摘要 |
A method and apparatus for repairing a heat-exchanger of the type having a tube sheet in which the extremities of exchanger tubes are mounted. The method involves unrolling tubular insert stock from a supply roll, straightening the unrolled insert stock by passing it through a straightening device which has its output disposed substantially in alignment with one of the exchanger tubes to be repaired and at a location adjacent the mounted extremity of the exchanger tube, and forcibly pulling the straightened insert stock into the one exchanger tube. The pulled-in insert stock is then cut to length, and the ends radially expanded against the inner walls of the exchanger tube, and sealed to the tube sheet. The straightening is accomplished by a fixture having positioning pins receivable in adjacent ones of the heat exchanger tubes, such that the fixture can be manually positioned and thereafter held in place by the frictional engagement of the pins while the insert stock is being installed in the exchanger tube being repaired. |