When heat exchanger tubes fail, many facilities default to plugging them — sacrificing thermal performance and often losing significant production capacity. Curran offers a better solution: hydraulically-expanded alloy tube liners and partial-length sleeves that restore tubes to active service, prevent further degradation, and extend equipment life without costly rebuilds.
This proven in-situ repair method is ideal for petrochemical plants, power generation facilities, and pulp and paper mills, delivering fast turnarounds and measurable cost savings.
Why Hydraulic Expansion Beats Plugging
The hydraulic expansion process allows Curran’s technicians to install alloy sleeves inside defective or at-risk tubes. This strengthens the tube walls, seals leak paths, and restores operational reliability. Unlike plugging, this method maintains heat transfer capacity and helps avoid revenue losses caused by reduced output.
Case Study 1: Petrochemical Plant Emergency Repair
Challenge:
A forced outage at a Midwest petrochemical plant revealed multiple leaking heat exchanger tubes. Plugging was not an option — the sheer number of defective tubes would have caused a drastic drop in thermal performance, costing the plant tens of thousands of dollars in lost revenue per day.
Solution:
After consulting with plant management, Curran confirmed the correct sleeve dimensions and material specifications. Within days, 1,200 alloy sleeves were sourced and delivered. Curran’s crew mobilized immediately with all required tooling.
Result:
Installation was completed in record time. A post-repair hydro test was performed without incident, allowing the plant to restart operations quickly and restore full production capacity.
Case Study 2: Power Plant Feedwater Heater Restoration
Challenge:
A Midwest-based power plant faced recurring tube leaks in the desuperheater section of a Feedwater Heater (FWH). Inspections revealed severe OD steam impingement damage near the steam extraction nozzle, with some tubes showing over 70% material loss.
Solution:
Curran performed visual and metallurgical analysis, then developed a targeted repair plan. The crew installed four-foot alloy sleeves in 400 damaged tubes, extending from the tubesheet face past the desuperheater shroud for maximum protection.
Result:
Once the sleeves were installed, the heater was closed, hydro-tested, and returned to service with significantly improved reliability.
The Curran Advantage
- Rapid Mobilization: From emergency call to on-site repair in just days.
- Performance Preservation: Repairs that maintain full thermal efficiency.
- Versatile Applications: Power generation, petrochemical, and pulp & paper.
- Custom Fit: Inlet ferrules, partial-length sleeves, or full-length liners installed anywhere in the heat exchanger.
📌 Enhance the reliability and lifespan of your tubular heat transfer equipment with Curran’s hydraulic expansion process.
📞 Contact:
Ed Deely – 281.339.9993 – edeely@curranintl.com
Alex Barre – 281.339.9993 – abarre@curranintl.com
🌐 See a full-length tube liner installation animation: www.curranintl.com
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Catch Curran — Anywhere in the World
With many industry conferences and trade shows postponed or cancelled, there’s still an easy way to connect with Curran’s experts. Schedule a live, personalized presentation via Microsoft Teams to learn how Curran Coatings and our worldwide service team can enhance the reliability and performance of your equipment.
Whether you operate in power generation, petrochemical, or pulp and paper, our engineers and field crews are ready to provide tailored solutions — no matter where you are.
📞 Contact:
Alex Barre – 281.339.9993 – abarre@curranintl.com
Curran is at your service. Worldwide.
