Automated heat exchanger tube cleaning assembly and system
AssigneeAquilex Hydrochem, Inc.
InventorsJohn E. Gardner, Pedro E. Amador, William Stamps Howard, James A. Stoner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automated heat exchanger tube cleaning assembly and system are provided. The present system can automatically (without ongoing human intervention) survey the tube sheet of a heat exchanger in three-dimensions, convert and record the survey results as a digital file in three-dimensions, and then, according to sequential parameters input via custom software, automatically coordinate via computer one or more cleaning devices to effect the cleaning of each desired tube of the heat exchanger.
Claims21
An automated system for cleaning one or more tubes in a heat exchanger, comprising:
- a surface scanning device for capturing three dimensional coordinates corresponding to the location of the tubes in the heat exchanger to be cleaned;
- a heat exchanger tube cleaning lance;
- a heat exchanger tube cleaning lance positioning device;
- and a motion control computer for controlling the motion of the heat exchanger tube cleaning lance positioning device relative to the tubes in the heat exchanger based upon the three dimensional coordinates captured by the surface scanning device.
An automated system for cleaning one or more tubes on a tube sheet of a heat exchanger, the system comprising:
- a display for presenting a map of at least a portion of the tube sheet;
- a user input device for defining a cleaning region on the map and for identifying at least one tube within the cleaning region;
- a tube cleaning lance for accessing one or more tubes on the tube sheet;
- a tube cleaning lance positioning device for maneuvering the tube cleaning lance;
- and a motion control computer for navigating the motion of one or more of the tube cleaning lance and the tube cleaning lance positioning device with respect to the tubes on the tube sheet by utilizing information received from the user input device.
An automated apparatus for cleaning one or more tubes on a tube sheet of a heat exchanger, the apparatus comprising:
- at least one tube cleaning lance;
- a tube cleaning lance positioning device for manipulating the motion of the at least one tube cleaning lance with regard to one or more of the x, y and z planes;
- a surface scanning device for capturing three dimensional coordinates corresponding to the location of the tubes in the heat exchanger to be cleaned;
- and a tube cleaning lance rotating device for manipulating the rotational motion of the at least one tube cleaning lance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.