Decoking tool

• US 7,819,343 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2007
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ruhrpumpen GmbH (Industrias EG SA de CV)
• Original Assignee: Ruhrpumpen GmbH (Industrias EG SA de CV)
• Inventors: Krenzer, Steffen, Paul, Wolfgang, Graefenstein, Thomas, Simon, Kay, Heidemann, Dirk
• Primary Examiner(s): Ganey; Steven J
• Application Number:
  US11/967,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20090165618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 239/436, 239/443, 239/446, 239/447, 239/449, 239/548, 239/550, 239/569, 239/581.1, 239/DIG.13, 299/17, 299/81.2, 175/339, 175/393
• US Class Current: 239/446
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/1609 with a selecting mechanism comprising a lift valve B05B1/1681 takes precedence; lift valves in general F16K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: C10B 33/006 Decoking tools, e.g. hydraulic coke removing tools with boring or cutting nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 239/13 Soot blowers and tube cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/364 By fluid blast and/or suction

Abstract

In a tool for cutting up coke, comprising

• • a housing mounted on a drill stem in the operating condition, and wherein
    • at least one cutting nozzle for cutting and one boring nozzle for boring coke by means of a water jet, and
    • a switchable valve means arranged in a flow-through channel for alternatively feeding the water to the flow channels in a flow body for the paths to the cutting and boring nozzles, and
    • a switching apparatus manually or water-pressure-controlled operable at switching pressure of the water within the flow-through channel, for switching the valve means, are arranged,
    • comprising a distribution apparatus rotatably supported above the flow body, with at least one valve body for closing off at least one opening of the flow channels,
    • wherein depending on each angular position of the distribution apparatus with respect to the flow body, the flow path of the water to the boring nozzle or the flow path to the cutting nozzle is free or obstructed,
      for easier rotation of the distribution apparatus, it is provided that the valve body has means for compensating the pressure within the flow channel below the valve body to switching pressure as in the flow-through channel.

Claims

1. A tool for cutting up coke, comprising

a housing mounted on a drill stem in the operating condition, and wherein

at least one cutting nozzle for cutting and one boring nozzle for boring coke by means of a water jet, and

a switchable valve arranged in a flow-through channel for alternatively feeding water to flow channels in a flow body for paths to the cutting and boring nozzles, and

a switching apparatus manually or water-pressure-controlled operable at switching pressure of the water within the flow-through channel, for switching the switchable valve, are arranged,

the switchable valve comprising a distribution apparatus rotatably supported above the flow body, with at least one valve body for closing off at least one opening of the flow channels,

wherein depending on the angular position of the distribution apparatus with respect to the flow body, the flow path of the water to the boring nozzle or the flow path to the cutting nozzle is free or obstructed,

wherein the valve body has means for compensating the pressure within the flow channel below the valve body to switching pressure as in the flow-through channel, the pressure compensating means comprising a closure body and a communication between the underside of the closure body facing the flow channel and an operating-pressure side of closure body exposed to the operating pressure of the water in operation for pressure compensation, and means for opening the communication for pressure compensation as soon as the operating pressure is reduced to switching pressure.

2. The tool according to claim 1, wherein the communication for pressure compensation comprises at least one channel having an opening which is open at the underside of the closure body, and having another opening at the operating-pressure side of the closure body which is associated with a closure, which closes the other opening at operating pressure and opens it at switching pressure for pressure compensation.

3. The tool according to claim 2, wherein the closure comprises a cap which closes off the other opening at operating pressure against the pressure of a spring and opens the other opening when, at switching pressure, the force of the spring is greater than the closing force of the water pressure acting on the cap.

4. The tool according to claim 3, wherein the closure comprises two annular sealing surfaces, one of which is arranged on the underside of the cap and the other is arranged on the top side of the closure body, and which work together to close and open the closure.

5. The tool according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the channel extends between the underside and the top side of the closure body.

6. The tool according to claim 3, wherein the closure comprises a top recess at the top side of the closure body below the cap, with which the channel is in communication via its other opening.

7. The tool according to claim 3, wherein a piston displaceable under spring pressure and sealed within a blind hole bore carries the cap in such association with the other opening of the channel that the cap is guided by the piston movement when it closes or opens the other opening of the channel.

8. The tool according to claim 3, wherein a shank displaceable under the pressure of a spring in a guiding bore of the closure body carries the cap in such association with the closure that the closure is closed at operating pressure and opened at switching pressure.

9. The tool according to claim 1, wherein the valve body is provided as a section of a valve disk rotatably supported on the flow body for pressure compensation between the space above the valve disk and the flow channels within the flow body.