# US 11,440,062 B2 · System and method for cleaning a tube > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,440,062 B2 - Document ID: US11440062B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/676,922 - Filed: 2019-11-07 - Published: 2021-05-13 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2019-11-07 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Allan Ferry; Ronald Konopacki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440062B2 ## CPC - B08B 9/023: Cleaning the external surfaces {(B08B9/021 takes precedence)} - B08B 7/0042: {by laser} - B08B 9/027: Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages - B23K 26/36: Removing material (B23K26/55, B23K26/57 take precedence) - F28G 13/00: Appliances or processes not covered by groups F28G1/00 - F28G11/00; Combinations of appliances or processes covered by groups F28G1/00 - F28G11/00 - F28G 15/003: {Control arrangements} - B08B 1/20: Cleaning of moving articles, e.g. of moving webs or of objects on a conveyor - B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL - B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM - 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) ## Abstract A system for cleaning a tube is provided. The system includes an enclosure, a laser, and an actuator. The enclosure receives the tube. The laser is disposed within the enclosure and operative to ablate a substance disposed on a surface of the tube. The actuator is operative to move the tube relative to the laser. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for cleaning a tube, comprising: an enclosure for receiving the tube; a laser disposed within the enclosure and operative to ablate a substance disposed on a surface of the tube; a probe disposed within the enclosure adjacent to the laser, wherein the probe is operative to identify one or more materials that the tube is made of after ablation of the tube with the laser, wherein the probe is a laser induced breakdown spectroscopy device configured to direct short laser pulses towards the surface of the tube and receive light emitted from plasma created by the laser pulses contacting the surface of the tube that have distinct spectral peaks indicative of the materials forming the tube, and an actuator operative to move the tube towards the laser and the probe while rotating the tube about the longitudinal axis of the tube. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a sensor operative to measure a wall thickness of the tube. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the sensor is at least one of: an ultrasonic sensor; an eddy current sensor; a radiological sensor; and; an optical camera. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a sensor operative to measure at least one of: a radius size of the tube; and a length of the tube. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a marking device operative to make one or more marks on the tube that correspond to at least one of: a material that the tube is made of; a wall thickness of the tube; a radius size of the tube; a length of the tube; a manufacturer of the tube; a lot number of the tube; a heat number of the tube; a tracking number of the tube; and an intended use of the tube. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the substance is at least one of mill scale, oxidation, oil, and a preservative coating. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises: at least two drive wheels operative to contact an exterior surface of the tube to effect the rotation of the tube about the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the surface is an exterior surface of the tube. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the surface is an interior surface of the tube. ### Claim 10 A method for cleaning a tube, comprising: receiving the tube at an enclosure having a laser disposed within the enclosure that is operative to ablate a substance disposed on a surface of the tube and a probe disposed within the enclosure adjacent to the laser that includes a laser induced breakdown spectroscopy device operative to identify one or more materials that the tube is made of; moving the tube within the enclosure relative to the laser disposed within the enclosure, via an actuator operative to move the tube towards the laser while rotating the tube about the longitudinal axis of the tube; ablating a substance disposed on a surface of the tube via the laser while the tube rotates about the longitudinal axis; and identifying one or more materials that the tube is made of with the laser induced breakdown spectroscopy device after ablation of the tube with the laser while the tube rotates about the longitudinal axis in the enclosure, wherein the laser induced breakdown spectroscopy device directs short laser pulses towards the surface of the tube and receives light emitted from plasma created by the laser pulses contacting the surface of the tube that have distinct spectral peaks indicative of the materials forming the tube. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: measuring a wall thickness of the tube via a sensor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the sensor is at least one of: an ultrasonic sensor; an eddy current sensor; a radiological sensor; and an optical camera. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: marking the tube with one or more marks that correspond to at least one of: a material that the tube is made of; a wall thickness of the tube; a radius size of the tube; a length of the tube; a manufacturer of the tube; a lot number of the tube; a heat number of the tube; a tracking number of the tube; and an intended use of the tube. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises: a conveyor having at least two drive wheels operative to effect movement of a point on the exterior surface in a spiral path relative to the laser so that the laser removes the substance off of a majority of the exterior surface.