CH717427B1 - Method and device for cleaning pipeline systems. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for cleaning pipeline systems with one or more pipe loops (31, 32, 33, etc.) by having a rinsing agent flow through them, with a rinsing agent from a cleaning device (20) in the system circuit to be cleaned with at least one Pipe loop (31, 32, 33, etc.) is fed in, after which the detergent in this pipe loop (31, 32, 33, etc.) is shaken back and forth in an alternating cycle, and the detergent then with the cleaning material contained therein is flushed out of the pipe loop (31, 32, 33, etc.) and discharged. The pressure surge cycle of shaking the detergent back and forth is controlled by a computer (21) according to a cleaning program to be executed by it, which cycle can be set on site via the washing computer (21) and thus directly controllable. The rinsing agent can contain water enriched with additives, whereby in the case of a chemical-containing rinsing agent, the same must be collected when it emerges from the pipeline system and disposed of accordingly.

Description

Devices and methods for cleaning pipeline systems are known from the prior art, which are particularly suitable for heating pipe and cooling pipe systems. These piping systems are mostly installed in building floors, sometimes also in building ceilings. The aim is to efficiently remove pipe deposits that have built up in such pipes over a few years.

From DE 37 13 427 a method and a device for cleaning such pipes of heating systems is known. Afterwards, cleaning is achieved by repeatedly applying and relieving pressure from flowing water.

From DE 10 259 103 B3 a method has become known in which first a gas and then a liquid is pumped into a pipeline system to compress the admitted gas. Partial emptying of the liquid when a shut-off valve is suddenly opened occurs through the expansion of the pre-compressed gas. The change in pressure within the pipe system and the presence of a phase separation of gas and liquid cause deposits to be removed.

Another method has become known from EP 1 036 603, according to which a liquid is supplied to the line to be cleaned at a central supply point. The subsequent air inlet for the cleaning process is fed through an opening of at least one outlet of a line.

From EP 2 674 228 a method has become known, according to which a temporary expansion space for a gas-liquid mixture is created within a line. By means of pulsed introduction of gas or gas-liquid mixture, pressure pulses are generated which propagate through the pipe system and promote cleaning.

In general, pipe systems such as those of heating and cooling systems are cleaned by pumping air-enriched water or only water from one side through a pipe loop in order to flush out dirt and impurities. This procedure is carried out for each individual heating loop of a heating system, these heating or cooling systems often including a large number of such loops which are connected to a central accessible distribution station. The disadvantage of all of these known methods is the complex assembly of the devices on site, because a relatively large number of elements is required. In addition, the use of cleaning chemicals, which are not infrequently used with these processes, is not beneficial to the environment.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method based on this prior art, which offers a qualitatively better, more thorough and more efficient, less maintenance and thus faster cleaning of the pipe deposits from lines. The method should be particularly suitable for heating and cooling pipe systems that are laid in floors and / or ceilings. This process should treat the pipes carefully and not attack them, and should be able to do without chemicals in numerous applications where they would otherwise be used. In a further version, the process is also specially designed for the use of chemicals so that the cleaning process is carried out in a completely environmentally friendly manner. Another object of the invention relates to checking the cleaning process and optimizing it during the process. Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide a device for carrying out the method which is compact and can be put into operation very quickly on site, and which carries out the method in a largely automated manner.

This object is achieved by a method with the features according to claim 1 and a device for its implementation with the features according to claim 11 and a use with the features according to claims 13 and 14.

The device and the method carried out with it are described and explained with the aid of the figures.

It shows: FIG. 1: The device is shown schematically, with all of its essential parts; FIG. 2: A central distributor of a heating pipe system with pipe loops connected to it, to which distributor the device for carrying out the method with connecting lines to the flow and return is connected; FIG. 3: a distributor and clock of the device according to the invention with several solenoid valves, which are controlled via the computer program, for running various cleaning programs; FIG. 4: A detail of a heating distributor to show the simplicity of the connections to the flow and return; FIG. 5: A detail of the heating distributor, seen from the right of the central post of the heating distributor according to FIG. 1 and seen behind the same; FIG. 6: A detail of a heating distributor, seen from the left of the central post of the heating distributor according to FIG. 1 and seen behind the same; FIG. 7: a schematic representation of what happens within the pipe system, that is to say in the individual pipe loops, during the cleaning process; FIGS. 8a) to e): A diagram of the cleaning program typically for pipes up to 62.5 mm in diameter; Figure 9a) to e): A diagram of the cleaning program for a ceiling heating (in contrast to a floor heating); Figure 10a) to e): A diagram of the cleaning program for an apartment building from 15 meters in height; Figure 11a) to e): A diagram of the cleaning program for a single-family house; Figure 12a) to e): A diagram of the cleaning program for radiators; FIG. 13: The display of a computer for selecting the process steps in the cleaning program and thus for controlling the flushing; FIG. 14: The display of a computer for setting time intervals for the cleaning phase and for triggering this cleaning phase and thus for controlling the flushing.

With this method, detergent is fed into the pipe system to be cleaned at slightly increased pressure, and this detergent is made to "shake" back and forth within the pipes, that is, the direction of flow is repeated several times from forward switched to backwards and vice versa. This shaking can be compared to the back and forth shaking of the mouthwash mixed with toothpaste when brushing your teeth, that is, with the mouth closed with the tongue with suction and pressure, so that it is pressed back and forth between the inside and outside of the rows of teeth, after which you the mouthwash spits out.

With this method, a vibration is generated in a targeted manner in the cleaning medium in a very similar manner. It is shaken back and forth in the pipe, for example a heating pipe or cooling pipe or in a radiator. A targeted fine-tuning of the water / air mixture ratio of the detergent contributes to an efficient cleaning of deposits and sludge. The air-enriched water flowing back and forth in rapid succession increases the cleaning efficiency with optimal use of the energy used.

If a resonance vibration is generated, that is, the best possible conversion of the excitation energy to this generated vibration of the water / air mixture is achieved, the cleaning effect is most evident. Achieving such a resonance oscillation or a frequency close to this resonance frequency is therefore desirable. The pressures must remain in a range which in any case avoids deformation or even damage to the pipes to be cleaned. It is therefore important to pay attention to the damping factor and the compatibility of the system so that no damage occurs. By adjusting the amount of water and air, the largest possible or most effective impulses in the sense of power surges are achieved in a targeted manner. As a result of shaking the detergent back and forth, turbulence with high particle speed occurs, which causes efficient cleaning and effectively loosens existing sludge and dirt particles on the inner walls of the pipe. The flow rates are adjusted manually according to the geometry and the pipe material. The main purpose of the cleaning process is to remove pipe debris and sludge. Because it achieves such a thorough cleaning effect, numerous pipe systems can be cleaned free of chemicals where the use of chemicals is otherwise essential. The method according to the invention is therefore extremely environmentally friendly.

In Figure 1, an apparatus for performing the method with all its essential parts is shown schematically. The compressed air from a compressor is pumped through the line 1 by means of a detachable connection 4 into a pipeline system. It flows through a pressure gauge 5 and through an adjustable valve 6 into the pipeline system to which a second pressure gauge 7 is connected. The water is also introduced by means of a detachable connection 9 from a line 2 past a pressure gauge 10 and through the adjustable valve 11 into the pipe system. Both media are fed to a mixer tap 13 by means of corresponding lines 8, 12. The water / air mixture leaves the mixer tap 13 through the line 14 and the adjustable valve 15 and finally enters the pipeline system 3 with the pipe loops to be cleaned. A pressure gauge 16 shows the amplitude of the pressure pulses generated in the pipe system 3 when the pipe system 3 is connected via the detachable connection.

As FIG. 2 shows, for the practical implementation of the method, a special cleaning device 20 is used in cooperation with a computer 21 for its control, hereinafter referred to as a flushing computer. The cleaning device 20 draws water at a pressure of the usual 6 bar from the water pipe system 24 of the building via a connected supply line 12. An air supply device 22, driven by a compressor, supplies air into the cleaning device 20 to enrich the supplied water with air inside the cleaning device 20. The connected rinsing computer 21 regulates all functions of the cleaning device 20, that is, the air enrichment, the pressure regulation and the determination of the Flow directions by opening and closing corresponding control valves in the interior of the cleaning device 20. Hoses 26, 27 with quick-release couplings at the ends lead away from the cleaning device 20. The hose 26 supplies air-enriched water into the flow 28 of the heating distributor 30, and the hose 27 is connected to the return 29 of the heating distributor 30. The cleaning system is thus connected to many loops 31, 32, 33, etc., so that with each branching pipe loop 31, 32, 33, etc., a separate loop or a separate, open circuit is formed for cleaning. Thanks to the cleaning device 20, it is now possible in all these loops to shake the air-enriched water contained therein back and forth, for which purpose valves in the interior of the cleaning device 20 are essentially switched under computer control, so that the direction of flow in the hoses 26, 27 changes abruptly can be. Electrically controllable solenoid valves are preferably used for this purpose. Because water is more or less incompressible, these abrupt changes in the direction of flow also take place instantaneously in all of the connected circuits or loops 31, 32, 33, etc. The air-enriched water, which comes from the return 29, flows via the line 27 back into the cleaning device 20 and is passed from this via the discharge line 25 into an absorber device 23, which uses mechanical filters to remove the impurities from the incoming air separates enriched water. The water enriched with air is then passed from this absorber device 23 via a preferably transparent drain pipe 34 into the sewer system. With a transparent drain pipe 34, the purity of the air-enriched water can be checked at any time. It goes without saying that the cleaning system according to the invention can be applied to the most varied of line systems with the most varied of pipe materials. For example, it is suitable for the pipe systems of a cooling system or for radiators, etc.

FIG. 3 shows a typical distributor and clock 18 as it can be arranged inside the cleaning device 20. At the bottom left of the picture you can see the main control valve 19, here designed as a solenoid valve, via which the distributor and clock 18 is fed with the flushing medium, and on the right you can see the drain 25 at the bottom. Four lines each branch off from the distributor and clock 18 Control valve 36, designed here as a solenoid valve, from. The distributor and clock 18 with the connected solenoid valves 36 is preferably anodized or powder-coated on the inside in order to avoid corrosion. The distributor and clock 18 with its internal lines is preferably milled out of an aluminum block. A central PLC control in the associated computer 21 controls the pumping direction as pressure and flow direction with control valves built into these lines. Thus, each of these solenoid valves 36 is controlled by the computer 21, this taking place depending on the selected program. Very specific cleaning programs are suitable for various pipe systems, which the computer then runs by opening and closing the corresponding control valves 36. Various cleaning programs are presented in more detail.

Figure 4 shows an enlarged view of the connection of the hose 26 for the flow 28 of the heating or cooling distributor 30 shown here and the connection of the hose 27 for the return 29 of this heating or cooling system. These hoses 26, 27 are preferably connected to the connections of the flow and return lines 28, 29 by means of a quick-release fastener, which can take place within a few minutes. There is no other work to do than to put the connected cleaning device 20 into operation. The entire cleaning process with the shaking of the water / air mixture contents in the connected pipe loops 31, 32, 33, etc. of the pipe system takes place automatically. If a change cycle should not be sufficient to achieve a satisfactory purity of the then exiting water, the procedure can be repeated one or more times. In the case of a transparent drain pipe 34, the cleaning progress can be visually inspected on the basis of the water emerging from the absorber 23. The cleaning process can continue until the water in the transparent drain pipe 34 is clear.

Figure 5 shows a detail of the heating manifold 30 of Figure 2, seen from the right behind the central post 37 in front of the heating manifold 30 and Figure 6 gives a view of the area behind the central post 37 in front of the heating manifold 30 free, from the left of the center post 37 seen here.

Before the start of the cleaning process, that is to say after the hoses 26, 27 have been connected to a central system distributor 30, a test of the pipeline tightness is preferably carried out first. The corresponding pipeline is completely filled with water, with water pressures of usually up to 6 bar being used. The pressure drop is observed over a period of up to half an hour when the shut-off valves are closed. If there is no pressure drop, it can be assumed that the piping system is tight.

After a successful leak test, the cleaning process is carried out with the shut-off valves 6, 11, 15 open in the scheme according to FIG. The shut-off valves are located in the form of control valves 36 in the cleaning device 20. Each connected pipe loop 31, 32, 33, etc. of the pipeline system remains open on both sides, i.e. without creating a closed circuit, so that the water enriched with air can easily pass through increased pressure of more than 1 bar and up to 1.3 bar can flow back and forth in an alternating cycle. An increased pressure is used because the water then becomes more saturated with air. Typically, with the pressurized water / air mixture, a first flow direction is initially maintained for a few minutes. Then the direction of flow is abruptly reversed and the water / air mixture flows in the opposite direction for a few seconds, then again in the original direction for a few seconds, etc. The number of flow changes per time can be adjusted to the degree of pollution. It has been shown that the same cleaning effect can be achieved thanks to this shaking of the water / air mixture in the pipeline system with only about half the time compared to a constant flow in only one direction. Overall, the cleaning process according to the invention is much more thorough. The detaching deposits and sludge can be visually observed with a transparent drain 34 and are used to evaluate the cleaning progress. Alternatively, this can be determined by means of the filter or by means of the particles continuously filtered by it in the absorber 23. The purified water can be passed directly into the sewage system via the drain 34 and without further post-treatment.

The detergent can be composed depending on the requirement. For example, the water / air mixture can be enriched with additives. The optimal detergent is selected depending on the pipeline system to be cleaned, i.e. depending on whether the pipeline system is used to transport fluids, from water-like to highly viscous, to transport free-flowing or pumpable solids, or to transfer mechanical and thermal energy. Depending on their functionality, properties or the material of the pipelines, the static and dynamic loads that act, the mechanical loads (such as flow speeds, floating and debris), the corrosive stress and depending on the type and temperature of the medium to be transported, the deposits and Impurities in the pipelines are characteristic. In any case, the method according to the invention is suitable for all such pipeline systems, with the flushing agent and flushing process being adapted. With the cleaning method according to the invention, results that are as good as those that cannot be achieved with conventional cleaning methods even with the use of chemicals in the rinsing agent can be achieved for numerous pipeline systems. Nevertheless, especially in the chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and industrial sectors, mixtures containing chemicals will have to be used as rinsing agents in order to comply with hygiene regulations. The use of chemicals will also provide a remedy for particularly stubborn deposits and blockages that could harden over a long period of time. Accordingly, the product-contaminated rinsing and cleaning water will have to carry chemicals with it, for which purpose additional devices can be connected if necessary, in particular a filter system in order to remove the chemicals used from the detergent again. When cleaning such pipe systems, the flushed medium must of course not be discharged into the sewer system, but must be collected and appropriately disposed of. The control valves or the entire control block, which includes the distributor and clock 18, can be designed to be acid and alkali-resistant.

The cleaning process with the inventive method is carried out in a closed circuit, always when the purity of the detergent exiting after cleaning cannot be restored using a filter in an absorber device so that it can be discharged into the sewer system as waste water . The specific detergent composition and the rinsing cycles used for the cleaning process can be precisely adapted to the needs of a particular system. As a result of the flow reversal, eddy currents arise in the detergent, which clean particularly effectively, even in places in the pipe system that are difficult to access. The method according to the invention is therefore also ideally suited for systems with complex piping and complicated routing, because the “shaking” technique uses a flexible medium for cleaning. This gets to wherever the deposits and contaminants could accumulate. Where conventional pigging systems commonly used in industry fail at branches, coupling systems or valve nodes in a branched network of pipelines or require costly workarounds, the cleaning method according to the invention can flow past valves, T-pieces, bends or corner pipe screens in the pipelines or in them Flush alternating cycle. It is then not necessary to install special modules in the existing piping systems. This significantly reduces the need for maintenance. According to previous tests, this method can reduce 30% of the time otherwise required for the cleaning process of heating pipe loops or pipe loops or pipe loops laid in building floors or ceilings. save with built-in radiators. The time savings made possible by the method according to the invention are therefore particularly attractive for pipeline systems in industries with frequent product changes, which means that the time savings are multiplied. The cleaning process is particularly suitable for the food industry, for the cosmetics industry, the household and industrial cleaning agent industry and related process industries, and also for the pharmaceutical and chemical sectors.

The table shown below shows the process steps with corresponding states of the elements, where X indicates the active participation of an element in a typical cleaning process with a water / air mixture, leak test X X X X X X X X X cleaning process X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

FIG. 7 shows schematically a typical sequence of the method, the time in the figure running from above, that is from a) down to d). First, air-enriched water is flushed into the pipe loops of the pipe system for a short period of time, up to a few minutes, typically between 1 and 7 minutes, and advantageously between 60 and 170 seconds, until the coarsest impurities are flushed out, what is visually recognizable at the drain. Afterwards the direction of flow is changed abruptly and for 3 to 90 seconds, depending on the case, the flow flows against the forward direction. The direction of flow is then abruptly changed again and maintained for 3 to 90 seconds. The reversal of flushing can be repeated as often as required, depending on the degree of contamination in the pipe loops. Finally, it is rinsed in the forward direction for about 3 minutes. In practice, such flow changes will be used until the effluent is clean enough and no further dirt particles escape from the pipe system. The time values given here for the individual cleaning phases have proven to be advantageous. It goes without saying that this can be deviated from depending on the application or pipeline system. Likewise, for the following examples, the detergent is always referred to as a water / air mixture, although additives can also be added to this or the detergent can consist of chemicals.

In particular, the method for cleaning pipe loops in an application of heating and cooling pipe loops laid in building floors or ceilings is specifically for more or less high houses and for radiators connected to them with a separate and individually programmable computer-controlled cleaning program for prewashing, cleaning and rinsing, venting and filling. According to the method according to the invention for cleaning heating or cooling pipe loops and radiators laid in building floors or ceilings, an air-water mixture is fed into the pipe loops 31, 32, 33, etc. to be cleaned after a pressure tightness test of the pipe loops to be cleaned 31, 32, 33, etc. until these are appropriately fed are filled with it, and then the water / air mixture in the pipe loops 31, 32, 33, etc. is shaken back and forth under computer control in an alternating cycle. After several alternating cycles, the water / air mixture with the cleaning material contained therein can be rinsed out of the pipe loops 31, 32, 33, etc. and passed into the wastewater in a controlled manner via an absorber 23. Using the back and forth shaking technique, just water as a detergent for the cleaning process can already achieve good results. The reversal of the flow creates eddy currents in the detergent, which clean particularly effectively, even in places in the pipe system that are difficult to access. It goes without saying that the method can be adapted to the peculiarities of the pipe systems to be cleaned, for example when very old heating pipes have to be carefully cleaned. These peculiarities can be taken into account with a corresponding adjustment of the water / air mixture and the rinsing cycles.

The practical test of the cleaning system has shown the following process sequence to be particularly advantageous: a) pre-rinsing to avoid clogging and to rinse out coarse dirt particles, b) cleaning by creating eddy currents with shaking the rinsing medium pipe back and forth. Deposits are loosened, c) rinsing, d) venting in order to flush out air residues in the pipe system after the cleaning phase, e) filling the pipe system.

In steps a) and c) the pipe system is only filled with the medium water, and in heating and cooling systems also in step e) as a heating or cooling medium. The following examples of procedures according to specific cleaning programs indicate individual steps and list values that have proven to be optimal in the practical test. It goes without saying that deviations from these guide values are possible, depending on the requirements of a specific system that is to be cleaned.

In Figure 8, the method for cleaning pipes of up to 62.5 mm in diameter is shown. The following program, which is computer-controlled from phase a) to phase e), is particularly suitable for these purposes: a) pre-flushing the pipe loops 31, 32, 33, etc. in the forward direction with the flow and return control valves open, b) cleaning through Rinsing of the pipe loops 31, 32, 33, etc. in an alternating cycle, through computer-controlled opening and closing of the corresponding control valves 36, so that the water / air mixture initially flows for 270 seconds in the forward direction, followed by a cycle of, for example, 8-times flow direction changes each 90-second intervals in one direction each, followed by a longer period of 210 seconds in the forward direction, then followed by a cycle of, for example, another 8-time change of direction and finally a period of 270 seconds in the forward direction, c) rinsing and venting with open control valves for the flow and return, d) bleeding phase in two phases by computer-controlled ertes opening and closing of the corresponding control valves 36, in a first phase the water / air mixture initially flows for 30 seconds in the forward direction and then 6 seconds in the reverse direction, then three times 10 seconds each in the forward direction and 6 seconds in the reverse direction, followed by a longer one A period of 120 seconds in the forward direction, and at the end of the repeated cycle of 6 and 10 second intervals with a change of direction, the mixture is pressed out in the forward direction for 120 seconds. In a second venting phase, this process is repeated identically, e) Filling the circuits 31, 32, 33, etc. with the flow control valve open and the solenoid valve for the return closed.

The opening and closing mechanism of the control valves of the device is computer-controlled, while the control valves for the flow and return are often opened and closed manually.

In Figure 9, the method for cleaning the pipes of a ceiling heater is shown. Ceiling heating differ in their flow behavior from floor heating. This is due to a number of factors, such as the pipe material, which creates greater flow resistance. In the case of ceiling heating, metal pipes are used, and the diameters of ceiling heating pipes are larger compared to floor heating pipes, and the control valves have a larger passage. In addition to sludge, there is often a lot of rust in the deposits from ceiling heating. The following program, which is computer-controlled from phase a) to phase e), is particularly suitable for these purposes: a) pre-flushing the pipe loops 31, 32, 33, etc. in the forward direction with the flow and return control valves open, b) cleaning through Rinsing the pipe loops 31, 32, 33, etc. in an alternating cycle, through computer-controlled opening and closing of the corresponding control valves 36, so that the water / air mixture initially flows for 180 seconds in the forward direction, and then the water / air mixture in a number of 3 Second periods is shaken back and forth, with a change of direction after each 3-second interval, interrupted by a longer period of 180 seconds in the forward direction and at the end of the repeated cycle of 3-second periods of shaking back and forth again from a period of 180 seconds in the flow direction, c) rinsing and venting with open control valves for the flow and return, d) venting phase du rch opening and closing of the corresponding control valves 36, so that the water / air mixture initially flows 180 seconds in the forward direction, followed by a cycle of 3-second periods with a change of direction after every 3-second interval, causing the water / air mixture to and fro is shaken, interrupted by a longer period of 180 seconds in the forward direction, and at the end of the repeated cycle of 3-second periods of shaking back and forth from a renewed period of 180 seconds ejecting in the forward direction, e) filling the circuits 31, 32, 33 when the flow control valve is open and the control valve for the return is closed.

FIG. 10 shows a similar scheme for the method for cleaning heating and cooling pipe loops laid in building floors or ceilings in an apartment building. For this purpose, the following program is advantageously run under computer control: a) Pre-rinsing the pipe loops 31, 32, 33, etc. in the forward direction with the flow and return control valves open, b) Cleaning by rinsing the pipe loops 31, 32, 33, etc. in an alternating cycle , initially 270 seconds in the forward direction, followed by a number of 11-second periods with a change of direction at the end of each 11-second interval, so that the water / air mixture is shaken back and forth, interrupted by pressing forward for 150 seconds in the forward direction ( in multi-family houses 15 meters high and more preferably 180 seconds, see the cycle shown below), and after a repeated cycle of 11-second periods with a change of direction at the end of each 11-second interval, the mixture is finally expelled from the pipe loops 31 for 180 seconds , 32, 33, etc. in the forward direction, c) rinsing the pipe loops 31, 32, 33, etc. with the forward and return regulators open entilen, d) venting phase in two phases by computer-controlled opening and closing of the corresponding control valves 36, in a first phase the water / air mixture initially flows for 30 seconds in the forward direction and then 6 seconds in the return direction, then three times for 10 seconds each in the forward direction and 6 seconds in the reverse direction, followed by a longer period of 120 seconds in the forward direction, and at the end of the repeated cycle of 6 and 10 second intervals with a change of direction, the mixture is pressed out in the forward direction for 120 seconds. In a second venting phase, this process is repeated identically, e) filling the circuits 31, 32, 33, etc. with the flow control valve open and the return control valve closed.

In Figure 11, the method for cleaning pipes in building floors or ceilings is shown heating and cooling pipe loops in a single-family house. For this purpose, the following program is preferably run computer-controlled: a) Pre-rinsing the pipe loops 31, 32, 33, etc. in the forward direction with the flow and return control valves open, b) Cleaning the pipe loops 31, 32, 33, etc., by removing the water / Air mixture first flows 150 seconds in the forward direction and then 6 seconds in the reverse direction, then three times 10 seconds each in the forward direction and 6 seconds in the reverse direction, followed by a longer period of 60 seconds in the forward direction, and at the end of the repeated cycle of 6 and 10-second intervals with a change of direction for 180 seconds, pressing out the mixture in the forward direction, c) rinsing the pipe loops 31, 32, 33, etc. with the flow and return control valves open, d) venting the pipe loops 31, 32, 33, etc. in two phases by computer-controlled opening and closing of the corresponding control valves 36, with the water / air mixture initially flowing for 30 seconds in a first phase and then flows for 6 seconds in the reverse direction, then three times each 10 seconds in the forward direction and 6 seconds in the reverse direction, followed by a longer period of 120 seconds in the forward direction, and at the end of the repeated cycle of 6 and 10 second intervals with Change of direction for 120 seconds, the mixture is pressed out in the forward direction. In a second venting phase, this process is repeated identically, e) filling the pipe loops 31, 32, 33, etc. with water with the control valves open for the flow and return.

In Figure 12, a similar scheme is shown specifically for the method for cleaning in building floors or ceilings laid heating and cooling pipe loops with attached radiators. For this purpose, the following program is preferably run computer-controlled: a) Pre-rinsing the pipe loops 31, 32, 33, etc. in the forward direction with the flow and return control valves open, b) Cleaning by rinsing the pipe loops 31, 32, 33, etc. in an alternating cycle , first 270 seconds in the forward direction, followed by a cycle of 11-second periods with a change of direction at the end of every 11-second interval, interrupted by pressing in the forward direction for 150 seconds, and then shaking back and forth at 11 each time -Second intervals, and finally expulsion for 180 seconds from the pipe loops 31, 32, 33, etc. c) Rinsing the pipe loops 31, 32, 33, etc. with the flow and return control valves open. d) Venting the pipe loops 31, 32, 33, etc. in an alternating cycle, initially 270 seconds in the forward direction, then followed by a large number of 11 second periods in an alternating cycle, with the water / air mixture being shaken back and forth, interrupted by pressing in the forward direction for 150 seconds, and after a repeated cycle of 11-second periods of shaking back and forth, finally ejecting it from the pipe loops 31, 32, 33, etc. for 180 seconds, e) filling the pipe loops 31, 32, 33 , etc. with a manually opened control valve for the flow and a closed return control valve.

In most cases, therefore, for the process, regardless of the cleaning program, in a cleaning device 20 with a storage tank, water is enriched with air at overpressure (i.e. usually a pressure of more than 1 bar). This water / air mixture is then fed into the pipe loops 31, 32, 33, etc. to be cleaned or, depending on the system circuit or circuit of the pipeline system, at least into one pipe loop to be cleaned. Afterwards, the water / air mixture is shaken back and forth in alternating cycles, typically with 3 to 90 second periods, and corresponding eddy currents are generated as a result. At the end of the process, the mixture is flushed out of the pipe loop circuit and discharged into the wastewater. Interrupting the process of shaking back and forth by pressing the detergent in one direction over a longer time interval and then resuming the shaking back and forth has proven to be particularly effective. This longer time interval of pressing in one direction can be a large multiple of an individual interval of the pressure surge cycle. The removed particles and residues can be transported away from the circuit particularly effectively by means of this intermediate rinsing, whereby the pipe system is more conducive to continued cleaning. Due to the removal of the already detached dirt particles, the pipe sections are exposed to the pressure-jolted, back and forth shaken detergent in such a way that further material is exposed for cleaning. The flushing process can therefore remove deposits very effectively.

With the previously practiced cleaning procedures for heating and cooling pipes laid in building floors or ceilings and radiators connected to them, you usually need about 6 to 8 hours of effective working time on site, that is, a full working day. This means that the entire process, including travel to and from the site, can often not be done in a single day. With the method presented here and the device for implementation, the time required for efficient cleaning of floor heating pipes can be reduced by approx. 30%, which enables the cleaning of 3 such floor heating systems in just 2 days (including travel to and from the hotel), instead of only one floor heating being processed per day as before. By simply connecting the device to the central system distributor on site, the same can be omitted. The latter has so far often been necessary when the pipe loops have to be connected to a cleaning device one at a time. The method according to the invention thus saves a considerable amount of time and money.

13 shows a display 38 of a flushing computer 21, which display is designed here as a touchscreen. The cleaning process has been preprogrammed here so that it includes six process steps: 1. Pre-rinsing: In this process step, the coarse or loose dirt in the pipeline system is rinsed out; 2. Cleaning: In this phase, the rinsing medium is shaken back and forth to effectively clean off the impurities in the pipeline system; 3. Rinsing: Here, the dirt particles loosened as a result of the previous cleaning step are rinsed out of the pipeline system; 4. Venting: In this phase the amount of air trapped in the system is expelled; 5. Filling: During this process, the pipe loops 31, 32, 33, etc. are again filled with clean medium; 6. Suction / emptying: The pipe loops 31, 32, 33, etc. are completely emptied so that repair work on the pipe system or the replacement, lengthening or shortening of any pipe loops can be carried out.

As can be seen from FIG. 13, individual process steps can be selected manually in the contact field in the main menu displayed. In a different programming, the individual process steps can run automatically after the cleaning process has been triggered, with a user being able to abort the process at any time via the display 38. In one embodiment, the flushing computer 21 is designed as a mobile tablet that can be connected to the device, with a cable or wirelessly. In the same way, the cleaning process can also be controlled via a smartphone and its display. The cleaning program can be made available as application software for downloading to any computer device.

FIG. 14 shows the display 38 of the washing computer 21 with corresponding subroutines for the method step of the cleaning phase. This cleaning phase in turn includes five phases: start phase, eddy current phase in the forward direction, eddy current phase in the return direction, rest phase, end phase. The set time period is displayed for each individual phase on the left. This can be manually increased (triangular tip up) or decreased (triangle tip down) to the right of the display with the black triangle symbols. On the far right of the display field, the amount of water and / or air supplied during the rinsing process can be regulated. The START symbol to initiate the cleaning phase can also be seen in the display 38. The duration of this cleaning phase is continuously shown at the bottom right in the display 38 based on the remaining time (countdown). In this way, the cleaning phase can be monitored and controlled at any time. The same applies to the further procedural steps of the program.

It goes without saying that the duration of the individual process steps and in particular the intervals during a cycle depend on a number of factors, such as the pipe material (whether copper, plastic, steel, etc.) or the surface properties of the inner pipe wall such as the Roughness), but also the pipe diameter, the prevailing flow resistance and the length of the pipe loops.

With the rinsing computer 21, any programmed cleaning programs can be run with the cleaning system. The data on the cleaning process can be recorded and documented visually, or electronically by means of sensors and a computer evaluation. In this way, the cleaning process can also be evaluated with every further cleaning process on the same system, so that the condition of this pipe system is documented in detail over time. With the data obtained, the cleaning processes, but also the frequency of cleaning, can be specifically adapted to a system.

In a special embodiment for cleaning pipe loops in the chemical industry, the rinsing computer 21 evaluates the recorded data already during the cleaning process in order to control the further course of the cleaning process so that the process is continuously adapted to the recorded data. The degree of contamination of the exiting washing medium is recorded in the washing computer 21 by the absorber device 23 continuously ascertaining this data, recording it electronically and forwarding it to the washing computer 21. In this way, the flushing computer 21 optimizes the cleaning process based on the values of the respective pipeline system, for maximum needs-based cleaning of the pipeline system. This creates a suitable, automatable and documentable process technology which saves considerable maintenance effort and costs.

Index of digits

1 air supply 2 water supply 3 pipe system to be cleaned 4 detachable connection for air supply 5 pressure gauge for supply air 6 adjustable valve for supply air 7 pressure gauge for system compressed air 8 air line 9 detachable connection for water supply 10 pressure gauge for water supply 11 adjustable valve for water supply 12 connected Feed line for water 13 mixer 14 line 15 adjustable valve 16 pressure gauge 17 detachable connection 18 computer-controlled distributor and clock inside the cleaning device 20 19 main control valve for clock and distributor 18 20 cleaning device 21 rinsing computer 22 air supply device 23 absorber device 24 water pipe system of the building 25 drain pipe 26 hose for flow 27 hose for return 28 flow 29 return 30 heating or cooling distributor 31 pipe loop 32 pipe loop 33 pipe loop 34 transparent drain pipe 36 computer-controlled control valves for the circuits 37 center post 38 display of the flushing computer 2 1

Claims (14)

1. A method for cleaning pipeline systems, including one or more pipe loops (31, 32, 33), in which a flushing agent flows through them, characterized in that a cleaning device (20) feeds a flushing agent into this pipeline system to be cleaned, afterwards the flushing agent in the pipeline system is shaken back and forth in a pressure surge alternating cycle in a change of direction, and the flushing agent is then flushed with the cleaning material contained therein from the pipeline system and discharged. 2. A method for cleaning pipeline systems according to claim 1, wherein the pressure surge alternating cycle of the back and forth shaking of the detergent is controlled by a computer (21) according to a cleaning program to be executed by it, which cycle can be set and adjusted on site via the computer (21) so that it can be controlled directly. 3. A method for cleaning pipeline systems according to claim 2, wherein the computer (21) during the cleaning process of an absorber device (23), namely a device for separating impurities, evaluates data recorded on the degree of contamination of the exiting detergent with the cleaning material and the controls the further course of the cleaning process so that it is continuously adapted to the recorded data. 4. A method for cleaning pipeline systems according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the rinsing agent is a water / air mixture prepared by the cleaning device (20) by the two media water and air by means of corresponding lines (8, 12) of a mixer (13) of the Cleaning device (20) are supplied. 5. A method for cleaning pipeline systems according to one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the flushing process of the computer-controlled shaking back and forth of the flushing agent in the pressure surge cycle is interrupted by a phase of flushing in the forward direction, which phase is a multiple of a pressure surge cycle interval of shaking the detergent back and forth, for effective rinsing and removal of cleaning material. 6. The method for cleaning pipeline systems according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the rinsing agent contains water enriched with additives, wherein in the case of a chemical-containing rinsing agent, the same is collected when it emerges from the pipeline system, for appropriate disposal. 7. A method for cleaning pipeline systems according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the detergent with the cleaning material is discharged into the wastewater via an absorber device (23) with a transparent drain pipe (34) for optical observation and checking the purity. 8. A method for cleaning pipeline systems according to one of claims 2 to 7 and subsequent filling with clean medium, with a separate, adapted cleaning program being run for each specific application, with the following process steps: a) pre-rinsing with a detergent, b) cleaning by shaking this detergent back and forth, c) Rinsing out and draining off the detergent with the cleaning material it contains, d) additional rinsing with clean detergent, then venting of the pipeline system in order to rinse out air residues in the pipeline system after the cleaning phase and fill the pipeline system with clean medium. 9. A method for cleaning pipeline systems according to claim 4, wherein in the cleaning device (20) with storage tank water is enriched with air under excess pressure and this water / air mixture is then fed into at least one pipe loop (31, 32, 33) of the pipeline system, afterwards in a pressure surge cycle, the water / air mixture in this pipe loop (31, 32, 33) is shaken back and forth for an interval of between 3 and 90 seconds in the direction of flow change, once interrupted by longer flushing relative to the pressure surge cycle interval in the forward direction, and then the water / air mixture is flushed out of the pipe loop (31, 32, 33) and passed into the waste water. 10. A method for cleaning pipeline systems according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pipeline systems are heating or cooling pipe systems. 11. Device for carrying out the method for cleaning pipeline systems according to one of the preceding claims 1-10, including a compressed air compressor and a first line (1) with a detachable connection (4) for pumping in compressed air, further a second line (8) with an adjustable valve (6) and a pressure gauge (5, 7) each upstream and downstream of the adjustable valve (6) and a mixer tap (13), the compressed air being pumped in via the second line (8) to be fed to the mixer tap (13), and a third line (2) with a detachable connection (9) for introducing water, a fourth line (12) with an adjustable valve (11) through which the water can be fed to the mixer tap (13), and a fifth line (14) ) with adjustable valve (15) and pressure gauge (16), whereby the fifth line (14) can be connected to the pipeline system (3) to be cleaned via a detachable connection (17), for conveying a water / air mixture from the mixer tap (13 ) i n the pipeline system (3) to be cleaned, the pumping direction for generating a pressure surge alternating cycle being controllable with these adjustable valves (6, 11, 15) built into the lines within the cleaning device (20). 12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the device includes a central PLC control in an associated computer (21) for programmable control of the pumping direction as pressure and flow direction with control valves built into the lines within the cleaning device (20). 13. Use of a device according to claim 12 with a computer (21) for cleaning the pipe loops of a pipeline system. 14. Use of a device according to claim 12 for recording and evaluating the data on the cleaning process via staggered cleaning programs on a pipeline system to document the development of the condition of this pipeline system, for ongoing adaptation and optimization of the cleaning program during the program process and / or for adapting the frequency cleaning specifically to a pipeline system.