# US 10,371,470 B2 · Condenser tube cleaning apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,371,470 B2 - Document ID: US10371470B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/335,068 - Filed: 2016-10-26 - Published: 2017-05-18 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-11-12 - Assignees: Doosan Heavy Industries Construction Co., Ltd - Applicants: Doosan Heavy Industries Construction Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Ki Youl Kim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10371470B2 ## CPC - F28G 1/12: Fluid-propelled scrapers, bullets, or like solid bodies - B01D 35/02: Filters adapted for location in special places, e.g. pipe-lines, pumps, stop-cocks, (B01D35/05 takes precedence; {water pipe system filters E03B3/18, E03B7/07; dirt catchers in sewers E03F; filters or strainers for pipe-lines in general B08B, E03F; object or dirt catching devices in sinks or the like E03C1/26; suction strainers or filters for pumps F04B53/005, F04D29/70}) - B08B 3/10: with additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by vibration - B08B 9/057: the cleaning devices being entrained discrete elements, e.g. balls, grinding elements, brushes - F28G 15/003: {Control arrangements} - F28G 15/04: Feeding and driving arrangements, e.g. power operation - F28F 19/01: by using means for separating solid materials from heat-exchange fluids, e.g. filters - F28G: CLEANING OF INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL SURFACES OF HEAT-EXCHANGE OR HEAT-TRANSFER CONDUITS, e.g. WATER TUBES OR BOILERS (cleaning pipes or tubes in general B08B9/02; devices or arrangements for removing water, minerals, or sludge from boilers while the boiler is in operation, or which remain in position while the boiler is in operation, or are specifically adapted to boilers without any other utility F22B37/48; removal or treatment of combustion products or combustion residues F23J; removing ice from heat-exchange apparatus F28F17/00) - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL - F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16) ## Abstract Disclosed herein is a condenser tube cleaning apparatus. The condenser tube cleaning apparatus can stably circulate and collect a large number of cleaning balls to efficiently remove foreign substances accumulated in a condenser unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A condenser tube cleaning apparatus, comprising: a condenser unit having a plurality of unit tubes in an inner region thereof; a foreign substance removal unit that is located at an inlet side of the condenser unit and includes a wire mesh to filter out foreign substances contained in coolant supplied to the condenser unit; a strainer unit configured to sort the coolant passing through the condenser unit into coolant and cleaning balls; and a ball collection unit configured to collect the cleaning balls passing through the strainer unit, wherein the ball collection unit includes: a 3-way valve disposed on a path of a first transfer pipe, a first end of the first transfer pipe being coupled to the strainer unit, and a second end of the first transfer pipe extends to an upper portion of the foreign substance removal unit, the valve configured to switch between a first state defining a first fluid path and a second state defining a second fluid path; a pump unit spaced apart from the valve and disposed on the first transfer pipe so as to supply the cleaning balls passing through the valve to the foreign substance removal unit; a collection unit that is disposed between the valve and the pump unit and includes a cylindrical cavity to collect the cleaning balls when the valve is in the first state; and wherein the first fluid path travels from the valve to the pump through the collection unit, and the second fluid path travels from the valve to the pump bypassing the collection unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The condenser tube cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a first supply pipe, a first end of the first supply pipe being coupled to the first valve, a second end of the first supply pipe being coupled to an outer upper portion of the collection unit; and a second supply pipe, a first end of the second supply pipe being coupled to an outer lower portion of the collection unit, and a second end of the second supply pipe being coupled to the first transfer pipe at a location between the pump unit and the valve. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The condenser tube cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the first transfer pipe includes a plurality of outlets extending to the upper portion of the foreign substance removal unit and being opened toward the upper portion of the foreign substance removal unit; a separation plate is longitudinally arranged at an inner center of the other end of the first transfer pipe; and the outlets include a first outlet opened at one side with respect to the separation plate and a second outlet opened at an other end with respect to the separation plate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The condenser tube cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a sensor configured to detect a pressure and an amount of the coolant supplied to the condenser unit via the foreign substance removal unit; and a controller configured to selectively control a supply time and a supply amount of the cleaning balls in response to the pressure or amount of the coolant detected by the sensor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The condenser tube cleaning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: the controller is configured to determine that foreign substances are accumulated in the unit tubes of the condenser unit and to turn on the pump unit on such that the cleaning balls stored in the ball collection unit are supplied to the foreign substance removal unit when the pressure of the coolant is increased; and the controller is configured to increase an rpm of the pump unit increase a supply cycle of the cleaning balls when the amount of the coolant supplied to the foreign substance removal unit is increased. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The condenser tube cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the collection unit further includes a screen mesh having a shape corresponding to the cylindrical cavity, and wherein the screen mesh and the collection unit each have a first opening in an upper portion of the collection unit through which the cleaning balls enter the cylindrical cavity and a second opening in a lower portion of the collection unit through which the cleaning balls exit the cylindrical cavity.