October 2024
Maintenance, Reliability and Inspection
SMR feed effluent hairpin exchanger: Once upon a time—An unusual thermal mix-point failure—Part 1
This article presents a review of a failure that happened in a hairpin heat exchanger type on the shell side in a hydrogen (H2) reformer unit. This mechanism was not identified during the design phase and led to a failure after only two years of operation. This article also reviews the situations encountered during the design stage and how they affected the material selection.
The Authors
François Gilbert has been a Material Engineer for the last 13 yr at the Suncor refinery in Montreal. He is responsible for the risk-based inspection program and participates in fitness for service, developing inspection plans, completing root cause failure analyses, completing corrosion studies and implementing/reviewing operational integrity limits. He is also involved in a group of material specialists covering all Suncor sites. Gilbert earned BS and MS degrees in material engineering, is certified in API-510, API-571 and API-580 standards, and is a Professional Engineer in the Quebec province.
Olivier Jacob has been a Unit Inspector for the last 7 yr at the Suncor Montreal refinery. He participates in developing inspection plans, evaluating equipment integrity and coordinating turnaround inspection teams. He has a professional degree in materials and welding and a BS degree in material engineering. Jacob is certified by API-510, API-570, NBIC-CI/R and is a Professional Engineer in the Quebec province.
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