US 5,279,357 A · Coil cleansing assembly

Abstract

A coil cleansing assembly for automated cleaning of dirt and debris from within banks of heat exchanger coils is disclosed. The cleansing assembly is mounted above, below and between banks of such coils to enable focused jets of high velocity spray to impinge upon the surfaces of the coils and, thus, dislodge particles. It can be used with either individually finned tubes or plate fin coves of aluminum, galvanized steel or copper. Alternative embodiments for the cleansing spray assembly include a rotating arm system with spray ports mounted on a spray supply tube and a longitudinal track arrangement upon which a plurality of wand-type spray bars are mounted for reciprocating travel. Thus, the cleaning system of the present invention provides alternative arrangements for supplying jet-like sprays of water or other cleaning fluid to all regions of a bank or array of finned industrial coils in a multi-bank configuration, which flushes dust and debris from previously difficult to reach areas and ensures enhanced sanitation.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A coil cleansing assembly for cleaning dirt and debris from within banks of a multi-bank heat exchanger coil, comprising in combination:

(a) a pair of stationary side walls having at least one rigid bank of heat exchanger coils affixed therebetween, said heat exchanger coils being of the type having a plurality of fluid carrying tubes extending between said sidewalls and a plurality of closely-spaced heat conducting metal fins joined to said fluid carrying tubes in heat conducting relation;
(b) a cleaning fluid supply means for providing cleaning fluid to said coil cleansing assembly, said cleaning fluid supply means having an inlet port;
and
(c) movable cleaning fluid delivery means affixed to said cleaning fluid supply means at said inlet port and disposed for forcefully applying cleaning fluid to said banks of heat exchanger coils, whereby debris is removed from said tubes and said fins, said movable cleaning fluid delivery means including a plurality of rotatable spray arm means each mounted to rotate substantially in a common plane for causing cleaning fluid to impinge upon said heat conducting metal fins, said rotatable spray arm means being positioned between said side walls, and having a plurality of fluid jet orifices thereon, said orifices being positioned to focus the cleaning fluid upon said rigid banks of heat exchanger coils with each bank having a plurality of spray arm means associated therewith.

1 more element

A coil cleansing assembly for cleaning dirt and debris from within the banks of a multi-bank stationary heat exchanger, of the type in which each bank includes a plurality of fluid carrying tubes of a predetermined length extending parallel to one another and having closely-spaced, parallel-oriented heat transfer fins operatively coupled to said tubes and extending transverse to the length dimension of said tubes and having a cleaning fluid supply apparatus, comprising in combination:

(a) a pair of support walls supporting a plurality of banks of fluid carrying tubes;
and
(b) a movable cleaning fluid delivery means for spraying cleaning fluid on said banks of a multi-bank stationary heat exchanger, said movable cleaning fluid delivery means being disposed between adjacent banks of said multi-bank heat exchanger, and being connected to a rigid conduit, said conduit having a first end and a second end, and said first end of said conduit being connected to said movable cleaning fluid delivery means and said second end being connected to and in fluid communication with said cleaning fluid supply apparatus, and having:
(i) a plurality of rotatable spray arm means each mounted to rotate substantially in a common plane for projecting cleaning fluid upon said rigid banks of heat exchanger coils, said rotatable spray arm means being positioned at said first end of said rigid conduit, and positioned between said support walls, said spray arm means having a plurality of spray nozzle fluid orifices thereon, with each bank having a plurality of spray arm means associated therewith and
(ii) drive means coupled to said cleaning fluid delivery means for imparting rotational motion to said rotatable spray arm means relative to said heat exchanger banks, and for causing cleaning fluid exiting each of said spraying jets to impinge at high velocity upon said banks of said heat exchanger, to remove accumulated dirt and debris from between said heat transfer fins.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Coil cleansing assembly

Life of this patent

Coil cleansing assembly

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10