Patent ID: 7896220

Claim:
A process for repairing at least one connecting area between a partition plate and a tube plate of a water chamber of a heat exchanger, the said water chamber comprising a wall of substantially hemispherical shape provided with at least one inspection opening and bounded at the top by the tube plate through which a plurality of vertical holes pass, and transversely by the partition plate, wherein: the connecting area requiring repair is identified, at least one rail supporting at least one carriage which can move along the said rail and which is equipped with pendular lifting means is inserted into the water chamber through the inspection opening, the said rail is secured below the tube plate, a robot arm is passed in through the inspection opening, the robot arm is hoisted within the water chamber by the lifting means and the said robot arm is secured below the tube plate, the robot arm is remotely controlled, a reference associated with the position of the robot arm in the water chamber is obtained and the connecting area requiring repair is machined to a predetermined depth using a tool to eliminate cracks or incipient cracks in the said area, and elimination of these cracks or incipient cracks is checked.