Method of pressure pulse cleaning the interior of heat exchanger tubes located within a pressure vessel such as a tube bundle heat exchanger, boiler, condenser or the like

In a tube bundle heat exchanger which includes a multiplicity of open ended heat exchanger tubes and where products of corrosion, oxidation, sedimentation and comparable chemical reactions adhere to the internal wall of the respective heat exchanger tubes, the heat exchanger being further characterized by a chamber which extends into one end of a group of open ends of the multiplicity of heat exchanger tubes, the method of removing the products of corrosion, oxidation, sedimentation and comparable chemical reactions which adhere to the internal wall of the respective heat exchanger tubes comprising:

• a. placing at least one air-gun type pressure pulse shock wave source outside said heat exchanger and connecting said at least one air-gun type pressure pulse shock wave source to said chamber such that the shock waves generated by the at least one air-gun type pressure pulse shock wave source are transmitted to the open end of the heat exchanger tubes which open into said chamber;
• b. filling said heat exchanger tubes with a liquid;
• c. activating said at least one air-gun type pressure pulse shock wave source to generate a repetitive series of explosive transient shock waves into said liquid within said heat exchanger tubes and from said liquid against the internal walls and against the adhered products of corrosion, oxidaton, sedimentation and comparable chemical reactions;
• d. continuing the generation of repetitive, explosive, transient shock waves which are generated with pressure between approximately 50 pounds per square inch and 5000 pounds per square inch which result in energy predominantly in the frequency range between 1 Hertz and 1,000 Hertz for each pulse to create transient shock waves which produce a pressure level of approximately 1/100th to 100 Bars in the liquid of Pressure at 1 meter;
• and
• e. continuing the shock wave impact for approximately 1 to 24 hours whereby the impact of the repetitive explosive transient shock waves and resultant liquid motion serves to mechanically agitate, loosen and move the adhered products of corrosion, oxidation, sedimentation and comparable chemical reactions.

In a tube bundle heat exchanger which includes a multiplicity of open ended heat exchanger tubes and where products of corrosion, oxidation, sedimentation and comparable chemical reactions adhere to the internal wall of the respective heat exchanger tubes, the heat exchanger being further characterized by a chamber which extends into one end of a group of open ends of the multiplicity of heat exchanger tubes, the method of removing the products of corrosion, oxidation, sedimentation and comparable chemical reactions which adhere to the internal wall of the respective heat exchanger tubes comprising:

• a. placing at least one pressurized gas-type pressure pulse shock wave source into said chamber such that the shock wave producing elements of the at least one pressurized gas-type pressure pulse shock wave source face the open ends of the heat exchanger tubes which go into the chamber;
• b. filling said heat exchanger tubes with a liquid;
• c. activating said at least one pressurized gas-type pressure pulse shock wave source to generate a repetitive series of explosive transient shock waves into said liquid within said heat exchanger tubes and from said liquid against the internal walls and against the adhered products of corrosion, oxidation, sedimentation and comparable chemical reactions;
• d. continuing the generation of repetitive, explosive, transient shock waves which are generated with pressure between approximately 50 pounds per square inch and 5000 pounds per square inch which result in energy predominantly in the frequency range between 1 Hertz and 1,000 Hertz for each pulse to create transient shock waves which produce a pressure level of approximately 1/100th to 100 Bars in the liquid of Pressure at 1 meter;
• and
• e. continuing the shock wave impact for approximately 1 to 24 hours whereby the impact of the repetitive explosive transient shock waves and resultant liquid motion serves to mechanically agitate, loosen and move the adhered products of corrosion, oxidation, sedimentation and comparable chemical reactions.

In a tube bundle heat exchanger which includes a multiplicity of open ended heat exchanger tubes and where products of corrosion, oxidation, sedimentation and comparable chemical reactions adhere to the internal wall of the respective heat exchanger tubes, the heat exchanger being further characterized by a chamber which extends into one end of a group of open ends of the multiplicity of heat exchanger tubes, the method of removing the products of corrosion, oxidation, sedimentation and comparable chemical reactions which adhere to the internal wall of the respective heat exchanger tubes comprising:

• a. placing at least one pressurized gas-type pressure pulse shock wave source outside said heat exchanger and connecting said at least one pressurized gas-type pressure pulse shock wave source to said chamber such that the shock waves generated by the at least one pressurized gas-type pressure pulse shock wave source are transmitted to the open end of the heat exchanger tubes which open into said chamber;
• b. filling said heat exchanger tubes with a liquid;
• c. activating said at least one pressurized gas-type pressure pulse shock wave source to generate a repetitive series of explosive transient shock waves into said liquid within said heat exchanger tubes and from said liquid against the internal walls and against the adhered products of corrosion, oxidation, sedimentation and comparable chemical reactions;
• d. continuing the generation of repetitive, explosive, transient shock waves which are generated with pressure between approximately 50 pounds per square inch and 5000 pounds per square inch which result in energy predominantly in the frequency range between 1 Hertz and 1,000 Hertz for each pulse to create transient shock waves which produce a pressure level of approximately 1/100th to 100 Bars in the liquid of Pressure at 1 meter;
• and
• e. continuing the shock wave impact for approximately 1 to 24 hours whereby the impact of the repetitive explosive transient shock waves and resultant liquid motion serves to mechanically agitate, loosen and move the adhered products of corrosion, oxidation, sedimentation and comparable chemical reactions.