Applied Technical Services offers heat exchanger performance testing to ensure structural integrity and functionality.
What are the signs of heat exchanger tube degradation in nuclear plants?
Fouling and degradation can lead to system failures. Look for key signs such as more numerous pressure drops between the inlet and outlet or inability to maintain target outlet temperatures. Visual indications of tube degradation can include wet tube sheet faces, excessive corrosion, and abnormal vibrations.
ISO/IEC 17025:2017-Accredited & Appendix B-Certified Heat Exchanger Testing Services
Heat exchanger performance testing pertains to both installing instrumentation onsite and collecting data for analysis. ATS can use a suite of testing capabilities to determine a heat exchanger system’s overall heat balance error. This metric is important to overall operation, preventative/predictive analysis, asset health, fouling factor, and benchmarking additional load.
Our technicians use specialized software to process this data, allowing them to calculate the system’s key performance parameters. They then compare these parameters against acceptance criteria established by plant technical specifications to verify that the equipment meets performance requirements.
Reasons to test Hx systems:
- Fouling due to biofouling agents
- Silting
- Mud
- Corrosion Products
- Degradation caused by erosion
- Personnel and procedural errors
- Design deficiencies
Our technicians rely on nearly two decades of experience and proven testing techniques to provide clients with full transparency on active heat balance errors and fouling factors for these systems.
Types of heat exchangers commonly tested:
- Tube and shell water to water
- Plate and frame water to water
Applications:
- Component Cooling Water (CCW)
- Service Water
- Reactor Heat Removal (RHR)
- Diesel Generator Systems
Quality Assurance
Our approach to heat exchanger testing and analysis complies with the methodology presented in the EPRI document TR-107397, “Service Water Heat Exchanger Testing Guidelines.“ Conformance also adheres to Appendix B Quality Assurance Program under 10 CFR Part 50.
- Test Plan Development
- Test Procedure Development
- Test Implementation
- Performance Evaluation
Applied Technical Services
Founded in 1967, Applied Technical Services is the nation’s premier industrial testing services provider. Our team of certified hydrostatic testing experts brings decades of experience to each project, utilizing innovative technologies to reduce client costs while improving the value of our hydro testing services.
ATS is ISO 9001:2015-registered and holds several ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditations. We service national and global clients both in our mechanical testing lab and in the field, always striving to deliver the highest level of customer satisfaction.
Contact Us
Contact the proven mechanical testing professionals of Applied Technical Services using the webform to the right, or call today at +1(888) 287-5227 to schedule your next service.
