Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited

Presentation on

“Breech Lock Exchangers”

RESOT CORE COURSE

MODULE 2
 BREECH-LOCK CLOSURE
HIGH PRESSURE HEAT EXCHANGERS
 Invented and developed in 1960 by Standard Oil Co. of California .
The first breech-lock was put into operation in 1966.

 Rights of technology remain with Chevron Research Company of

California.

 In 1982, ABB LUMMUS HEAT TRANSFER became a licensee for the

worldwide marketing of high pressure Breech-Lock heat exchangers.

 Over 600 Breech-Lock high pressure heat exchangers are in operation

worldwide.

 Finds applications in refinery units operating at high pressure and

temperature with hydrogen rich streams such as Hydrocrackers.
 Breech-lock Heat Exchangers
(Threaded Channel Closure HPHX)

• Specialized exchangers specifically developed for

applications involving High Pressure, High temperature
and fluids rich in Hydrogen or Hydrogen Sulphide

• Widely used in Hydro-cracking , Hydro-treating, hydro-

dewaxing processes

• Basically Shell & Tube Heat exchangers but with certain

unique features which give substantial advantages over
conventional designs
 Breech-lock Heat Exchangers

• Generally classified in two types:

“HH” & “HL” types

– HH Type: Both shell side & Tube side at high pressure.

Tubesheet designed for differential pressure.

– HL Type: Tubesheets get independently exposed to full

pressure from Shell side or Tube side. Usually Tube side
is high pressure.
 H-H Type
Threaded Channel Closures
HH Type
SCREWPLUG-HPHX – HH Type
CHANNEL
OUTLET
SHELL
NOZZLE

GUIDE RING HOLDING CHANNEL

STUD FOR HEADER
COVER

TUBES

CHANNEL BAFFLES
CHANNEL INLET
TUBESHEET THREADS NOZZLE
 SCREWPLUG-HPHX – HH Type

OUTER CHANNEL
TUBESHEET SPACERS
COMPRESSION BOX
PUSHBOLTS
RING
CHANNEL SPLIT INTERNAL
DIAPHRAGM
GASKET RING FLANGE

CHANNEL
COVER

THREADED
LOCK RING

GLAND
BOLTS
NOZZLE
GLAND
PARTITION
INTERNAL COVER
SLEEVE
INNER INNER
OUTER PUSHBOLTS COMPRESSION
PUSHBOLTS / PUSHRODS RING
/ PUSHRODS
 Gasket (with Push Bolts to
HH Type Diaphragm) generate load for
Internal device to
for Channel sealing of Channel
seal the gasket
Gasket
Internal without Cover &
Gasketed Threaded Ring
Joint for
Tubesheet

Differential
Pressure

Sleeve to
transmit load
from external
High Push bolts
Pressure
(#) of 13
 H-L Type
Threaded Channel Closures
HL type
HL Type Tubesheet
Integral / Welded
Gasket (with Push Bolts to
generate load
Diaphragm)
Shell with Channel for sealing of
for Channel
Assembly Channel Gasket

Low High
Pressure Pressure
Special Threaded Channel Closure HPHX
 Minimum number of external seals to reduce the risks of
dangerous fluid to atmosphere

 Highly reliable Sealing arrangement

 Facilitates Re-tightening of the gasketted joints during

operation.

 No Internal attachment welds. Internals / Gaskets are

removable without cutting

 Tube bundle (for HH Type) can be separated easily and

cleaned / repaired if required.

 Easy and quick maintenance.

Advantages Integral Single Pressure Thrust
Shell + Channel. External transmitted to
No abrupt
No External Gasketed Channel thru
Changes in X-Sec
gasket Joint Joint Threaded Ring

Reliable sealing
arrangement

Facilitates Bolts to generate

retightening only marginal load.
Internals / Tube- during Smaller size
bundle operation permits On-Line
removable Tightening
without cutting.
Lifting & Pushing Arrangement for
Tubebundle
Lifting & Pushing Arrangement for Tubebundle
Lifting & Pushing Arrangement for Channel Box / Internal Flange
 After Installation of
Internal Flange, Split
Ring & Push bolts

After Installation of Tube-

bundle and Channel Box &
Partition Cover
 After
Installation of
Channel
Gasket,
Diaphragm &
Outer
Compression
Ring
Installation of
Channel Cover
 Installation of
Threaded Lock
Ring
Comparison of Breechlock with
Conventional Heat Exchanger
Comparison of Breechlock with
Conventional Heat Exchanger
CPCL EXPERIENCE WITH BREECH LOCK EXCHANGERS

OHCU - Commissioned in 2004 – Licensor M/s. Chevron

• Number of Breech lock heat exchangers in H-H TYPE – 3 Nos.

& H-L TYPE – 4 Nos. All the above exchangers are supplied by M/s. TEMA.

• Failures Experienced so far : Tube side product leaked heavily from tell-tale
hole of the channel in 207-E-06 (Reactor Effluent / Stripper bottom exchanger)
during September 2012; This exchanger is of H-L type;

• Failure occurred during startup of the unit after catalyst scooping in one of the
reactor.

• Cause of Failure – Diaphragm (gasket retainer) was found damaged possibly

due to start-up/ shutdown thermal stress (gasket retainer was found deformed).

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CPCL EXPERIENCE WITH BREECH LOCK EXCHANGERS

DHDT - Commissioned in 2011 Licensor M/s. Axens

H-H TYPE – 7 Nos.
H-L TYPE – 2 Nos.
All the above exchangers are supplied by M/s.TEMA

Failures Experienced : 4 times; Intermixing of shell side medium (Feed)

into tube side (Reactor effluent)

Exchanger Tag No. Month & Duration of Leak Identification method

Interruption
211-E-01B & 211-E-02 Oct 2012 & 26 days Radiotracer study by M/s.
BARC
211-E-01D Dec 2012 & 13 days Sample Analysis
211-E-01A/B & Feb 2013 & 11 days Sample Analysis
211-E-01D
211-E-01 A/B, 211-E-01C Feb / Mar 2014 & 18 Sample Analysis;
and 211-E-02 days

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 DHDT BREECH LOCK EXCHANGERS

View of Breech Lock Exchangers 211-E-01A/B/C/D/E/F

DHDT BREECH LOCK EXCHANGERS
Leak detection by sampling

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DHDT BREECH LOCK EXCHANGERS
Leak confirmed during shell test
DHDT BREECH LOCK EXCHANGERS
View of TLR and channel cover
DHDT BREECH LOCK EXCHANGERS
View of Partition cover
DHDT BREECH LOCK EXCHANGERS
View of DP test on Diaphragm
DHDT BREECH LOCK EXCHANGERS
View of Internal cylinder
 DHDT BREECH LOCK EXCHANGERS
View of crack in gasket seating location of 211-E-01B

View of Crack propagation inside the lining after grinding

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 DHDT BREECH LOCK EXCHANGERS
View of Fixture used for dismantling TLR and tube bundle
View of Leak observed at Gasket area in View of Leak observed at Gasket area
211-E-01B in 211-E-02

Diaphragm removed from 211-E-01B DP check on 211-E-02 Diaphragm

 DP check on Internal Cylinder, TLR and ACME threads

Spare Gasket Damaged during Insertion Bundle Pushing and alignment

using multiple hydraulic
jacks
 DHDT BREECH LOCK EXCHANGERS
View of damaged gasket and sketch of camprofile gasket

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 DHDT BREECH LOCK EXCHANGERS
Hydrotest in stages – Differential pressure test

STAGE SHELL SIDE Pressure in kg/cm2. TUBE SIDE Pressure in kg/cm2.

STEP 1 Shell HT at 35.75 kg/cm2 0 (No water)

STEP 2 0 (No water) Tube HT at 35.75 kg/cm2

STEP 3 20 35.75

STEP 4 30 35.75

STEP 5 30 50

STEP 6 45 50

STEP 7 45 70

STEP 8 65 70

STEP 9 65 90

STEP 10 85 90

STEP 11 85 111.02

STEP 12 100 11.02

STEP 13 120 111.02

Final 133.8 111.02

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Thank You