JPS5845830Y2 - Ultrasonic pipe cleaning equipment - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the invention] This invention is suitable for use in piping, boilers, refrigerators, etc. of buildings, for example.
This invention relates to a device for cleaning the inside of a pipe such as a heat exchanger.

For example, in water supply and drainage pipes in buildings, foreign matter often becomes clogged or deposited inside the pipes.

Further, in the case of pipes for boilers, refrigerators, heat exchangers, etc., foreign matter often adheres to the inner wall surfaces of the pipes, or rust occurs.

In this way, when foreign matter becomes clogged or adheres to the inside of the pipe, it is of course necessary to promptly remove it.

For this purpose, several pipe cleaning devices have been provided in the past.

A typical example is one in which a fluid such as water or air is suddenly sent in at high pressure from one end of a pipe, and the resulting impact is used to push out foreign objects inside the pipe.

However, such conventional devices are inevitably large-scale because they require a device to pressurize fluids such as water or air. If the pipe is large or the piping is long, the cleaning effect will be significantly reduced.

Additionally, in order to push out foreign matter, a large amount of fluid such as water or air must be pumped under fairly high pressure.
There was also the risk that the pipes would crack.

Furthermore, although its cleaning effect is effective in removing foreign matter that has simply accumulated inside the pipe, it is difficult to remove dirt or deposits that have adhered to the inner wall of the pipe, so chemical solutions are used to remove them. These methods had to be used together, but even then, sufficient cleaning effects could not be obtained, and it was hardly possible to remove rust from inside pipes, for example.

On the other hand, ultrasonic waves have recently come to be used to remove dirt that is difficult to remove using normal cleaning methods.

This is a so-called ultrasonic cleaning device, and it has been known for a long time that this ultrasonic wave is used to remove dirt adhering to the inner wall surface of a pipe.

However, for example, building piping, boilers, refrigerators, etc.
The pipes used in heat exchangers, etc. are extremely long and winding in a complicated manner, so in order to remove dirt adhering to the inner walls of these pipes using ultrasonic waves, it is necessary to generate ultrasonic vibrations. It was not enough just to place the vessels in one place; the effect could not be achieved unless they were placed in multiple places at appropriate intervals.

In addition, in a conventional pipe cleaning device using this type of ultrasonic waves, the ultrasonic output from an ultrasonic generator is applied from the outside of the pipe, penetrates the wall of the pipe, and reaches the inside of the pipe. The purpose was to remove dirt inside the pipe.

Therefore, the cleaning effect is limited to the vicinity where the ultrasonic vibration generator is installed, and does not extend far from the area where the ultrasonic vibration generator is installed.

Moreover, there is a problem in that the ultrasonic energy for cleaning is greatly attenuated while passing through the pipe.

Therefore, as mentioned above, when using ultrasonic waves to clean the inside of a pipe in the past, ultrasonic vibration generators had to be installed at multiple locations at appropriate intervals.

However, in the case of piping in buildings, for example, there are many buried parts of the pipes, so it is not realistic to place multiple ultrasonic vibration generators at intervals to ensure even cleaning. It was impossible.

In addition, since pipes for boilers, refrigerators, heat exchangers, etc. are generally very intricately arranged, multiple ultrasonic vibration generators are installed at intervals along the entire length of these pipes. In reality, it was impossible to do so.

As described above, there have been devices that use ultrasonic waves to clean the inside of pipes, but the pipes to which this can be applied are rather special pipes, at least those in buildings, boilers, refrigerators, heat exchangers, etc. It was unable to function satisfactorily for cleaning the inside of pipes such as exchangers.

This idea was created in view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and its purpose is to have a simple structure, easy to carry and handle, and to eliminate the risk of damaging the pipe to be cleaned. It is highly effective, especially in removing deposits and deposits from the inner walls of pipes, and is also capable of removing rust and sterilizing the inside of pipes. Moreover, the cleaning work is done through the opening at one end of the pipe. To provide an ultrasonic pipe cleaning device which can effectively spread the cleaning effect over a long range deep inside the pipe.

In order to achieve the above object, this invention includes an ultrasonic transducer and a structure that is coupled to the ultrasonic transducer so that the acoustic energy emitted from the transducer is concentrated and radiated in a specific direction. an acoustic horn, a partition wall that partitions a radiation front side and a radiation rear side of the acoustic horn, and a pipe connection part for communicating the front side radiation space of the horn with the interior space of the pipe to be cleaned, and further When the front side radiation space of the horn is communicated with the internal space of the pipe to be cleaned, the orientation direction of the horn coincides with the axial direction of the pipe to be cleaned, and the opening of the pipe to be cleaned is located at the partition wall. ,
The pipe connecting portion is formed to be liquid-tightly closed by the pipe connecting portion and the horn, and the ultrasonic waves concentratedly radiated from the acoustic horn are directed into the pipe through the pipe connecting portion. It is characterized by being made to advance along the axis of.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of this invention will be described based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the pipe cleaning device according to this invention, which first uses an ultrasonic vibrator 1 and the acoustic energy of the ultrasonic waves emitted from this vibrator 1 in a specific direction ( A unidirectional ultrasonic acoustic horn 2 configured to radiate concentratedly in the direction of the arrow), and a radiation front side (in the arrow direction) and a radiation rear side (the transducer 1 side) of the acoustic horn 2. It has a partition wall portion 3 for partitioning, and a pipe connecting portion 5 for communicating the space in front of the horn 2 with the space inside the opening of the pipe 4 to be cleaned.

Here, the ultrasonic vibrator 1 is a magnetostrictive vibrator, and is excited to vibrate by a high frequency magnetic field exemplified by the coil 1a.

A high frequency current from a high frequency power generator 6 is supplied to this coil 1a via an airtight connector 1b and a cable IC.

The high-frequency power generator 6 includes a high-frequency oscillator 6a and a high-frequency power amplifier 6b, and in the embodiment has a frequency of approximately 28 KHz and 30 KHz.
A high frequency output of 0W is supplied to the vibrator 1.

Then, the acoustic horn 2 is connected to the acoustic horn 2 via the pipe connecting portion 5.
The ultrasonic waves emitted in a concentrated manner are made to travel inside the pipe 4 along the axis of the pipe 4.

That is, the ultrasonic waves emitted in a beam form from the acoustic horn 2 having sharp unidirectionality travel along the axis of the pipe 5 within the pipe 4 as if traveling within a waveguide.

Here, the frequency and power of the ultrasonic waves are not fixed, of course, and are appropriately selected depending on the form of the pipe to be cleaned.

Further, the vibrator 1 does not necessarily have to be of the magnetostrictive type, and may be of the piezoelectric type or other type that generates ultrasonic waves, for example.

The ultrasonic transducer 1 is hermetically housed in a cylindrical casing 7 made of metal.

This casing 7 is provided with a cooling water introduction port) 7a and a cooling water discharge port) 7b, which allow the casing 7 to
The inside is constantly filled with fresh cooling water.

Therefore, the vibrator 1 is immersed in cooling water within the casing 7 and is constantly cooled.

In this case, it is desirable that the vibrator 1 be supported away from the inner wall surface of the casing 7.

The acoustic horn 2 is formed into a conical shape using a material with low internal loss and high elastic modulus and rigidity, and is generally made of a solid metal material.

In the embodiment, one horn 2 is constructed by connecting two horn portions 21 and 2b in series, and as a result, even sharper directivity characteristics can be obtained.

Further, a disk-shaped vibrating body 2d is attached to the tip of the horn 2 so that the ultrasonic waves can be concentrated and radiated forward (in the direction of the arrow).

At this time, the disc-shaped vibrating body 2d functions as if it were a waveguide.

In the embodiment, the horn 2b and the disc-shaped vibrating body 2d are each detachably attached by a connection mechanism using a screw or the like.

Then, it can be replaced depending on the condition of the pipe 4 to be cleaned or the wavelength of the ultrasonic waves to be emitted.

Moreover, by exchanging them, it is also possible to select the optimum radiation conditions.

For example, the disc-shaped vibrating body 2d may be changed from a flat shape as shown in the figure to a concave lens-shaped or convex lens-shaped front side surface, so that the ultrasonic radiation beam can be adapted to a small-diameter pipe to be cleaned. can be converged.

In the embodiment, the partition wall 3 is integrally formed at the front end of the container 7.

As shown in the figure, a through hole 3a is formed in the center of the partition wall 3, into which the outer periphery of the horn 2 is tightly fitted.

The horn 2 is further fixed to the partition wall 3 by welding, with its outer periphery fitted into the through hole 3a of the partition wall.

Thereby, the front side (arrow direction side) and the rear side of the horn 2 are tightly partitioned both mechanically and acoustically.

Further, the vibration system of the horn 2 and the vibrator 1 connected to the rear end surface of the horn 2 is acoustically supported in a floating manner by the partition wall 3 .

The support position of the vibration system by the partition wall 3 is determined by the horn 2
The point is to select a position where the vibration amplitude at the tip surface of the tip is maximized.

That is, the supporting position or the acoustic length of the horn 2 is set so that the peak of vibration is located on the tip surface, and the support by the partition wall 3 becomes a node of vibration.

As a result, the acoustic energy of the ultrasonic wave from the transducer 1 is efficiently concentrated and directed to a predetermined direction without being attenuated or reflected during the propagation path. It will be radiated in the direction.

Next, regarding the pipe connecting portion 5, in the embodiment, a flange portion is integrally formed at the front end of the casing 7 in the outer circumferential extension direction of the partition wall portion 3, and screw through holes 5a are formed at appropriate intervals. The pipe connecting portion 5 is constituted by providing this.

When this pipe connecting portion 5 is connected to the open end of the pipe to be cleaned 4 as shown in the figure, the orientation direction of the horn 2 coincides with the axial direction of the pipe to be cleaned 4, and the direction of the horn 2 coincides with the axial direction of the pipe to be cleaned 4. The opening portion is the partition wall portion 3. It is closed by the pipe connecting portion 5 and the horn 2.

In the embodiment, flange joints 8a and 8 are provided at both ends between the pipe connecting part 5 and the pipe to be cleaned 4, respectively.
An intermediate joint pipe 8 having a diameter of 1.a is interposed, but this is because when the pipe 4 to be cleaned is bent near its opening, the tip of the horn 2 may come into contact with the inner wall surface of the pipe 4. It plays a role in preventing this from happening.

Therefore, if the vicinity of the opening end of the pipe to be cleaned 4 is straight and the inner diameter is uniform, the intermediate joint pipe 8 may be omitted, and the diameter of the pipe to be cleaned 4 is equal to the diameter of the pipe joint part 5.
If the diameter does not match the mounting diameter of the pipe, use a joint pipe 9a or 9b for connecting pipes of different diameters as shown in FIG. 2a or the same figure.

Now, how to use the ultrasonic pipe cleaning device configured as described above, first, as shown in Figure 1,
It is connected to the end opening of the pipe 4 to be cleaned.

At this time, the inside of the pipe 4 to be cleaned is filled with a liquid such as water, and if necessary, a cleaning agent such as detergent is added thereto.

Then, the ultrasonic generator 6 is operated to radiate ultrasonic waves from the tip of the horn 2 into the pipe 4 to be cleaned, concentrated in the axial direction of the pipe 4.

Then, the ultrasonic waves travel inside the pipe to be cleaned 4 while being guided by the pipe, and as they progress in this way, the deposits and deposits inside the pipe 4 are peeled off and removed by the ultrasonic vibrations.

As a result, the inside of the pipe 4 is cleaned, but what should be noted here is that the device described above concentrates ultrasonic waves into the pipe 4 to be cleaned along the axial direction from the end of the pipe. When the ultrasonic waves are radiated in a specific manner, the ultrasonic waves travel for a long time deep inside the pipe 4 as if traveling through a waveguide, and as a result, even if the pipe 4 to be cleaned is complicatedly bent in the middle, Moreover, even if the piping is long, every corner can be efficiently cleaned by ultrasonic waves.

Therefore, it becomes possible to easily clean not only pipes inside a building but also pipes such as baths, boilers, refrigerators, heat exchangers, etc., which were difficult to clean in the past.

Further, as described above, since the ultrasonic waves propagate efficiently inside the pipe as if they were traveling inside a waveguide, the ultrasonic waves have a strong cleaning power and can even remove rust from inside the pipe.

Moreover, in such a case, the fallen rust etc. can be neatly dissolved or dispersed in the water or liquid inside the pipe 4 to be cleaned by ultrasonic vibration,
It will also be very easy to remove them.

Furthermore, in addition to rust and the like, living things such as bacteria that have adhered or settled inside the pipe 4 can also be easily removed in the same way.

In particular, bacteria are sterilized by ultrasonic vibration, and therefore the inside of the pipe 4 can also be disinfected.

And, unlike conventional devices, this device is not a large-scale device that pumps water, air, etc. under high pressure.
As mentioned above, it is small and has a simple structure, and it is also easy to carry and handle, and the pipe to be cleaned can be efficiently cleaned without damaging the pipe by holding it in its installed state.

In addition, when using this device, the pipe connecting portion 5
It is only necessary to connect it to the opening at the end of the pipe 5 to be cleaned, and there is no need to install a device in the middle of the pipe 5. Therefore, for example, the piping or pipes of a building with many buried parts can be complicated and complicated. It can be easily used even in places where there is no room to install a cleaning device in the middle of the installation.

As mentioned above, the cleaning effect can be extended over a very long distance because the ultrasonic waves travel deep inside the pipe 5 as if they were traveling inside a waveguide, and this allows the cleaning effect to be applied over a very long distance to the end of the pipe. Just install it in one place,
This makes it possible to clean almost the entire length of the pipe.

In addition, since the wave such as ultrasonic wave propagates selectively depending on the length of its wavelength, the pipe to be cleaned 4
While the dirt and the like along the inner surface of the seal can be removed cleanly, there is no fear that it will enter the gap between the joint or the seal and impair the sealing effect in that area.

As described above, the ultrasonic pipe cleaning device according to this invention has a simple configuration, is easy to carry and handle, has no risk of damaging the pipe to be cleaned, and has an excellent cleaning effect, especially on the inner wall surface of the pipe. Adherence and deposits can also be removed efficiently.

Furthermore, when cleaning, it is only necessary to attach the above-mentioned device to the end of the pipe to be cleaned.For example, it is necessary to attach the device to the end of the pipe to be cleaned. Even in places where it is difficult to install the pipe, it is possible to clean the pipe over a long distance from the end to the inside of the pipe.

At this time, the ultrasonic energy can travel from the opening at the end of the pipe to be cleaned through the pipe as if it were traveling in a waveguide, so the attenuation of the ultrasonic energy is small, which makes it relatively The inside of a long pipe can be cleaned all at once using low-output ultrasonic energy.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of this invention, Figure 2a,
1) is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of connection with a pipe to be cleaned. 1... Ultrasonic vibrator, 2... Acoustic horn, 3... Partition wall, 4... Pipe to be cleaned, 5... Pipe connection part, 6... High frequency power generator, 1a... Coil, 1b...
...Airtight connector, 1C...Cable, 7.
...Casing, 7a... Cooling water introduction port, 7b... Cooling water outlet port, 2a, 2b
...Horn part, 2d...Disc-shaped vibrating body.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] an ultrasonic transducer; an acoustic horn coupled to the ultrasonic transducer and configured to concentrate and radiate acoustic energy emitted from the transducer in a specific direction; and a radiation front side of the acoustic horn. and a pipe connecting portion for communicating the front radiation space of the horn with the interior space of the pipe to be cleaned, and the front radiation space of the horn communicates with the interior space of the pipe to be cleaned. when the horn is in communication with the pipe, the orientation direction of the horn matches the axial direction of the pipe to be cleaned, and the opening of the pipe to be cleaned is liquid-tightly closed by the partition wall, the pipe connecting portion, and the horn. The pipe connecting portion is formed such that the ultrasonic waves concentratedly radiated from the acoustic horn are made to travel inside the pipe along the axis of the pipe through the pipe connecting portion. Ultrasonic pipe cleaning equipment.