Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation

Robert H Johnson

George B Rabe

John Polcer

Benjamin C Ezra

A device and method for augmenting support and suppressing vibration for U-bend tubes and tube spacer supports in a vapor generator vessel. The device is installed in the vapor generator vessel from outside the vessel through dual oppositely oriented openings cut through the wall and inner shroud of the generator vessel. The device extension rods are inserted through one of the openings, and the vibration suppressor blades are each inserted sequentially through the other opening and installed on a support rod and then rotated upwardly into place between the parallel tube batwing spacer supports by using a special push/twist tool, after which the support rod is indexed forward to provide positive engagement between the rod and blade, such as by a rod key and blade slot means. The suppressor blades are retained in place on the step block and rod by a clamp block attached to the step block, and the vessel dual openings are then covered by pressure-tight flange plates.

Tube support vibration suppression device and method

A pressurizable tool adapted for expanding a close-fitting sleeve into a tube in a tubesheet. The tool includes a housing containing an axially movable piston and a forward reduced diameter portion and having an elastic expander unit for inserting into the sleeve and tube in a tubesheet. The expander unit consists of at least two elastic rings composed of a polyurethane elastomer material and each having a chamfer provided at the outer edge of the unit forward and rear faces. By pressurizing a port at the housing front end, the piston is moved rearwardly to axially compress and expand the expander rings radially outwardly sufficiently to expand the sleeve firmly into the tube and provide a pressure tight seal therebetween. Following such expansion of the sleeve, the piston is pressurized and moved forward to release the compression on the expander unit rings, so that the tool can be easily withdrawn from the expanded sleeve and tube and inserted into another sleeve and tube for repeated usage.

Sleeve to tubesheet expander tool

A split type sealing device for providing high pressure sealing around a cylindrical member such as a tube. The sealing device utilizes a primary flexible split seal ring element and a rigid split back-up ring, which have their splits positioned on opposite sides of the cylindrical member so as to encircle the member. The seal rings are maintained in position against high sealing pressure by a split seal retainer enclosed by mating clamping means, such as a slotted coupling member having an external threaded end and a mating conduit and ring nut. The pressure axial loading on the tube is accommodated by a split clamp ring which clamps the coupling to the cylindrical member, which is usually a tube. The seal device is suitable for sealing against internal pressures of 0-5000 psi.

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Budd Lake, NJ, United States of America

Robert H Johnson