Reciprocating spray cleaning system for air-cooled heat exchangers

A cleaning system which is permanently positionable in spaced-apart relation above an uppermost tube bundle or below a lowermost tube bundle of an ACHE and configured for reciprocating movement along longitudinal axes of finned heat exchange tubes forming the uppermost tube bundle or the lowermost tube bundle, the cleaning system comprising:

• a transversely mounted spray head assembly extending across the longitudinal axes of the finned heat exchange tubes forming the uppermost or lowermost tube bundle, the spray head assembly comprising a plurality of interchangeable fluid compartments that are securely assembled in close-fitting relation with one another to span a width of an opening of the ACHE containing the uppermost or lowermost tube bundle, each interchangeable fluid compartment having an inlet for admitting a pressurized cleaning fluid, the spray head assembly having at least one fluid conduit in fluid communication with the plurality of interchangeable fluid compartments and with an external source of the pressurized cleaning fluid, each of the plurality of interchangeable fluid compartments having a fluid discharge wall proximate the uppermost or lowermost tube bundle, each fluid discharge wall having one or more spray nozzles in fluid communication with the interior of the interchangeable fluid compartment, the one or more spray nozzles generally aligned with the longitudinal axes of the finned heat exchange tubes forming the uppermost or lowermost tube bundle and configured to direct a spray of the pressurized cleaning fluid onto and between the finned heat exchange tubes during movement of the spray head assembly.