Removal of solids from tubes of a tube bundle heat exchanger

Abstract

The invention described herein relates to a process for removing solids from tubes of a tube bundle heat exchanger, wherein a drill driven by a drilling machine is inserted into a tube of the tube bundle heat exchanger and clears out solids present in the tube. In a first variant of the process according to the invention, the drill is a spiral drill and has, cut out in the outer casing of the drill, a spiral conveyor groove in which the solids particles loosened and isolated by the drill tip on insertion of the drill into the tube can be transported out of the tube. More preferably, the drill is a hollow drill 10 which is provided with a substantially circular drill tip 11 and has a central recess running along the rotational axis in the longitudinal direction of the drill and opening into the drill tip 11 at the free end of the drill. At the drill tip 11 are provided toothlike projections 12.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.