JP2005169220A - Pipe washing device and pipe washing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pipe washing device which has no unfavorable influence on the environment, causes no clogging during washing, washes even a long pipe, requires no limitation on a time zone, work time and work place, is used for washing at any time and low in running cost; and also provide a pipe washing method. <P>SOLUTION: The pipe washing device 10 washes pipes by scraping away deposits adhering to the inner part of the pipes with ice. In addition, the washing is performed with the pipe washing device 10 which is provided with an ice maker 100, a water-cooling device 120, a device 160 for mixing the ice made by the ice maker 100 with the cooled water cooled by the water-cooling device 120, and a pump 140 which force-feeds the mixed ice and cooled water into the pipes. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for cleaning the inside of a pipe installed in a building, underground, or the like.

  Pipes such as water supply pipes and drainage pipes installed in buildings, underground, etc. will be used for a long period of time, so that calcium, magnesium, silica components, etc. in water will deposit and deposits called scale will adhere to the inner surface of the pipe. Cause clogging of piping, reduction of drainage, and reduction of piping equipment life. In addition, if the necessity for replacement of piping or the like arises, a great cost and time loss are caused. Conventionally, a high pressure jet method, a pig cleaning method, a chemical cleaning method, a drain cleaner method, and the like are known as methods for cleaning piping for removing scales and the like.

  The high-pressure jet method uses a high-pressure jet washer to clean and remove scales attached to the piping. In addition, depending on the deposit, it is cleaned by mixing sand, chemicals, or the like. In the pig cleaning method, various types of pigs (resin balls for cleaning piping) are pumped with water to remove scales and the like attached to the piping. In the chemical cleaning method, cleaning chemicals are circulated by a pump, and scales and the like adhering to the piping are disassembled and removed. In the drain cleaner method, scales and the like are peeled and removed by putting a wire of a rotating drain cleaner in a pipe. However, since the high-pressure jet method and the chemical cleaning method use sand or chemicals, industrial waste is generated, which adversely affects the environment. In addition, industrial waste disposal costs are incurred and costly. In the pig cleaning method, pigs are likely to be clogged in the middle of piping, especially when there are many connecting portions of the piping, and it is necessary to collect the pig on the drain outlet side. In the drain cleaner method, the length of the pipe that can be cleaned is limited to about 50 m.

  In order to solve these problems, a method of using ice for cleaning has been proposed. For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-119933, as a cleaning method in which work preparation does not become large, there is no occurrence of a failure in a pipeline, work is easy even for an unskilled person, and safety during work is obtained. A method of cleaning the inside of a drain pipe using a swirling vortex of water containing an abrasive such as crushed ice by a suction action by a suction device is disclosed. Similarly, as a method for cleaning the inside of the pipe with ice, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-261349 discloses that the inside of the pipe is washed as ice to be sprayed by blowing out water droplets by blowing out compressed gas and adiabatically expanding and spraying the scattered water drops. A method is disclosed.

JP 2002-119933 A JP-A-5-261349

  In the method of Patent Document 1, a suction action by a suction device at the tube tip is used. However, in the current distribution pipe facilities, the tip of each distribution pipe is connected to the drain outlet and drained into the sewer main. Since each water pipe is connected to the drain, it is difficult to connect a suction device to the pipe tip via a hose or a pipe. Moreover, the suction device cannot be connected to the tip of the pipe depending on the size of the drain and the diameter of the drain pipe. Furthermore, it is not the structure which can connect the piping to a pipe front-end | tip. For the reasons described above, there is a problem that cleaning is substantially difficult in this method. Further, the method of Patent Document 2 has a problem that it can be applied only to a short pipe having a small diameter.

  Another problem is that the conventional cleaning method discharges the scale all at once, which may cause clogging at the drain outlet, and it is necessary to remove the scale at the drain outlet. Furthermore, the conventional cleaning method requires a work to remove the pipe connection part, which is a large-scale construction, but there is a problem that it is very difficult to clean the pipe in places where it is not possible to remove the pipes such as buried pipes. It was. Also, for example, when cleaning drainage pipes installed in condominiums, buildings, schools, facilities, etc., it takes a lot of inconvenience because it takes a long time to use the drainpipe if it takes work time. When cleaning the drainage pipe installed beside it, there is a problem of working time that the workable time is limited to a short time in the middle of the night because washing work during business hours cannot be performed.

  The object of the present invention is that it does not adversely affect the environment, there is no risk of clogging during cleaning, long pipes can be cleaned, and there are no restrictions on the cleaning work time, work time, work place, etc. It is to provide a pipe cleaning apparatus and a pipe cleaning method that are inexpensive and cost effective.

  The present invention is a pipe cleaning apparatus that scrapes and cleans deposits in a pipe with ice, and cools the ice and the water produced by the ice making means, the water cooling means, and the ice making means. Means for mixing the cold water produced by the means, and means for pumping the ice water mixed by the mixing means into the pipe.

  Further, in the pipe cleaning apparatus, further, a valve provided between the means for making ice and the means for mixing, a valve provided between the means for cooling the water and the means for mixing, And control means for controlling opening and closing of the valve.

  Moreover, in the said piping washing apparatus, it is preferable that the temperature of the said cold water is 3-7 degreeC.

  Further, the present invention is a pipe cleaning method for scraping and cleaning the deposits in the pipe with ice, the ice making process, the water cooling process, the ice made in the ice making process and the A step of mixing the cold water produced in the step of cooling the water, and a step of pumping the ice water mixed in the step of mixing into the pipe.

  Further, in the pipe cleaning method, a valve provided between the step of making the ice and the step of mixing, a valve provided between the step of cooling the water and the step of mixing, It is preferable that the mixed ice water is automatically pumped into the pipe by controlling the step of opening and closing the valve.

  Moreover, in the said piping cleaning method, it is preferable that the temperature of the said cold water is 3-7 degreeC.

  Furthermore, the pipe cleaning method preferably further includes a step of pumping the ice water by a drain pump provided in a drainage facility in which the pipe to be cleaned is installed.

  According to the present invention, ice and cold water are mixed and pumped into a pipe by a pump to clean the inside of the pipe, so there is no adverse effect on the environment, there is no risk of clogging during cleaning, and even long pipes are cleaned. Can do. In particular, pipes can be automatically and periodically cleaned using an ice maker, water cooling device, mixer, pump, etc., so there are no restrictions on time, work time, work place, etc. In addition, it is possible to provide a pipe cleaning apparatus and a pipe cleaning method that do not require work cost without removing scale at the drain outlet because the scale is periodically removed gradually and is not clogged at the drain outlet. .

  The present invention will be described in detail below. An example of the pipe cleaning apparatus of the present invention is shown in FIG. The pipe cleaning device 10 of the present invention includes an ice making machine 100, a water cooling device 120, a cold water pumping pump 140, and a mixer 160.

  The ice making machine 100 is an apparatus that automatically manufactures ice from the supplied water. A plate method in which an ice plate is made by the ice manufacturing method and cut by a heater hot wire, etc., ice is made in a mold such as a square, and hot gas. There is a cell system etc. for deicing with such as. Examples of the shape of ice used in the present invention include cubes such as cubes and cuboids, spheres, chips, flakes, and the like. Use of cubes such as cubes and cuboids is preferable because the cleaning effect increases. . The size of the ice is selected depending on the inner diameter of the pipe to be cleaned, the degree of dirt in the pipe, and the like. One having a side of 1 cm to 10 cm is used, but considering the balance between the cleaning effect and the ease of flow of ice water in the tube during cleaning, the side is preferably 2 cm to 5 cm, and more preferably 3 cm to 4 cm on a side.

  The water cooling device 120 includes a chiller unit 122 that cools supplied water, a cold water tank 124 that stores cold water, and the like. The temperature of the cold water used in the present invention is preferably 2 ° C to 10 ° C. When the temperature is lower than 2 ° C., water is frozen, and when the temperature is higher than 10 ° C., ice is easily dissolved during cleaning, and the cleaning effect is lowered. Therefore, it is more preferable to control to 3 ° C to 7 ° C. In the present invention, by using cold water whose temperature is controlled, even long pipes can be washed without degrading the ice washing ability.

  The cold water pump 140 sends the cold water in the cold water tank 124 to the mixer 160. Further, the ice water mixed in the mixer 160 is pumped into the pipe.

  In the mixer 160, the ice produced by the ice making machine 100 and the cold water produced by the water cooling device 120 are mixed. The ratio of ice to cold water is adjusted according to the degree of adhesion of the scale in the pipe, but is performed at a ratio of ice: cold water = 1: 30 to 1: 1. Preferably it is 1: 20-1: 3, More preferably, it is 1: 15-1: 5. When the amount of ice is large, the cleaning effect is improved, but the ice water cannot smoothly flow in the pipe, and when the amount of ice is small, the cleaning effect is lowered. At this time, the temperature of the ice water is preferably 2 ° C to 10 ° C for the same reason as the cold water, but more preferably 3 ° C to 7 ° C.

  The pipe cleaning apparatus of the present invention may have, for example, electric valves 200 and 220 as shown in FIG. The opening and closing of the electric valve 200 can control the introduction of ice from the ice making machine 100 to the mixer 160, and the opening and closing of the electric valve 220 can control the introduction of the mixer 160 from the cold water tank 124.

  Moreover, in order to perform the cleaning operation automatically, the pipe cleaning apparatus of the present invention may have a control unit 180 as shown in FIG. 2, for example. The control unit 180 includes a timer unit, a relay, and the like, and manufactures ice for the ice making machine 100, supplies ice from the ice making machine 100 to the mixer 160, manufactures cold water for the water cooling device 120, and operates the cold water pumping pump 140. Stopping, opening / closing of the electric valves 200 and 220 (control lines for controlling the electric valves are not shown) can be controlled. The control unit 180 can also control the opening and closing of the electric valve of the pipe to be cleaned. In addition, you may attach a timer etc. to each apparatus and each electric valve individually.

  For example, when cleaning a drain pipe installed beside a track such as a subway where the work time is limited as described above, the pipe cleaning device of the present invention is installed, and the determined work time is thereafter The cleaning may be repeated automatically, for example, periodically for several days. Thereby, it is possible to perform the cleaning sufficiently efficiently even in a place where the working time is limited. In addition, since the cleaning is periodically repeated several times, the scale can be gradually removed so that the scale can be cleaned without clogging the drainage outlet. Furthermore, since the apparatus repeats cleaning periodically except for the installation and removal of the apparatus, the operation cost is also reduced. The pipe cleaning apparatus of the present invention can be easily moved by attaching a caster or the like.

  Also, in places where piping is very dirty and must be cleaned frequently, the piping cleaning device of the present invention is always installed, and the piping is clogged by performing ice water cleaning periodically (for example, once a week). Can prevent and wash.

  In the pipe cleaning method of the present invention, for example, it is preferable to first clean the inside of the pipe with ice: cold water = 1: 10, and increase the amount of ice when cleaning is insufficient due to the cleaning result. At this time, for example, a cube having a side of 3 cm to 4 cm or a rectangular parallelepiped may be used first, and if cleaning is insufficient, the size may be increased to 4 cm to 5 cm on a side.

  The material of the pipe that can be cleaned by the pipe cleaning apparatus and method of the present invention is not particularly limited, and examples include steel pipes; cast iron pipes; plastic pipes such as vinyl chloride pipes and polyethylene pipes, and composite pipes. The inner diameter of the pipe that can be cleaned by the pipe cleaning apparatus and method of the present invention can be cleaned up to a pipe having an inner diameter of about 500 mm depending on the size and amount of ice. Is obtained.

  The length of the pipe that can be cleaned by the pipe cleaning apparatus and method of the present invention is determined by the amount of ice and the amount of cold water used. Accordingly, the length of piping that can be washed at one time is also determined by the amount of ice that can be produced by the ice making machine and the amount of cold water that can be stored in the cold water tank. For example, with a pipe diameter of 100 A (inner diameter: 100 mm), 20 kg of ice and 0.5 t of cold water can be cleaned up to about 60 m at a time. However, if the water in the drainage tank is used with the drainage pump that is currently installed in the drainage facility where the pipe to be cleaned is installed, and the ice water is further pumped, the size of the dirt and ice in the pipe will be reduced. Although it depends, it can be cleaned up to about 200m. Therefore, even when a long pipe is washed, the amount of ice and cold water can be adjusted and washed from one place without removing the pipe connection part in the middle of the pipe as before.

  In the pipe cleaning apparatus and method of the present invention, the method for pumping ice water includes continuous pumping and intermittent pumping, but continuous pumping is preferable from the viewpoint of cleaning effect.

  An example of the cleaning method by the pipe cleaning apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The pipe cleaning device 10 is connected to a pipe connecting the pipe 320 to be cleaned and the drainage pump 400 currently provided in the drainage facility or the like. If necessary, wiring for controlling the electric valves 240, 260, 280, 300, the drainage pump 400 and the like with the control device 180 may be attached (control lines for controlling the electric valves and the like are not shown). The electric valves 240, 260, 280, 300, the drainage pump 400, etc. may be individually attached with a timer. After installing the pipe cleaning device 10, ice making by the ice making machine 100 and water cooling by the water cooling device 120 are performed. After completion of ice making and water cooling, the electric valves 260 and 300 are closed with the drain pump 400 stopped. The electric valve 280 is opened with the electric valves 260 and 300 closed, and water in the pipe between 260 and 300 is drained. The electric valves 200 and 240 are opened by the operation of the timer of the control device 180 (for example, after 1 minute), and ice is poured from the ice making machine 100. The electric valves 200 and 280 are closed and the electric valves 220 and 300 are opened by the operation of the timer of the control device 180 (for example, after 3 minutes). The cold water pump 140 is automatically operated with the electric valves 220 and 300 opened, and ice water is pumped to remove deposits such as scales in the pipe 320. When the cold water in the cold water tank 124 runs out, the cold water pump 140 is stopped. The electric valve 240 is closed, the electric valve 260 is opened, and the cleaning operation is finished. The above operation may be repeated depending on how dirty the piping is. This operation can be automatically and periodically repeated as described above. The implementation span may be determined according to the degree of dirt on the piping.

  In the pipe cleaning method of the present invention, the drainage pump 400 can be used when the pipe is long. In other words, the cold water ice water in the cold water tank 124 is pumped into the pipe 320 by the cold water pump 140, the electric valve 240 is closed, and the electric valve 260 is opened. Ice water can be pumped further using water. Thereby, longer piping can be washed.

  EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the following examples unless it exceeds the gist.

  Into a drainage pipe (steel, inner diameter 125 mm, length 1000 m) with mud dirt containing silica component, 20 kg of about 4 cm × 4 cm × 4 cm square ice is put into a drainage pump (Makihara, 100DL type). ) Was pumped with water. Washing was performed for 10 minutes. The ice melted and was discharged with deposits without clogging from the outlet. When the operating current value of the drainage pump was measured with a clamp meter (MCLTI, MCL-400D type), it was 18.0 A before ice washing, but it was 19.0 A after ice washing, an improvement of 1.0 A. . Further, the amount of drainage measured by a flow meter (manufactured by Nippon Flow Cell, PFNS type) was 500 L / min before ice cleaning, but was 600 L / min after ice cleaning, which was improved. This indicates that the amount of discharged water is increased, and the pipe cleaning is performed well.

  According to the present invention, there is no adverse effect on the environment, there is no risk of clogging during cleaning, long pipes can be cleaned, and there are no restrictions on the cleaning work time zone, work time, work place, and work cost is increased. It is possible to clean pipes installed in buildings and underground.

It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of the piping cleaning apparatus of this invention. It is a figure which shows another example of a structure of the piping cleaning apparatus of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the piping washing | cleaning method of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Pipe washing apparatus, 100 ice making machine, 120 Water cooling device, 122 Chiller unit, 124 Chilled water tank, 140 Chilled water pump, 160 Mixer, 180 Control part, 200, 220, 240, 260, 280, 300 Electric valve, 400 Drainage pump.

Claims (7)

A pipe cleaning device that scrapes and cleans deposits in the pipe with ice,
Means to make ice,
Means for cooling the water;
Means for mixing ice made by the means for making ice with cold water made by means for cooling the water;
Means for pumping ice water mixed by the mixing means into the pipe;
A pipe cleaning apparatus comprising: The pipe cleaning apparatus according to claim 1,
A valve provided between the ice making means and the mixing means;
A valve provided between the means for cooling the water and the means for mixing;
Control means for controlling opening and closing of the valve;
A pipe cleaning apparatus comprising: The pipe cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2,
The pipe cleaning apparatus, wherein the temperature of the cold water is 3 to 7 ° C. A pipe cleaning method that scrapes and cleans deposits in the pipe with ice,
The process of making ice,
Cooling the water;
Mixing the ice made in the step of making the ice with the cold water made in the step of cooling the water;
A step of pumping the ice water mixed in the mixing step into the pipe;
A method for cleaning a pipe, comprising: The pipe cleaning method according to claim 4,
A step of opening and closing a valve provided between the step of making the ice and the step of mixing, and a valve provided between the step of cooling the water and the step of mixing;
Including
A pipe cleaning method, wherein the mixed ice water is automatically pumped into the pipe by controlling a step of opening and closing the valve. A pipe cleaning method according to claim 4 or 5,
The pipe cleaning method, wherein the temperature of the cold water is 3 to 7 ° C. The pipe cleaning method according to any one of claims 4 to 6,
Furthermore, the pipe cleaning method characterized by including the process of pumping the said ice water with the drainage pump provided in the drainage installation in which the said piping to wash | clean is installed.

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