Superheated steam finned tube crack in crude heater

[Mostafa Fouad]

I have a problem with the superheated tubes at the convection zone in crude heater the problem description :
Material A 213 T22

circumference crack accrues between the fines, the crack is below the soot blower and the finned area around the crack is completely.
plz any one can explain the type and the causes of such

 

[Dhurjati Sen]

Dear Mostafa Fouad,

1. Check with Operations whether there was any abnormality with the soot blowing in the last one year.

2. Check with Operations about the quality of super-heated steam and also about the Pressure Safety Valve installed on the steam header, if any.

3. Check the last shutdown report or any other maintenance activities related to the convection tubes.

Hope you get your answer soon enough!

Regards.

DHURJATI SEN

 

[Mostafa Fouad]

Thanks DHURJATI SEN
I Will check all things you mentioned.
But I think the crack occur due to thermal fatigue

 

[Dhurjati Sen]

Dear Mostafa Fouad,

You need to negate the three points that I had mentioned in my previous post to close in on thermal fatigue or other causes of failure.

Once you replace the cracked tube, you would surely do different metallurgical analysis on the failed sample like hardness, micro structure, tensile strength etc to come to the conclusion.

Regards.

DHURJATI SEN