Technical condition examination of heat exchanger tubes with an acoustic pulse reflectometry method

Abstract

Abstract Diagnostics of the technical condition of heat exchanger tube bundles is considered in the paper. The main problem is associated with the large total length of tubes in bundles and a limited time for examination. For examination of the internal clearance of pipes the method of acoustic pulse reflectometry, known in a science and technology, was used. This method was implemented in PAKT-04 device for express-inspection of heat exchangers. It is proposed for characterizing the wear of the tubes to introduce a generalized quantitative parameter called “defectiveness degree”. The parameter is determined by change of acoustic signal propagating in the tube. The value of defectiveness degree indicates the applicability the tube for operation in the heat exchanger. The results of measuring the parameter on different heat exchangers are discussed.