High Pressure Feedwater Heater Cup Forging Alteration

Check out this article Click Here in Energy-Tech Magazine written about an ASME published paper (Click Here) which AM-EX co-authored for the ASME Power Conference regarding the retube and channel alteration of a High Pressure Feedwater Heater.

Contact the author of this post for more details:

Kellen Muldoon
(414)-403-7473
KellenMuldoon@amexservices.com

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Long Drains Cooler - Your Feedwater Heater Reliability Solution

American Exchanger Services, Inc. or simply (AM-EX) for short. AM-EX is an American Feedwater Heater Manufacturer with an emphasis on improvements in design, improvements in fabrication, improvements on deliveries, improvements of materials, etc. In this discussion, the focus is on the improvement of feedwater heater drains cooler zones by utilizing a long drains cooler design. The benefits of the long drains cooler design are well documented, particularly in EPRI. Contact AM-EX for details. AM-EX is an industry leader in the long drains cooler design and fabrication.

AM-EX Long Drains Cooler Design  

Photo Note 1: FWH is Shown Upside Down 
Photo Note 2: Drains Cooler Shown On Top
Photo Note 3: This Is A 4 Pass FWH 

According to EPRI conferences, improving feedwater heater reliability included the consideration for the use of a long partial pass drainscooler in horizontal feedwater heaters.  The results of these reports was a recommendation by EPRI to utilize the long drains cooler design for greater reliability over, what is now typical, short drains cooler design.

Why is the long drains cooler feedwater heater more reliable than a short drains cooler feedwater heater? The long drains cooler feedwater heater design is more robust and less sensitive to low pressure and off load operations. In addition, by design, there is no drainscooler end plate. Eliminating the drainscooler end plate from the feedwater heater will eliminate the potential for many problems associated with the short drains cooler feedwater heater. Submerging the shroud will also reduce the high cost of shroud welding issues.  

Why is the short drains cooler feedwater heater design not as reliable as a long drains cooler feedwater heater? The short drains cooler feedwater heater has provided reasonable service, however there have been many feedwater heaters replaced due issues with the design and operations associated with the drains cooler. Issues such as high drainscooler approach, shroud weld failure, water hammer within outlet piping and tube failures are just a few of the problems associated with the short drains cooler. Another major issue with the short drains cooler is with regards to the drains cooler end plate. steam in leakage through the tube annulus in the drains cooler end plate or through inadequate welding of the zone shrouds will result in tube failures within the zone. 

When it comes time to build your power plant, or replace existing feedwater heaters, let AM-EX design you the most reliable, cost effective, feedwater heaters.  

Please inquire with the author of this blog for full details regarding the long drains cooler design, and how it is applicable to your needs. 

Kellen Muldoon 

(414)-403-7473

KellenMuldoon@amexservices.com

Note - EPRI has a seminar on Feedwater Heaters August 2nd, 2016.

*AM-EX is an American Feedwater Heater Manufacturer
**Choose AM-EX as your Feedwater Heater Manufacturer

Hartford Manufacturer a State Award Contender

AM-EX was recently nominated for the Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year (MOTY) Award. Check out this article from the GM Today and Daily News here: http://www.gmtoday.com/news/business/front/topstory538.asp. 

AM-EX Fabricates Steam Surface Condenser, Feedwater Heaters, Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers, and Tanks in Hartford Wisconsin! Contact us for more details.

AM-EX Steam Surface Condenser - Domestic Customer

Hangout with ScaleUp Milwaukee

I did a quick interview about AM-EX with Elmer Moore from Scale Up Milwaukee. This is a local business development program helping us to "scale up" and grow our business.

Scale Up Interview

AM-EX Ships a Dearator and Storage Tank for Domestic Customer

AM-EX Shipped this 15 Foot Diameter - 60,000 lb Storage Tank to a Domestic Customer. The Dearator Which Sits on Top of the Storage Tank Weighs 11,000 lbs. The Total Assembled Height is 25 Foot Tall. 

Electro-polished shells and tube bundle

We just completed, on schedule, (6) specialty shell and tube heat exchangers for a nuclear application. This very interesting project utilized electropolished shells (and bundle components) to an average roughness (Ra) of 3 micro-inch. Putting this value in perspective, the hot rolled HRAP TP304 stainless steel (No1 finish with approximate Ra of 40 micro-inches) was polished into a surface as smooth as glass. Electropolishing is an electrochemical process that removes material from a metal part to passivate, deburr, and create a very smooth microscopic featureless surface.

Average Roughness Chart can be found at the following link:
http://www.engineersedge.com/manufacturing/surface-roughness-conversion.htm
http://www.engineershandbook.com/Tables/surfaceroughness.htm
http://www.ssina.com/finishes/sheetsamples.html

Cyclic Operation of Supercritical High Pressure Feedwater Heaters - An AM-EX Heater Study

Is your power plant load following? Consider the effects on your Feedwater Heaters!

In 2013, AM-EX performed a study and published the results with the ASME with regards to the cyclic operation of supercritical high pressure feedwater heaters and the potential adverse effects on them. Contact AM-EX for more details and how to access the full results or Click Here: http://proceedings.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/proceeding.aspx?articleid=1831800

AM-EX Nominated For Manufacturer Of The Year Award

We are proud to announce that we have been nominated for the 2015 Wisconsin  Manufacture of the Year Award, in the small business category.

See more information here: http://www.wimoty.com/

AM-EX Two (2) HP Heaters Turn-Key Project Completed

AM-EX shipped two (2) replacement High Pressure (HP) Feedwater Heaters (FWH)s and successfully performed the Turn-Key Installation. This time sensitive project was completed on schedule with no project delays. The installation was performed by AM-EX Field Service and Installation Department out of Hartford, Wisconsin.

The 2 HP FWHs were AM-EX Four Pass designs and were Three Zone High Pressure Feedwater Heaters arranged for horizontal orientation. The tubing material for the replacement heaters was SA213-T22.

HP Feedwater Heater - Lifting Into Place on 7th Floor

AM-EX HP Feedwater Heaters - Ready for Shipment

AM-EX Named To Scale Up Milwaukee Class Of 2015-2016

AM-EX is 1 of 18 member companies for the Scale Up Milwaukee Class of 15-16. See more information about Scale Up Milwaukee Here: http://scaleupmilwaukee.org/