Failure analysis of admiralty brass tubes in a surface condenser: a case study at the petrochemical industry

The surface condenser in the steam turbine plays an essential role during the condensation process. Failure of surface condenser tubes is a critical factor for its efficiency and lifetime. This paper presents the failure of a surface condenser's admiralty brass tubes from a petrochemical plant in Indonesia after four years out of twenty years of expected lifetime. Eddy Current inspection results show some of the leaks were in the condensing...