights
A mid-winter project in the Arctic offered Curran technicians a rare opportunity to experience a natural phenomenon, and days of long nighttime conditions. A Prudhoe Bay pipeline operator approved installation of an anti-foul exchanger coating during a routine maintenance event; and, in January “invited” a Curran crew north to Deadhorse, Alaska, elevation 15 feet, population 25...
Read this E-blast DownloadHeat Exchanger Foul Release Coatings for Crude Refining
Advanced low-surface-energy coating materials targeted for heat exchanger fouling in a range of crude fouling services have expanded Curran International’s tube coating portfolio.Materials and application techniques have been developed for exchangers that are subject to performance decline related to crude processing. Such as, crude pre-heaters, vacuum bottoms, FCC slurry, produced water and desalting services...
Read this E-blast DownloadFieldwork for the Hardy… A Journey to Land of the Northern Lights
A mid-winter project in the Arctic offered Curran technicians a rare opportunity to experience a natural phenomenon, and days of long nighttime conditions. A Prudhoe Bay pipeline operator approved installation of an anti-foul exchanger coating during a routine maintenance event; and, in January “invited” a Curran crew north to Deadhorse, Alaska, elevation 15 feet, population 25...
Read this E-blast DownloadNow, More Curran Coatings to Help Prevent Heat Exchanger Fouling
Advanced materials, targeted for exchangers in crude fouling and slurry services, highlight Curran applications development. Organic hybrid and inorganic coatings provide foul release in crude pre-heat, vacuum bottoms, FCC slurry, and produced water (oil/water) separators. Some coatings are functional at just 5-15 microns total thickness and the applied film changes interaction at the substrate; reduces surface tension < 30 dynes/cm square, and surface roughness ~.5 microns. The coatings improve “release” and minimize product attachment and foulant nucleation sites. A wide-ranging collection exchanger application installed in field trials ranging 15 to 60 months, shows favorable results against uncoated exchangers in the same service...
Read this E-blast DownloadTurnkey Tube Cleaning and Liner Installation in Six Days
A Gulf Coast refinery called Curran to support restoration of in-service air coolers, during a short maintenance pit stop. When the timing of the replacement air coolers slipped, the refinery implemented its contingency plan. This plan called for the installation of C276 full-length tube liners to extend reliable operation of existing equipment. A Scheduled Eight-day Mechanical Outage… more than 1,000 full length tube liners to install The work scope was to synchronize the effort among the refinery, Curran International, and the NDE contractor. The group needed to meet an eight-day mechanical outage schedule. In those eight days, under the reliability engineers’ direction, four exchanger bundles needed to be cleaned; NDE facilitated; and more than 1,000 full-length tube liners installed...
Read this E-blast DownloadThe Forefront of New Exchanger Coatings
Curran International is at the forefront of new exchanger coating technology to reduce fouling in high-temperature crude and hydrocarbon manufacturing operations. Curran’s thin film application reduces surface tension of steel, leading to improved “release” down tube of exchangers in heavy crude and fouling services. Using hybrid polymers and inorganic components, Curran applications are suited for use in many crude and hydrocarbon services. This class of coatings covers wide operating parameters, including crude and coking services to 800ºF...
Read this E-blast DownloadCurran Clean™ Exchangers for Predictable NDE and No Rework
Curran Clean enables high-quality data collection for IRIS, RFT and ECT methods of exchanger inspections. Curran Clean is vacuum-tight containment solutions that eliminate nuisance dust and waste. Curran Clean means no tube cleaning rework! For over 15 years, clients have used Curran dry-grit tube cleaning that ensure their exchangers pass the most rigid inspections. A Midwest utility was having issues with a heavy and hard to remove layer of calcium carbonate (calcite) which had accumulated on the wall of their condenser tubes. Other companies, all using standard mechanical tube cleaning methods, had failed in numerous attempts to adequately clean this utility’s condenser tubes...
Read this E-blastSpecifying the Right Protective Coating for Worst-Case Conditions
When specifying an internal coating for fixed equipment in immersion service it’s important to understand the operating conditions, temperature, fluid exposure, and whether the equipment is insulated. But, not so fast – there are a couple of other factors to consider. Steam Cycling: In many refineries and petrochemical plants utility steam is often circulated through equipment as a routine maintenance practice. At clients we visit, 150 PSIG appears to be the typical utility steam circulated through product-side of cooling water exchangers and channels. This is about 365F, when converted to temperature. Even where steam is not circulated at the coated-surface...
Read this E-blastCurran’s Plate and Frame Exchanger Coating Significantly Increases Thermal Conductivity
Scaling and fouling in plate and frame (PFE) heat exchangers results in significant loss of performance and negatively affects energy efficiency of the system. In severe cases, the buildup could be so thick that it results in a clogged exchanger – unable to be cleaned in place (CIP) with acidic cleaning techniques. This leads to production stoppages for cleaning and ultimately results in increased production costs. Recent studies from the chemical, district heating, oil and gas, and power plant industries have introduced compelling evidence that altering the surface of the plate with a thin layer of antifouling coating mitigates the buildup of fouling and, thus, reduces maintenance stoppage...
Read this E-blastProtect, Prolong Exchanger Service-Life Hydraulically Expanded Liners Restore Corroded Exchangers
From the time a heat exchanger is placed into active service external factors such as erosion, corrosion and mechanical issues immediately begin to directly affect the longevity of the heat exchanger components, especially the tubes. As issues manifest themselves and tubes begin to fail, the standard maintenance practice is to simply plug the failing tubes. As the tubes continue to deteriorate and fail, tube after tube is plugged until the percentage of plugged tubes necessitates either a retubing or complete replacement of the heat exchanger...
Read this E-blastTube-In Tube Liners Return Corroded Tubes to Duty with Very Minimal Downtime!
Curran International’s proven repair solution, using full length tube liners for a tube-in-tube repair, maintains tubes in-service – with very minimal downtime. Curran has executed liner installation during critical turnaround schedules. Using pre-ordered material, this repair strategy has been executed within a matter of work shifts. Exchanger tube ID corrosion, and tube damage may require that tubes are plugged and removed from continued service; or that repairs are made to maintain equipment integrity. When tube ID propagated corrosion has effected many tubes in a bundle, plugging tubes may not be an option...
Read this E-blastLearn About Ultra-Thin, High Temperature Curramix 2500 Coating at NACE 2017
Curran will introduce a new tube ID coating technology for ultra-thin film exchanger applications, at NACE Corrosion 2017. This material is designed to provide state-of-the-art foul release performance in hydrocarbon and coking services where process foulant has a high impact to unit efficiency. Initial tests of Curramix 2500, a high temperature inorganic coating, have shown promising results in mitigating fouling in crude exchangers of distillation units...
Read this E-blastA Once in-a-Generation Restoration
Power plant steam condenser tube replacement is a major, once-in-a-generation maintenance event. These can be large systems, each with a wide range of designed-capacities, depending on thermal demands. A Turnkey Solution Curran International offers a turnkey solution for condenser tube replacement projects. Curran becomes the single point of responsibility for performing re-tube, and application of epoxy coating systems. Curran’s qualified, multi-trade specialists have consistently demonstrated the craft-level competence required to lead these turnkey jobs...
Read this E-blastHydraulic Tube Liners and Thin Film Tube ID Coatings Proven Technologies for Prolonged Heat Exchanger Tube Longevity
Applying a Curran thin-film coating to the ID of your heat exchanger tubes will provide you with more reliable heat exchangers that will provide additional years of active service. Tube Failure Starts on Day One From the time a heat exchanger is placed into active service, external factors such as erosion, corrosion and mechanical issues immediately begin to directly affect the longevity of the heat exchanger components, especially the tubes. As issues manifest themselves and tubes begin to fail, the standard maintenance practice is to simply plug the failing tubes. As the tubes continue to deteriorate and fail, tube after tube is plugged until the percentage of plugged tubes necessitates either a retubing or complete replacement of the heat exchanger...
Read this E-blastEnsure Fin Fan Operating Integrity with Multi-Method Approach to NDE
Verifying the tube integrity of fin fan air coolers is an important inspection task of NDE professionals; poor or incomplete inspection data may not detect all corrosion indications, risking an unexpected upset as a result of tube failure. The impact to safety, environment and operations usually requires immediate repairs, taking unit off line or even completely shutting down the unit. The value on high integrity inspections is clear. As you may know, there are several types of air cooled heat exchangers and different methods of examining them. This short article discusses the nondestructive examination (NDE) of a forced air exchanger with aluminum "L" finned tubes and plug header box...
Read this E-blastFor Curran, It's Another Day at the Power Plant
More than 1000 tubes salvaged and returned to service. A 20% increase in surface area of a 4,800 tube condenser bundle. Plus, improvements in turbine back pressure and plant heat rate. Recently, a 50-year old condenser bundle was rehabiltated and given five more years of productive life. As part of a turnkey project performed by Curran International, more than 1,000 previously plugged tubes were returned to circulating water service – returning more than 20% of the operating surface area. A 50 megawatt steam condenser located at a power generation station in South America had been operating with an unusually high number of plugged tubes. In fact, about 42% of the bundle was plugged. This condition further compounded a number of known integrity issues with the unit’s steam boiler. Additionally, the severe corrosion across the tube sheet likely contributed to condenser circulating water leaks, which compromised steam purity and shell side integrity...
Read this E-blastSEO Services by Essential Information Technologies
Copyright © Curran International All rights reserved.