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US 6,431,073 B1Granted
Device, system and method for on-line explosive deslagging
AssigneeNorth American Industrial Services, Inc.
InventorsFrancis Zilka, Timothy Zilka, Kurt Prouty, Donald Howard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device, system and method permitting on-line explosives-based cleaning and deslagging of a fuel burning facility (31) such as a boiler, furnace, incinerator, or scrubber. A coolant, such as ordinary water, is delivered to the explosives (101) to prevent them from detonating due to the heat of the on-line facility. Thus, controlled, appropriately-timed detonation can be initiated as desired, and boiler scale and slag is removed without the need to shut down or cool down the facility.
Claims18
An explosives-based system for deslagging a hot, heat-exchange device (31), comprising:
- an explosive device (101);
- a cooling envelope (104, 104′) enveloping said explosive device (101);
- coolant-delivery means (12, 106) delivering a flow of coolant into said cooling envelope (104, 104′) such that said explosive device (101) is thereby surrounded and cooled by said coolant;
- explosive positioning means (12, 106, 112) for holding and moving a first of two ends of said explosive positioning means (12, 106, 112), and thereby moving the cooled explosive (101) affixed proximate a second of said two ends of said explosive positioning means (12, 106, 112) into and within said hot, heat exchange device (31) into a proper position for deslagging the heat exchange device (31) by detonation of said explosive device (101), while said coolant is so-delivered into the envelope (104, 104′) and thereby prevents the heat of said heat exchange device (31) from detonating said explosive device (101), and while said at least one person remains outside said hot, heat exchange device (31);
- and
- detonating means for detonating said explosive device (101) at will;
- wherein:
- said cooling envelope (104, 104′) is semipermeable (105);
- whereby:
- coolant entering the envelope (104, 104′) through a coolant entry opening of the envelope (104, 104′) exits the envelope (104, 104′) through the permeations (105) in the envelope (104, 104′), resulting in a steady flow of coolant to and past said-explosive device (101), out of said envelope (104, 104′) without return flow, prior to and during its introduction into said heat exchange device (31), and prior to and when said explosive device (101) is so-detonated.
7 more elements
A method for deslagging a hot, heat-exchange device (31), comprising the steps of:
- delivering a flow of coolant into a cooling envelope (104, 104′) enveloping an explosive device (101), via coolant-delivery means (12, 106), such that said explosive device (101) is thereby surrounded and cooled by said coolant;
- holding and moving a first of two ends of an explosive positioning means (12, 106, 112), and thereby moving the cooled explosive (101) affixed proximate a second of said two ends of said explosive positioning means (12, 106, 112) into and within said hot, heat exchange device (31) into a proper position for deslagging the heat exchange device (31) by detonation of said explosive device (101), while so-delivering said coolant into the envelope (104, 104′) and thereby preventing the heat of said heat exchange device (31) from detonating said explosive (101), and while remaining outside said hot, heat exchange device (31);
- and
- detonating said explosive device (101) at will, once said cooled explosive (101) has been moved into said proper position for deslagging detonation;
- wherein said cooling envelope (104, 104′) is semipermeable (105);
- and whereby:
- the step of delivering the coolant flow thereby further comprises enabling said coolant to enter the envelope (104, 104′) through a coolant entry opening of the envelope (104, 104′) and exit the envelope (104, 104′) through the permeations (105) in said envelope (104, 104′), resulting in a steady flow of coolant to and past said explosive device (101), out of said envelope (104, 104′) without return flow, prior to and during its introduction into said heat exchange device (31), and prior to and when said explosive device (101) is so-detonated.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.