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US 6,857,436 B2Granted
Method of cleaning passageways using a mixed phase flow of a gas and a liquid
AssigneePrinceton Trade & Technology, Inc.
InventorsMohamed Emam Labib, Ching-Yue Lai, Peter A. Materna, Geoffrey Lawrence Mahon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of cleaning surfaces using a mixed phase cleaning mixture of an aqueous solution and a flow of gas sufficient to produce droplets of the liquid which are entrained by the gas for a time sufficient to clean tubing of various lengths and geometries and porous membranes to remove biofilm, debris and contaminants.
Claims48
A method for cleaning a pipeline comprising:
- (a) forming a mixture of gas and liquid in the pipeline wherein at least a portion of the liquid is provided in the form of droplets;
- and
- (b) passing the mixture of gas and liquid through the pipeline at a flow rate and at a volumetric ratio of gas to liquid sufficient to provide a local shear stress at the inside of the pipeline of at least about 53 Pa and to provide the droplets throughout the length of the pipeline.
A method for cleaning a membrane, the method comprising:
- (a) applying a mixture of gas and liquid to a membrane in a housing, the mixture comprising the gas and the liquid phase at a volumetric ratio of at least about 50:1 when measured at 1 atmosphere and 0° C., and wherein at least a portion of the liquid is provided in the form of droplets and the liquid comprises at least one cleaning agent.
A method for cleaning a heat exchanger, the method comprising:
- (a) applying a mixture of gas and liquid to a tube side of a shell-and-tube heat exchanger, the mixture comprising the gas and the liquid at a volumetric ratio of least about 50:1 when measured at 1 atmosphere and 0° C., and wherein at least a portion of the liquid is provided in the form of droplets and the liquid comprises at least one cleaning agent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.