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Has anyone done an online crimping of reformer catalyst tube pigtails recently? Was it done with reformer feed gas still in operation? Does anyone have a reference for a contractor that has state of the art equipment and recent experience to safely crimp off a reformer catalyst tube while in operation?
Dear Friend,
Yes we had done it but not recently, few years back. The nipping was done by using in house resources.
We have done crimping of Reformer pigtails using an external contractor. Not sure if this is still of interest to you.
The experience that I’ve had with this sort of thing is to engage a specialist contractor with the right skill set, such as:
https://www.teaminc.com/assets/PDFs/TEAM004_online_leak_sealing_repair_brochure_0219_WEB.pdfAs it turns out, the job I witnessed was done with the reformer on line. However, the unit was designed to permit this. Applying current safety standards, I would expect that the work would have been done considerably differently. Especially with regard to documenting and managing the risks.
This question has been asked and answered over at the Urea site:
https://www.ureaknowhow.com/ukh2/round-table-1/24/815.html
The article in that thread, Nipping of Reformer Tubes: Precautions and Mitigation of Incidents, Stevens, 2009, confirms my recollection and my concerns, including:quote :However, as a result of the high nipping frequency in 2008, the chances of a less perfect nipping apparently increased. During one nipping exercise the outlet pigtail ruptured and a fire occurred, fortunately without injuries.Apparently, one of the contributing factors to the incident was associated with pigtail material specification in terms of its ductility. So, it’s not a straight forward exercise and requires appropriate caution.
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