Cleaning system

• US 20050067136A1
• Filed: 03/28/2003
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hydroball Technics Holdings Pte., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hydroball Technics Holdings Pte., Ltd.
• Inventors: Soh, Beng Kiat Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,036,564 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/5
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/055 the cleaning devices conforming to, or being conformable to, substantially the same cross-section of the pipes, e.g. pigs or moles pigs or moles per se F16L55/26; their launching and detection F16L55/46; separating pigs in pipelines F17D3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/0552 Spherically shaped pigs
• CPC Class Codes: F28G 1/12 Fluid-propelled scrapers, bullets, or like solid bodies

Abstract

A cleaning system for cleaning tubing using cleaning balls (20) circulated with the fluid through tubing (8). The system includes a separator (12) having a perforated funnel, which permits the fluid, but not the cleaning balls (20), to pass through. A housing (21) having an apertured partition (28) is used to divide the housing (21) into an first compartment (19) and a second compartment (27). An entrance (2) of a fluid supply pipe (23) and an exit (3) of a ball supply pipe (24) are formed for creating a difference in pressure to create a suction force to recirculate the cleaning balls (20) from the housing (21) via the ball supply pipe (24), back to the tubing (8) for cleaning the walls of the tubing (8). An entrance (13) of a ball return pipe (17) and an exit (14) of a fluid return pipe (16) are formed for creating a difference in pressure to create a suction force to recirculate the cleaning balls (20) from the separator (12) via the ball return pipe (17), into the housing (21).

Claims

1. A system for cleaning tubing used for conducting a fluid therethrough, the tubing being connected to an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe, the system having a plurality of cleaning balls for circulating with the fluid through the tubing;

a separator 12 disposed at the outlet pipe 9 and arranged to separate the cleaning balls 20 from the fluid;

a recirculating means comprising;

a housing 21 arranged to collect the cleaning balls 20, the housing 21 having a first compartment 19 and second compartment 27 separated by an apertured partition 28, the apertured partition 28 arranged to allow the fluid to pass through to the second compartment 27 but not the cleaning balls 20;

a ball supply pipe 24 having an entrance 26 coupled to a first opening on the first compartment 19 of the housing 21 and an exit 3 coupled to a first opening on the inlet pipe 5;

a fluid supply pipe 25 having an entrance 2 coupled to a second opening on the inlet pipe 5 and an exit 22 coupled to a second opening on the first compartment 19 of the housing 21;

a fluid return pipe 16 having an entrance 30 coupled to an opening on the second compartment 27 of the housing 21 and an exit 14 coupled to an opening on the outlet pipe 9; and

a ball return pipe 17 having an entrance 13 coupled to an opening on the separator 12 and an exit 31 coupled to a third opening on the first compartment 19 of the housing 21;

a means for supply of cleaning balls to the inlet pipe 5 whereby a high pressure is formed at the entrance 2 of the fluid supply pipe 23 and a low pressure is formed at the exit 3 of the ball supply pipe 24, the difference in pressure causing a transfer of cleaning balls 20 from the housing 21 to the inlet pipe 5; and

a means for a return of cleaning balls 20 to the housing 21,

whereby a high pressure is formed at the entrance 13 of the ball return pipe 17 and a low pressure is formed at the exit 14 of the fluid return pipe 16, the difference in pressure causing a transfer of cleaning balls 20 from the separator 12 back to the housing 21, and

wherein the recirculating means, means for supply of cleaning balls and means for return of cleaning balls are arranged to selectively transfer the plurality of cleaning balls 20 from the inlet pipe 5 to the outlet pipe 9.

2. A cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein the recirculating means further comprises a first valve V1 disposed along the fluid supply pipe 23, a second valve V2 disposed along the fluid return pipe 16, a first one-way valve CV1 disposed along the ball supply pipe 24, and a second one-way valve CV2 disposed along the ball return pipe 12;

the first one-way valve CV1 being operative to transfer the cleaning balls 20 from the housing 21 to the inlet pipe 5 and the second one-way valve CW2 being operative to transfer the cleaning balls 20 from the separator 12 to the housing 21.

3. A cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein the recirculating means further comprising a third valve HV2 disposed along the ball return pipe 17 and a fourth valve HV1 disposed along the ball supply pipe 24.

4. A means for supply of cleaning balls 20 in a cleaning system according to claim 1 operative by the opening of the first valve V1 and keeping the second valve V2 closed, creating a high pressure at the entrance 2 of the fluid supply pipe 23 and a low pressure at the exit 3 of the ball supply pipe 24, the high pressure creating a suction force to draw the fluid from the inlet pipe 5 into the housing 21 through the fluid supply pipe 23, the force of the fluid flowing through the housing 21 carrying the cleaning balls 20 from the housing 21 through the first one way valve CV1, into the ball supply pipe 24, and into the inlet pipe 5.

5. A means for return of cleaning balls 20 in a cleaning system according to claim 1 operative by the opening of the second valve V2 and the keeping of the first valve V1 closed, creating a high pressure at the entrance of the ball return pipe 17 and a low pressure at the exit 14 of the fluid return pipe 16, the high pressure creating a suction force to draw the fluid and the cleaning balls 20 from the separator 12 through the second one way valve CV2 and into the ball return pipe 17, the force of the fluid carrying the cleaning balls 20 through the second one-way valve CV2, into the ball return pipe 17 into the housing 21, wherein said cleaning balls 20 are retained in the housing 21 while the fluid flows through the apertured partition 28 in the housing 21 to return to the fluid return pipe 16 and into the outlet duct 15.

6. A cleaning system according to claim 5, wherein the separator 12 is in a shape of a funnel.

7. A cleaning system according to claim 6, wherein the separator 12 comprises perforations which allow the fluid to flow through but not the cleaning balls 20.

8. A cleaning system according to claim 7, wherein the perforations are in the form of rectangular slots 32 each having a length direction.

9. A cleaning system according to claim 8, wherein the length directions of the rectangular slots 32 are not parallel to the centre axis of the funnel.

10. A cleaning system according to claim 5, further comprising means 4 to rotate the fluid and the cleaning balls 20 at the inlet pipe 5 before the tubing 8.

11. A cleaning system according to claim 5, further comprising means 10 to rotate the fluid and the cleaning balls 20 at the outlet pipe 9 before the separator 12.

12. A cleaning system according to claim 9, further comprising means 10 to rotate the fluid and the cleaning balls 20 at the outlet pipe 9 before the separator 12, wherein the direction of the rotational means is opposite to the length direction of the rectangular slots 32.

13. A cleaning system according to claim 10, further comprising means 10 to rotate the fluid and the cleaning balls 20 at the outlet pipe 9 before the separator 12, wherein the direction of the rotational means is opposite to the length direction of the rectangular slots 32.

14. A cleaning system according to claim 9, wherein the rectangular slots 32 have a length direction inclined clockwise/anti-clockwise, as viewed in the fluid flow direction.