Main Advantages

LUMMUS ADVANCED BREECH-LOCK EXCHANGER® Heat Exchanger design has several advantages compared with conventional welded diaphragm design.

  • More economical above a certain combination of exchanger sizes and design conditions
  • Exchanger is lighter due to a thinner channel and easier to handle
  • No internal threaded holes in the channel-forging or in the cladding
  • Internal tubesheet-to-shell gasket can be tightened from the outside and in service
  • No cutting and/or grinding of welded parts (i.e., channel diaphragm weld) is required to open and close the channel
  • No welding is required to close and seal the channel after maintenance; no need for line flushing, welding permits, skilled qualified welders, PWHT’s and Country Authority supervision and inspection during maintenance
  • There is no need for hydraulic bolt tensioning devices to remove the channel cover and reassemble the exchanger, thus eliminating the number of tightening cycles and straining gauge measurements

Bolt size – Comparison between conventional design and LUMMUS ADVANCED BREECH-LOCK EXCHANGER® Heat Exchanger.

 

Conventional Design Heat Exchanger

Design Pressure 168 barg
Design Temperature 345 °C
Shell ID 1470 mm
Bolt Size 5 – 3/4”
Bolt Weight 120 Kg/each

LUMMUS ADVANCED BREECH-LOCK EXCHANGER® Heat Exchanger

Design Pressure 200 barg
Design Temperature n.d.
Shell ID 1730 mm
Bolt Size 1 – 1/2”
Bolt Weight 1,1Kg/each

Advantages allow for much easier operation and maintenance of the LUMMUS ADVANCED BREECH-LOCK EXCHANGER® Heat Exchanger closure. These exchangers are easy to operate and comparatively easy to dismantle and reassemble, which results in more reliable operation and shorter shutdown time.

 

LOWER CAPITAL EXPENDITURE, EASIER MAINTENANCE, SHORTER SHUTDOWN TIME

HIGHER PLANT RELIABILITY, LOWER TOTAL LIFE-CYCLE COST

 

FOTO 7 BL

Over five hundreds of successful applications prove that this product, designed and manufactured with the closest tolerances and highest attention to detail for reliability, really enhances maintenance easiness and plant safety.
The unique design of the LUMMUS ADVANCED BREECH-LOCK EXCHANGER® Heat Exchanger internals offers exceptional maintenance advantages over competitors’ screw-plug closures such as:

  • Minimal tolerance for channel & lock ring threads for safer operation
  • Internal bolts are not prone to deformation or to overstressing
  • The seal gasket, thanks to the advanced design, follows the relative movement of the diaphragm with respect to the channel due to differential thermal expansion, thus assuring the sealing even during critical transient conditions
  • Detailed design has been improved and optimized over the years, with specific focus even on minor details that can substantially affect reliability and maintenance and that are provided and regularly updated to assist our Customers worldwide
  • Effective operations and maintenance manual are supplied including a detailed plan for preventive maintenance
  • Dedicated team with extensive experience for training, site support and supervision during LUMMUS ADVANCED BREECH-LOCK EXCHANGER® Heat Exchanger shutdown and maintenance

 

EASY INSTALLATION – SPECIAL PROPRIETARY DISMANTLING PREMIUM JIG

FOTO 8 BLIMB has developed a unique, proprietary disassembly/reassembly jig designed to facilitate dismantling and reassembling operations of the LUMMUS ADVANCED BREECH-LOCK EXCHANGER® Heat Exchanger. With our Premium Jig it is possible to open the channel, remove internal components, and then reassemble and reclose the LUMMUS ADVANCED BREECH-LOCK EXCHANGER® Heat Exchanger in a very short time with no need for heavy cranage.
The jig’s sophisticated design includes ball bearing supports, fine pitch adjustment screws, and close-fit tolerance machined mounting/contact surfaces. All of these, together with its ergonomic design, makes the jig the best tool of its kind for LUMMUS ADVANCED BREECH-LOCK EXCHANGER® Heat Exchanger maintenance.
Recently IMB Premium Jig has been further developed with the inclusion of hydraulic actuators for the setting of inclination and elevation.
Jig is adjustable so that one jig can be used for different exchangers and threaded ring sizes.
FOTO 9 BLDuring maintenance the Premium Jig is bolted on a pad welded on top of the channel of the exchanger thus allowing autonomous operation with no need for other plant facilities such as cranes. Once the jig is installed on the exchanger, opening the channel and removing the threaded ring and cover takes approximately 10 minutes. The entire sequence of activities, from completion of shutdown to full disassembly of the internals, can usually be performed in two to three hours depending on the size of the exchanger.
Once disassembled, the jig can be split into parts easy to be handled and stored.
A different version of jig is also available for use with the vertical LUMMUS ADVANCED BREECH-LOCK EXCHANGER® Heat Exchanger.