Clip-Stake® Anti-Vibration Stake
Vibration can cause serious tube damage in steam condensers and other types of shell and tube heat exchangers when the support plate spacing exceeds industry standards or when the exchangers are retubed with a thinner-wall tube alloy that may be more susceptible to vibration. Excessive tube vibration, if left unresolved, may result in tube failure (tube fretting) thus resulting in expensive unplanned maintenance outages.
Real-World Tested for Condenser Vibration Mitigation
RETUBECO’s Clip-Stake® is custom engineered to fit each specific steam condenser and tested in a mockup manufactured to match the condenser’s exact tube pattern and support plate characteristics. The self-locking clip design is unique and can be found no where else.
RETUBECO’s Clip-Stake® is custom made from stainless steel tube, pressed flat to the thickness necessary to properly position and lock it within the bundle and to match the individual exchanger’s tube pitch characteristics. Because the tube is not completely pressed flat, the shape inherently acts as a spring to prevent the tube and stake from vibrating. When coupled with the unique clip design that locks the end of the stake to the tubes, shifting is almost impossible.
Cut Retubing Labor and Tooling Costs
RETUBECO’s Clip-Stake® installation requires no special tools There are no extra clips, clamps or other parts. The result is simple, quick installation. This greatly reduces installation labor costs and leaves no question as to whether or not the stake clamps were tightened properly or if spare parts remain loose in the bundle.
Using RETUBECO’s Clip-Stake® provides another great advantage over other locking stake designs. Because its design combines the best of old and new, conventional placement into every-other (not every) row coupled with a new, unique locking clip, a smaller quantity of stakes are required when compared to other locking designs. This greatly reduces both the cost of the stakes and the cost of installation.
Vibration mitigation stakes reduce the possibility of vibration-type tube failures, are an effective way to attack condenser vibration problems in any area of the condenser. Clip-Stake® will not reduce the condensing surface area in the bundle, and may be installed into an exisiting condenser or intregrated into retubing outage plans to reduce multiple vendors.
Contact RetubeCo for more information on our condenser vibration mitigation products and services.