Failure Analysis of Heat Exchanger's Tubes at GPP Kerteh

• Main Author: Azemi, Mohd Aziman
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS 2008
• Subjects: TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery
• Online Access: http://utpedia.utp.edu.my/9986/1/2008%20-%20Failure%20Analysis%20of%20Heat%20Exchanger%27s%20Tubes%20at%20GPP%20Kerteh.pdf; http://utpedia.utp.edu.my/9986/

Oil and gas industrial is one of the most important industries especially to developing country. Experienced by the author along the eight months industrial training at PETRONAS Gas Berhad (PGB) Kerteh, the surroundings require active researches and developments in attempt to accumulate efficiency or maintaining plant services. At gas processing plant ( GPP), one of the most important equipment is heat exchanger which widely used to vary temperature of hydrocarbon or water. During the industrial training, numerous shutdowns of heat exchanger were attributed to failure of the heat exchanger, especially the tubes. Consequently, the failure of the tubes part leads the management to replace the heat exchanger and fabricate new equipment. This decision been made because of insufficient time to solve the problem in detail and to continue operation. A study was conducted into the failure of the heat exchanger. Design of the heat exchanger and operation parameters were scrutinized. In addition, samples of the failed heat exchanger tubes were obtained and studied using various failure analysis tools such as X -ray, optical examination and SEM. In conclusion, this investigation reveals that corrosion was the main factor in the fuilure ofthe heat exchanger tubes.