Curran International’s dry grit blast tube ID cleaning method is a trusted solution for restoring air cooled exchangers to near “white metal” cleanliness, enabling high-integrity non-destructive examination (NDE) and reducing costly maintenance downtime.
Why Choose Dry Grit Blasting for Air Cooled Exchanger Tubes?
Air cooled exchangers operate at high temperatures to cool and condense hydrocarbons and process fluids beyond the limits of water-cooled systems. This exposes tube interiors to severe:
- Product scale buildup
- Oxidized deposits
- Fouling and under-deposit corrosion
Traditional hydro-blasting techniques for tube cleaning often face challenges, including:
- Difficulties installing effective containment on narrow catwalks elevated 40+ feet above grade
- Risk of containment leaks requiring work area barricading
- Mixed cleaning success on tough deposits during IRIS inspections
Curran’s Fully Contained Dry Grit Blast Cleaning Solution
Curran’s proprietary dry grit blasting system overcomes these limitations with a fully contained, tube-end-to-tube-end blasting process that eliminates the need for bulky catwalk containment systems.
- Proprietary nozzles fit precisely inside tube IDs and span across headers, propelling dry grit at high velocity
- Turbulent flow scours away scale, deposits, and fouling efficiently
- Blast waste is contained and collected safely in bins positioned at ground level
- No tube lancing is needed, enabling work to be done entirely from existing catwalk access
This method delivers consistent, predictable cleaning results that prepare tubes for NDE inspection and restore thermal performance.
Key Benefits of Curran’s Dry Grit Tube Cleaning
- Predictable cleaning results reduce the need for costly rework or NDE resource remobilization
- Cleaner tubes improve NDE data quality, ensuring better assessment of tube condition
- Eliminates cumbersome containment wraps and minimizes cleanup tasks
- Enhances heat exchanger efficiency by removing fouling and corrosion deposits
Two Decades of Proven Experience
Curran pioneered dry grit blast tube cleaning for air cooled exchangers nearly 20 years ago and has since completed millions of manhours in refinery and industrial plant settings worldwide, safely and effectively.
Learn More About Curran’s Tube Cleaning Solutions
For detailed information on our dry grit blast tube ID cleaning and other tubular heat transfer services, contact Ed Deely at edeely@curranintl.com or call (281) 339-9993.
