Heat exchange – With cleaning means for heat exchanger
Patent
1990-12-12
1992-03-31
Favors, Edward G.
Heat exchange
With cleaning means for heat exchanger
1510405, 122379, 122391, 134167C, F28G 100
Patent
active
050999117
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to apparatus for projecting devices for various functions through the bores of tubes and, more specifically, tubes of smaller internal diameter and arranged in regular arrays such as those in shell and tube type heat exchangers, condensers boilers and the like.
In the operation of multi-tube industrial heat transfer units such as heat exchangers, condensers and boilers, it is often necessary to mechanically project devices into and through the tubes for the purposes of cleaning their internal surfaces or surveying the condition of the tubes. Such cleaning devices are commonly nozzles fitted to the ends of rigid or flexible lances and through which high velocity jets of water are directed onto the inner surfaces of the tubes for the purposes of removing fouling deposits. Devices used to survey the condition of tubes commonly involve the use of ultrasonic or eddy current methods. In most cases, said devices are manually inserted into each tube. In other cases, they may be supported on some form of positioning means which may also mechanically project them through the tubes. In almost all cases, however, such positioning and projection means are manually controlled.
Typical of devices in which the positioning and projection means are manually controlled are the Power-lance unit (U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,362), a rigid cleaning lance projection device made by Powerlance International of Houston, Tex., USA and the Bibermat unit, a flexible cleaning lance projection device made by Myers-Europe Pumpen GMBH of Essen, Federal Republic of Germany. This unit, in essence, comprises a hose with a cleaning jet nozzle that can be positioned and fed by a drive unit engaging the hose itself into and out of a tube or autoclave to be cleaned. The hose might be stored on a drum or simply collected on the ground.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which permits devices for cleaning, surveying or other functions to be mechanically projected through tubes arranged in regular arrays at an optimum speed and cycle frequency, the positioning and operation of said apparatus being controlled when appropriate by a stored computer program. For instance, said apparatus might position the head of a flexible cleaning lance collinear with the end of a tube, release of flow of pressurised water to said lance head and project said head through the tube at an optimum rate of travel, repeating the process if required. Alternatively, it might project a surveying device comprising an array of ultrasonic transducers through a water filled tube, withdrawing it at an optimum rate of travel whilst data on the condition of the tube is recorded by an associated data logging device.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided apparatus for projecting a flexible lance though a bore of a tube to be cleaned, said apparatus storage member for said flexible lance having means for storing said flexible lance in a plurality of wound coils thereon with one end of said flexible lance projecting from said apparatus and adapted to be positioned in said bore of the tube, said storage member being mounted for simultaneous rotation and axial movement, and drive means to effect said rotation and axial movement of said storage member to extend said one end of said flexible lance into said tube or to withdraw said lance from said tube. It should be appreciated that the term "flexible lance" used above and throughout this specification is intended to identify any elongate flexible member that is adapted for use as a lance, an umbilical cable or the like.
Preferably, the apparatus may further include restraining means preventing radial expansion of the wound coils on the storage member. Conveniently the storage member comprises a drum having a continuous helical groove formed in an outer surface of the drum, said groove having a depth no greater than a diameter of said flexible lance, and said restraining means comprises a plurality of axially extending roller means arranged around said storage means to
REFERENCES:
patent: 2167087 (1939-07-01), Quick
patent: 3585076 (1971-06-01), Prange
patent: 4103841 (1978-08-01), Flynn et al.
patent: 4691723 (1987-09-01), Mierswa et al.
Barry Bros. Specialised Services Pty. Ltd.
Favors Edward G.
Linek Ernest V.
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