A feed-effluent heat exchanger in a sour water stripping system having sour water stripping means, sour water storage means, and a stripper feed-effluent heat exchanger, is cleaned when the stripped water pathway in the heat exchanger becomes fouled, by passing sour water having a pH of greater than 8 from the storage means through the stripped water pathway in the exchanger at a temperature of at least 70.degree. F., and returning the sour water to the sour water storage means.

A method of monitoring the inner surfaces of copper-alloy condenser tubes of a condenser through which seawater flows as a coolant by controlling a ferrous-ion injecting operation to inject ferrous ions into the coolant for forming a protective film on the inner surfaces of the condenser tubes, and a sponge-ball cleaning operation to clean the inner tube surfaces by passing sponge balls through the condenser tubes. During an initial period of exposure of the condenser tubes to the coolant after installation of the condenser tubes in the condenser, the ferrous ions are injected into the coolant to form the protective film on the inner surfaces of the condenser tubes until the polarization resistance of the condenser tubes has reached 10.sup.4 .OMEGA.cm.sup.2. Subsequently, the ferrous-ion injecting operation and the sponge-ball cleaning operation are executed while the polarization resistance and heat transfer rate of the condenser tubes are monitored. The injecting and cleaning operations are performed to maintain within suitable ranges the polarization resistance and the heat transfer rate of the condenser tubes. These ranges may vary, depending upon whether the coolant is non-chlorinated seawater, chlorinated seawater, or sulfide-ion polluted seawater.

A heat exchanger wherein the hot and cold sides are arranged in side-by-side relationship, both sides being connected to a reactor by properly valved pipes, and means providing for a forward flow with reactor influent flowing through one side to the reactor and thermally conditioned liquid exiting from the reactor through the other side. Valves are selectively operable to reverse this flow. One form of the invention utilizes a pair of heat exchangers utilizing a third heat transfer medium.

A portable apparatus and method for chemically cleaning a single pass plate and frame heat exchanger allows the cleaning solution to be uniformly distributed across the plate pack. This portable system of one pump of preferably 10-horsepower, capable of 300 gallons per minute flow through a discharge port; at least two distribution/collection tubes with apertures of predetermined diameter and predetermined placement; one reversing manifold; two bag filters; and one circulation tank with a capacity at least on the order of 150 to 200 gallons; attaches to a single pass plate and frame heat exchanger. The single pass plate and frame heat exchanger is configured with at least two removable flanges that, once removed, allow for the installation of the distribution/collection tubes. The apertures in the distribution/collection tubes are placed facing downwards depending upon the direction of the operational fluid to enhance a vacuuming effect for particle and debris removal during cleaning. The distribution/collection tubes are skewed off-center of the flanges, with an ability to be rotated in at least four different directions off-center, and generally located towards the bottom of the single pass plate and frame heat exchanger to facilitate particulate removal and uniform distribution of cleaning solution.

A heat exchanger apparatus has a titanium liquid circuit for the passage of a liquid to be cooled. The liquid circuit has a liquid input and a liquid output and is formed with titanium walls having coacting ribs formed on two walls to spread the liquid passing therethrough. A pair of cooling circuits located adjacent to the liquid circuit has air or another cooling fluid passed therethrough for cooling the liquid passing through the liquid circuit. Each cooling circuit is attached adjacent one titanium wall of the liquid circuit and each has a purality of metallic cooling fins, such as pin fins, fixedly soldered or brazed to the titanium wall. The titanium liquid side has no brazed or soldered joint and this prevents corrosion and contamination, while the heat exchanger efficiency is enhanced by the thin walls of titanium having high heat transfer pin fins soldered or brazed directly to the air side. Complete access to the liquid side of the heat exchanger is provided for cleaning.