I am seeking advice on cleaning the flue gas side of the convection section of a Foster Wheeler design primary reformer, with high pressure drop that is affecting the flue gas flow.
The suspected causes of the problem is either blockage of the fins on the convection tubes with refractory dust/ceramic blanket fines, or possibly fin deterioration (oxidation) or a combination of the two, after many years in service.
Access is difficult as the different coils have insufficient space between them for entry and there are 24 rows of tubes on a triangular pitch layout, which makes inserting nozzles or other cleaning equipment difficult
We have heard that high pressure water blasting has been used as well as dry ice blasting. We are trying to contact a plant or a contractor who has actually cleaned a finned tube convection section to determine the best method to use, to verify the success and problems encountered.