CLEANING SYSTEM HAVING HEATED CLEANING ENCLOSURE FOR CLEANING HEAT EXCHANGER TUBE BUNDLES

• US 20120024321A1
• Filed: 07/30/2010
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gary I. Hays
• Original Assignee: Gary I. Hays
• Inventors: Hays, Gary I.
• Granted Patent: US 8,136,540 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/10
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/02 Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/10 with additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/02 Cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes apparatus for cleaning metal pipes by chemical methods C23G3/04 ; removing obstructions in waste pipes or sinks E03C1/30; cleaning sewer pipes E03F9/00; cleaning boreholes or wells E21B37/00; cleaning furnace tubes, flues, chimneys F23J3/02; cleaning heat-transfer conduits, e.g. water tubes of boilers F28G

Abstract

An improved portable cleaning system for use in cleaning heat exchanger tube bundles, fin-fans, towers and other elongated components. The cleaning system comprises a cleaning unit having a cleaning enclosure that receives and cleans the component and a control unit that controls the operation of the system. The cleaning unit has a cleaning enclosure defining a chamber sized and configured to receive the component through a sealable lid. A roller assembly rotates the component while a spray assembly sprays cleaning fluid over and into the rotating component. The cleaning fluid is heated in the chamber using surface heating elements attached to heat transfer plates along sections of the chamber walls. A vapor recovery system captures and treats toxic vapors. In use, the cleaning system is transported to a facility to clean the components on-site using cleaning fluid supplied by the facility and discharging waste to the facility.

Claims

1. A system for cleaning one or more elongated components, comprising:

a cleaning unit having a cleaning enclosure with a bottom wall, a pair of opposing upstanding sidewalls, a pair of opposing upstanding end walls and a lid pivotally attached to one of said sidewalls, said cleaning enclosure defining a chamber sized and configured to receive the one or more elongated components and a cleaning fluid therein;

a sealing means interconnecting said sidewalls and said end walls for sealably closing said lid against said sidewalls and said end walls to prevent the release of fluids and vapors from said chamber while cleaning the one or more elongated components with said cleaning fluid;

one or more roller assemblies positioned inside said cleaning enclosure so as to rotate the one or more elongated components in said chamber, at least one of said roller assemblies having a drive roller;

a spray assembly disposed inside said chamber for spraying said cleaning fluid over the length of the one or more elongated components, said spray assembly comprising a plurality of spray nozzles directed generally inward from at least one of said sidewalls and/or said end walls;

a pump system in fluid flow communication with said chamber so as to draw said cleaning fluid from said chamber, pressurize said cleaning fluid and direct said cleaning fluid to said spray assembly;

a plurality of fluid heating assemblies associated with at least one of said sidewalls or said end walls, each of said fluid heating assemblies having a heating element at a wall section of said at least one of said sidewalls or said end walls, said wall section configured to be in thermal conductive contact with said cleaning fluid when said cleaning fluid is in said chamber, said heating element configured to heat said wall section and said cleaning fluid in said chamber; and

a control panel configured to operatively control the movement of said lid between an open position and a closed position thereof, the rotation of said one or more roller assemblies, the operation of said pump system and the energization of said heating assemblies.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said roller assemblies comprises a pair of said drive rollers, a pair of idler rollers and a rotating means operatively attached to said pair of drive rollers for rotating said pair of driver rollers, said rotating means attached to at least one of said end walls and controlled by said control panel.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said spray assembly comprises an upper spray system and a lower spray system, said upper spray system having an upper manifold at each of said sidewalls and a plurality of upper spray nozzles directed generally inward and downward into said chamber, said lower spray system having a lower manifold at each of said sidewalls or at said bottom wall and a plurality of lower spray nozzles directed generally inward and upward into said chamber.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said spray system further comprises an end spray system having an end manifold at each of said end walls and a plurality of end spray nozzles directed inward into said chamber.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising an intake/discharge port at one of said sidewalls and said end walls for receiving and draining said treating fluid from said chamber and a pair of liquid level sensors configured to monitor the level of said cleaning fluid in said chamber.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said heating element is disposed against a heat transfer plate in a heater cavity at said wall section, said heater cavity defined between said heat transfer plate and a cover plate, said heat transfer plate selected so as to transfer heat from said heating element to treating fluid in said chamber.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a vapor recovery system configured to draw vapors from said chamber and filter said vapors prior to venting gases from said cleaning enclosure, said control panel configured to operatively control said vapor recovery system.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a control enclosure enclosing said control panel and one or more control consoles in an interior space of said control enclosure and a forced air cooling system that is in air flow communication with said control enclosure so as to place positive pressure in said interior space of said control enclosure to prevent entry of potentially explosive fumes therein.

9. A system for cleaning one or more elongated components, comprising:

a cleaning unit having a cleaning enclosure with a bottom wall, a pair of opposing upstanding sidewalls, a pair of opposing upstanding end walls and a lid pivotally attached to one of said sidewalls, said cleaning enclosure defining a chamber sized and configured to receive the one or more elongated components and a cleaning fluid therein;

a sealing means interconnecting said sidewalls and said end walls for sealably closing said lid against said sidewalls and said end walls to prevent the release of fluids and vapors from said chamber while cleaning the one or more elongated components with said cleaning fluid;

one or more roller assemblies positioned inside said cleaning enclosure so as to rotate the one or more elongated components in said chamber, each of said roller assemblies having at least one drive roller;

a spray assembly disposed inside said chamber for spraying said cleaning fluid over the length of the one or more elongated components, said spray assembly comprising a plurality of spray nozzles directed generally inward from at least one of said sidewalls and/or said end walls;

a pump system in fluid flow communication with said chamber so as to draw said cleaning fluid from said chamber, pressurize said cleaning fluid and direct said cleaning fluid to said spray assembly;

a heating system having a plurality of fluid heating assemblies at each of said sidewalls, each of said fluid heating assemblies having a heating element disposed against a heat transfer plate in a heater cavity at a wall section of said sidewalls in thermal conductive contact with said cleaning fluid when said cleaning fluid is in said chamber, said heater cavity defined between said heat transfer plate and a cover plate, said heat transfer plate selected so as to transfer heat from said heating element to said treating fluid in said chamber;

a vapor recovery system configured to draw vapors from said chamber and filter said vapors prior to venting gases from said cleaning enclosure; and

a control unit having a control panel configured to operatively control the movement of said lid between an open position and a closed position thereof, the rotation of said one or more roller assemblies, the operation of said pump system, the energization of said heating assemblies and the operation of said vapor recovery system.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein each of said roller assemblies comprises a pair of said drive rollers, a pair of idler rollers and a rotating means operatively attached to said pair of drive rollers for rotating said pair of driver rollers, said rotating means attached to at least one of said end walls and controlled by said control unit.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said spray assembly comprises an upper spray system and a lower spray system, said upper spray system having an upper manifold at each of said sidewalls and a plurality of upper spray nozzles directed generally inward and downward into said chamber, said lower spray system having a lower manifold at each of said sidewalls or at said bottom wall and a plurality of lower spray nozzles directed generally inward and upward into said chamber.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said spray system further comprises an end spray system having an end manifold at each of said end walls and a plurality of end spray nozzles directed inward into said chamber.

13. The system of claim 9 further comprising an intake/discharge port at one of said sidewalls and said end walls for receiving and draining said treating fluid from said chamber and a pair of liquid level sensors configured to monitor the level of said cleaning fluid in said chamber.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein said control unit has a control enclosure enclosing said control panel and one or more control consoles in an interior space of said control enclosure and a forced air cooling system that is in air flow communication with said control enclosure so as to place positive pressure in said interior space of said control enclosure to prevent entry of potentially explosive fumes therein.

15. A method of cleaning one or more elongated components, said method comprising the steps of:

a. providing a cleaning unit having a cleaning enclosure defining a chamber sized and configured to receive the one or more elongated components and a control unit for controlling the operations of said cleaning unit, said cleaning unit having a lid configured to sealably close said chamber, a roller assembly configured to rotate the one or more elongated components, a heating system to heat a cleaning fluid placed in said chamber, a pump system configured to pressurize said cleaning fluid and a spray assembly configured to spray said cleaning fluid onto the one or more elongated components inside said chamber,

b. opening said lid to provide access to said chamber;

c. placing at least one of said one or more elongated components inside said chamber on said roller assembly;

d. closing said lid so as to sealably enclose the one or more elongated components inside said chamber;

e. pumping said cleaning fluid into said chamber;

f. activating said heating system to energize one or more heating elements disposed against a heat transfer plate in a heater cavity at a wall section of a sidewall defining said chamber so as to transfer heat from said one or more heating elements to said treating fluid through said heat transfer plate to heat said treating fluid; and

g. operating each of said roller assembly and said spray assembly to rotate the one or more elongated components and to spray said treating fluid onto the one or more elongated components.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said spray assembly comprises an upper spray system and a lower spray system, said upper spray system having an upper manifold at each of said sidewalls and a plurality of upper spray nozzles directed generally inward and downward into said chamber, said lower spray system having a lower manifold at each of said sidewalls or at said bottom wall and a plurality of lower spray nozzles directed generally inward and upward into said chamber.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said spray system further comprises an end spray system having an end manifold at each of said end walls and a plurality of end spray nozzles directed inward into said chamber.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of monitoring the level of treating fluid in said chamber after said pumping step with a high liquid level sensor and a low liquid level sensor operatively disposed in said chamber.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein said control unit has a control enclosure enclosing one or more control panels and one or more control consoles in an interior space thereof and a forced air cooling system that is in air flow communication with said control enclosure, said method further comprising the step of forcing air into said interior space with said forced air cooling system during said operating step so as to place positive pressure in said interior space of said control enclosure and prevent entry of potentially explosive fumes therein.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of drawing vapors out of said chamber during said operating step utilizing a vapor recovery system configured to filter said vapors prior to venting gases from said cleaning enclosure.