WO1992008091A1 - Apparatus for projecting devices through the tubes of heat transfer units in an on-line condition - Google Patents
Apparatus for projecting devices through the tubes of heat transfer units in an on-line condition Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO1992008091A1 WO1992008091A1 PCT/AU1991/000505 AU9100505W WO9208091A1 WO 1992008091 A1 WO1992008091 A1 WO 1992008091A1 AU 9100505 W AU9100505 W AU 9100505W WO 9208091 A1 WO9208091 A1 WO 9208091A1
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- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- heat transfer
- transfer unit
- iance
- tubes
- flexible
- Prior art date
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Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
- F28G—CLEANING OF INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL SURFACES OF HEAT-EXCHANGE OR HEAT-TRANSFER CONDUITS, e.g. WATER TUBES OR BOILERS
- F28G15/00—Details
- F28G15/04—Feeding and driving arrangements, e.g. power operation
Definitions
- the present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for cleaning or surveying (inspecting) tubes of heat transfer units or the like without the need of taking such units out of service.
- Patent Co-Operation Treaty Application No. PCT/AU90/00126 discloses an apparatus for projecting devices through tubes and conduits, said projection apparatus comprising a drum captured within a cage of axially disposed rollers and provided with a spiral groove formed on its outer surface, said drum being rotatable by drive means to extend from or retract back into said groove a cleaning lance, umbilical cable for a survey unit or the like, said drum being axially displaced during rotation to maintain the point at which said lance, umbilical cable or the like exits from or re-enters said groove in alignment with a tangentially arranged guide tube. Subsequently, said arrangement of said projection apparatus has been modified as described in an Australian Provisional Patent Application No.
- PK 3105 filed on the 31st October, 1990, to maintain said drum during rotation in a fixed axial relationship with said roller cage and to move the guide tube to maintain it in alignment with the point at which said lance, umbilical cable or the like exits from or re-enters said groove in said drum.
- the subject matter of the aforesaid Patent Application is incorporated herein by this reference thereto.
- Typical heat transfer units are heat exchangers and surface condensers and typical purposes are the removal of fouling material from the inner walls of tubes or surveying of the condition of tubes using ultra- sonic or eddy current methods.
- the Superscrubber system provides captive brushes in each tube of a heat transfer unit, the brushes being dislodged from a cage at the upstream end of each tube and carried through the tubes by normal flow to another cage at the downstream end. Periodically, flow through the tubes is reversed to return the brushes to the upstream end of the tubes.
- the Superscrubber system is also expensive to install. Additionally, it suffers from wear of its brushes and fouling frequently results in brushes becoming fixed in their tubes, neither defect being rectifiable without withdrawing a heat transfer unit from service.
- the present invention aims to provide a means of projecting cleaning or surveying devices through tubes of multi-tube industrial heat transfer units without the necessity to shut such units down or withdraw them from operation. It is a further preferred objective that the means for achieving the foregoing be simple and inexpensive and relatively insensitive to temperature and that the projection apparatus be removable from a heat transfer unit without the necessity to withdraw it from service.
- apparatus for projecting a flexible lance selectably through a tube forming one of an array of said tubes in a heat transfer unit while said heat transfer unit remains in service, said apparatus comprising storage means for said lance whereby said lance is extended from or withdrawn back to said storage means, guide means extending from said storage means through which said lance moves during extension or withdrawal, positioning means connected to a distal end of said guide means to position said distal end selectably in line with the tube through which the lance is to be projected, said apparatus being characterised in that at least said positioning means and at least a first portion of said guide means is located within a header space of said heat transfer unit, said portion of the guide means located within said heat transfer unit including at least one flexible zone.
- the storage means and a second portion of said guide means is located within a substantially sealed housing, communication means being provided adapted to be connected to the header space of said heat transfer unit to allow fluid within said space to circulate through said substantially sealed housing.
- apparatus adapted to permit a flexible lance to be projected through a tube forming one of an array of said tubes in a heat transfer unit while said heat transfer unit remains in service, said heat transfer unit having a header space adjacent open ends of the tubes in said array, a guide means in said header space leading from an access opening into said header space to a position adjacent said open ends of the tubes in the array, and positioning means to position an end of said guide means selectably in line with a said tube
- said apparatus comprising storage means for said lance whereby said lance is extended from or retracted to said storage means, a guide tube leading from said storage means through which said lance moves during extension or withdrawal and connection means permitting said guide tube to communicate with said guide means of the heat transfer unit when in use, said apparatus being characterised in that said storage means and at least a portion of said guide tube are located in a substantially sealed housing and fluid communication means is provided to enable fluid from said header space to be circulated through said substantially sealed housing.
- the present invention provides a method enabling projection of a flexible lance selectably through a tube forming one of an array of said tubes in a heat transfer unit while said heat transfer unit remains in service, said method comprising providing said flexible lance on a rotatable storage means therefore within a substantially sealed housing, communicating said sealed housing with said heat transfer unit whereby fluid in said heat transfer unit is circulated through said substantially sealed housing, and rotating said storage means to extend said lance therefrom while guiding said lance from said housing to said heat transfer unit and into an open end of a selected said tube in the array of said tubes.
- apparatus might be installed in a number of heat transfer units in a manner permitting each of the units to be periodically connected to a flexible lance mechanism so that the tubes might be cleaned or surveyed as desired on a periodic basis but not necessarily requiring the flexible lance mechanism to be an integral or continuous fixture in the system. That is one portable lance mechanism might be used to service a number of different heat transfer units.
- the present invention also proposes apparatus adapted to permit a flexible lance to be projected through a tube forming one of an array of said tubes in a heat transfer unit while said heat transfer unit remains in service, said apparatus comprising a guide path adapted for location within a header space of the heat transfer unit having a first end arranged adjacent to open ends of said tubes and a second end adapted to communicate through an outer wall of said heat transfer unit, said second end of the guide path being adapted for connection to a device enabling projection of the flexible lance along said guide path, said apparatus including positioning means adapted to be mounted within said header space and operated from a position external of said heat transfer unit to locate said first end of the guide path in alignment selectably with each of said tubes in sequence, and valve means adapted to seal said guide path when a said flexible lance is not being projected therethrough.
- the term ance is used (unless the contrary appears from the context of use) to mean any relatively stiff flexible elongated member, whether hollow or solid and whether it carries any device or not at its distal end.
- the term "heat transfer unit” throughout this specification including the accompanying claims is intended to include any device or unit that includes a plurality of tubes in any array that may need to be cleaned and/or inspected or surveyed. It will of course be appreciated that the aforesaid projection apparatus may include the apparatus disclosed in PCT/AU90/00126 or in the Provisional Australian Patent Application No. PK 3105 filed on the 31st October, 1990.
- the projection apparatus may be housed in a substantially sealed container which is preferably filled with the said fluid as that which circulates through the tubes of the heat transfer unit which it may be associated with. Connections and valves may be provided to conduct said fluid from said heat transfer unit to said sealed container, to vent trapped air from said sealed container and to drain said sealed container.
- An external guide tube which may be made wholly or partly rigid or flexible, connects said sealed container to the casing of said heat transfer unit and a valve is provided in said external guide tube to isolate said sealed container.
- a flexible internal guide tube is provided to connect the end of said external guide tube at said heat transfer unit casing to a support and positioning apparatus provided within the header box or water box of said heat transfer unit.
- the distal end of said flexible internal guide tube is positioned by said support and positioning apparatus sequentially in alignment with the end of each tube to be cleaned or surveyed and said projection apparatus is then activated to extend said Iance, umbilical cable or the like through each tube.
- Said projection apparatus may also be activated to retract said Iance, umbilical cable or the like wholly onto its said drum so that said valve in said external guide tube may be closed, said sealed container drained and opened and said apparatus removed for repair or servicing.
- Said heat transfer unit may be maintained in an on-line condition during all of the procedures detailed.
- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view of said sealed container showing the preferred arrangement of said projection apparatus, ducts, valves and the like.
- drum 1 has a cleaning Iance, umbilical cable of a survey unit or the like (not shown) wound upon it in a spiral groove (not shown) formed on its outer surface, said drum and Iance assembly being enclosed within a cage of axially disposed rollers 2 which serves to support said drum.
- Said drum is driven in a rotational sense by shaft 16 which is connected to suitable drive means (not shown).
- Said rollers of said roller cage are rotationally supported in roller support plates (not shown) positioned at each end of said drum and act to confine said Iance, umbilical cable or the like within said groove and to restrain it from any radial and, therefore, circumferential, movement.
- the whole of said drum and roller assembly is enclosed within sealed container 4, to which said roller support plates are removably fixed.
- Drive means for said drum are preferably positioned within said sealed container or, in alternative embodiments, may be mounted externally and driven through a suitable sealed shaft arrangement.
- Said sealed container may be opened to provide access to said drum and roller assembly by removal of sealingly fixed panels (not shown).
- Said drum is rotated to extend said Iance, umbilical cable or the like out from said groove formed on its outer surface, through tangentially arranged initial guide tube 3, external guide tube 5 and isolation valve 7 to heat transfer unit casing 6 where it passes to a flexible internal guide tube (not shown).
- said initial guide tube is made flexible, terminating at said drum in terminal block 17 which is slideably supported upon axially disposed rails (not shown) and axially displaced during rotation of said drum.
- said sealed container is provided with a localised extension 19, to a boss 18 on which said external guide tube is attached.
- said terminal block and said localised extension of said sealed container are dispensed with and said initial guide tube is made rigid.
- Connections 8 and valve 9 are provided to supply fluid from said heat transfer unit casing to said sealed container. Said connections and valve may alternatively be used to fill said sealed container with water or other fluid from another source. Vent line 12 and valve 13 are provided to vent air or gas from said sealed container. Drain line 10 and valve 11 are provided to drain said sealed container of liquid. Upper and lower surfaces of said sealed container are made generally conical or pyramidal to facilitate drainage of liquid and venting of air or gas.
- Support and positioning means are provided within the header box or water box of said heat transfer unit adjacent its tube array.
- said support and positioning means take the form of a portal frame robot or a radial arm rotationally supported on the axis of a tube bundle and along which secondary positioning means may be moved.
- Said drum and said support and positioning means incorporate, respectively, rotational and position sensing means (not shown) to provide feedback to a control unit (not shown) by means of which cleaning or survey functions are controlled.
- Drive means (not shown) for said support and positioning means are preferably mounted within the casing of a heat transfer unit or, in alternative embodiments, may be mounted externally and driven through suitably sealed shafts, cables or the like.
- valves 7 and 9 said sealed container 4 is opened by removal of said removable panels and said drum and roller assembly is installed. Said panels are then sealably replaced, valve 11 closed and valves 9 and 13 opened to fill said sealed container. With valve 13 still open, valve 7 is opened to purge air from said internal, external and initial guide tubes back into said sealed container. Said drum is then rotated repeatedly in opposite directions through at least 180° to dislodge entrapped air which is vented through valve 13 prior to its closure. Automated cleaning or surveying is then initiated, during which said drum is rotated to extend said Iance, umbilical cable or the like out through said initial and external guide tubes to the distal end of said internal guide tube.
- said drum With said distal end of said internal guide tube aligned with a tube to be cleaned by said support and positioning means, said drum is rotated further to extend said Iance, umbilical cable or the like through the length of said tube at a pre-set speed and then retract it back to the distal end of said internal guide tube. The distal end of said internal guide tube is then repositioned by said support and positioning means in alignment with the next tube to be cleaned and the process repeated.
- said drum is rotated to retract said Iance, umbilical cable or the like fully back into said groove formed on the outer surface of said drum and valves 7 and 9 are closed. Valves 13 and 11 are then opened to drain said sealed container, following which said sealed container is opened by removal of said removable panels.
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- Heat-Exchange Devices With Radiators And Conduit Assemblies (AREA)
Abstract
Apparatus for projecting a flexible lance selectably through a tube forming one of an array of said tubes in a heat transfer unit (6) while said heat transfer unit (6) remains in service, said apparatus comprising storage means (1) for said lance whereby said lance is extended from or withdrawn back to said storage means (1), guide means (3, 5) extending from said storage means (1) through which said lance moves during extension or withdrawal, positioning means connected to a distal end of said guide means to position said distal end selectably in line with the tube through which the lance is to be projected, said apparatus being characterised in that at least said positioning means and at least a portion of said guide means is located within a header space of said heat transfer unit (6), said portion of the guide means located within said heat transfer unit including at least one flexible zone, and that the said storage means (1) and a second portion of said guide means is located within a substantially sealed housing (4), and fluid communication means (9) is provided to enable fluid from said header space to be circulated through said substantially sealed housing (4).
Description
APPARATUS FOR PROJECTING DEVICES THROUGH THE TUBES OF HEAT TRANSFER UNITS IN AN ON-LINE CONDITION The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for cleaning or surveying (inspecting) tubes of heat transfer units or the like without the need of taking such units out of service.
Patent Co-Operation Treaty Application No. PCT/AU90/00126 discloses an apparatus for projecting devices through tubes and conduits, said projection apparatus comprising a drum captured within a cage of axially disposed rollers and provided with a spiral groove formed on its outer surface, said drum being rotatable by drive means to extend from or retract back into said groove a cleaning lance, umbilical cable for a survey unit or the like, said drum being axially displaced during rotation to maintain the point at which said lance, umbilical cable or the like exits from or re-enters said groove in alignment with a tangentially arranged guide tube. Subsequently, said arrangement of said projection apparatus has been modified as described in an Australian Provisional Patent Application No. PK 3105 filed on the 31st October, 1990, to maintain said drum during rotation in a fixed axial relationship with said roller cage and to move the guide tube to maintain it in alignment with the point at which said lance, umbilical cable or the like exits from or re-enters said groove in said drum. The subject matter of the aforesaid Patent Application is incorporated herein by this reference thereto. Many situations exist where it is desirable to be able to project devices for various purposes through the tubes of multi-tube industrial heat transfer units whilst they are maintained in an on-line condition. Typical heat transfer units are heat exchangers and surface condensers and typical purposes are the removal of fouling material from the inner walls of tubes or surveying of the condition of tubes using ultra- sonic or eddy current methods. To perform the functions named, it is usual to shut down plant associated with a heat transfer unit, as a result of which there is a concomitant loss of productive output which may represent a heavy cost to the plant operator. It is thus highly desirable that functions associated with the cleaning or surveying of tubes be performed whilst ^eat transfer units are maintained in an on-line condition. Although no method is known of surveying tubes in heat transfer units whilst they are on-line, several methods exist for the cleaning of tubes in heat transfer units during their operation. The two most notable are the Taprogge System, developed by the company of the same name, and the Superscrubber system developed by Water Services of America, both of which are well known in the art. In the Taprogge system, the use of which is confined to maintaining the inner surfaces of tubes in surface condensers in a clean condition, balls of a sponge material are introduced into the incoming water flow and allowed to pass through the tubes. Each tube is wiped out in this way, on average,
every five minutes. Abrasive balls may be used initially to remove a consolidated fouling deposit. In practice, difficulty is experienced in achieving a truly random dispersion of balls throughout a tube array, and balls must be replaced on a regular basis due to wear. The Taprogge system is complex and expensive to install. Its use is limited to relatively low temperature applications and situations in which the medium in which the balls are suspended will not contaminate them.
The Superscrubber system provides captive brushes in each tube of a heat transfer unit, the brushes being dislodged from a cage at the upstream end of each tube and carried through the tubes by normal flow to another cage at the downstream end. Periodically, flow through the tubes is reversed to return the brushes to the upstream end of the tubes. Although not so temperature limited as the Taprogge system, the Superscrubber system is also expensive to install. Additionally, it suffers from wear of its brushes and fouling frequently results in brushes becoming fixed in their tubes, neither defect being rectifiable without withdrawing a heat transfer unit from service. The present invention aims to provide a means of projecting cleaning or surveying devices through tubes of multi-tube industrial heat transfer units without the necessity to shut such units down or withdraw them from operation. It is a further preferred objective that the means for achieving the foregoing be simple and inexpensive and relatively insensitive to temperature and that the projection apparatus be removable from a heat transfer unit without the necessity to withdraw it from service.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided apparatus for projecting a flexible lance selectably through a tube forming one of an array of said tubes in a heat transfer unit while said heat transfer unit remains in service, said apparatus comprising storage means for said lance whereby said lance is extended from or withdrawn back to said storage means, guide means extending from said storage means through which said lance moves during extension or withdrawal, positioning means connected to a distal end of said guide means to position said distal end selectably in line with the tube through which the lance is to be projected, said apparatus being characterised in that at least said positioning means and at least a first portion of said guide means is located within a header space of said heat transfer unit, said portion of the guide means located within said heat transfer unit including at least one flexible zone. Conveniently, the storage means and a second portion of said guide means is located within a substantially sealed housing, communication means being provided adapted to be connected to the header space of said heat transfer unit to allow fluid within said space to circulate through said substantially sealed housing.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided apparatus adapted to permit a flexible lance to be projected through a tube forming one of
an array of said tubes in a heat transfer unit while said heat transfer unit remains in service, said heat transfer unit having a header space adjacent open ends of the tubes in said array, a guide means in said header space leading from an access opening into said header space to a position adjacent said open ends of the tubes in the array, and positioning means to position an end of said guide means selectably in line with a said tube, said apparatus comprising storage means for said lance whereby said lance is extended from or retracted to said storage means, a guide tube leading from said storage means through which said lance moves during extension or withdrawal and connection means permitting said guide tube to communicate with said guide means of the heat transfer unit when in use, said apparatus being characterised in that said storage means and at least a portion of said guide tube are located in a substantially sealed housing and fluid communication means is provided to enable fluid from said header space to be circulated through said substantially sealed housing.
According to a still further aspect, the present invention provides a method enabling projection of a flexible lance selectably through a tube forming one of an array of said tubes in a heat transfer unit while said heat transfer unit remains in service, said method comprising providing said flexible lance on a rotatable storage means therefore within a substantially sealed housing, communicating said sealed housing with said heat transfer unit whereby fluid in said heat transfer unit is circulated through said substantially sealed housing, and rotating said storage means to extend said lance therefrom while guiding said lance from said housing to said heat transfer unit and into an open end of a selected said tube in the array of said tubes.
In one particularly preferred aspect, apparatus according to the present invention might be installed in a number of heat transfer units in a manner permitting each of the units to be periodically connected to a flexible lance mechanism so that the tubes might be cleaned or surveyed as desired on a periodic basis but not necessarily requiring the flexible lance mechanism to be an integral or continuous fixture in the system. That is one portable lance mechanism might be used to service a number of different heat transfer units. In accordance with this proposal, the present invention also proposes apparatus adapted to permit a flexible lance to be projected through a tube forming one of an array of said tubes in a heat transfer unit while said heat transfer unit remains in service, said apparatus comprising a guide path adapted for location within a header space of the heat transfer unit having a first end arranged adjacent to open ends of said tubes and a second end adapted to communicate through an outer wall of said heat transfer unit, said second end of the guide path being adapted for connection to a device enabling projection of the flexible lance along said guide path, said apparatus including positioning means adapted to
be mounted within said header space and operated from a position external of said heat transfer unit to locate said first end of the guide path in alignment selectably with each of said tubes in sequence, and valve means adapted to seal said guide path when a said flexible lance is not being projected therethrough. Throughout the specification including the accompanying claims, the term ance" is used (unless the contrary appears from the context of use) to mean any relatively stiff flexible elongated member, whether hollow or solid and whether it carries any device or not at its distal end. The term "heat transfer unit" throughout this specification including the accompanying claims is intended to include any device or unit that includes a plurality of tubes in any array that may need to be cleaned and/or inspected or surveyed. It will of course be appreciated that the aforesaid projection apparatus may include the apparatus disclosed in PCT/AU90/00126 or in the Provisional Australian Patent Application No. PK 3105 filed on the 31st October, 1990.
Conveniently, the projection apparatus may be housed in a substantially sealed container which is preferably filled with the said fluid as that which circulates through the tubes of the heat transfer unit which it may be associated with. Connections and valves may be provided to conduct said fluid from said heat transfer unit to said sealed container, to vent trapped air from said sealed container and to drain said sealed container. An external guide tube, which may be made wholly or partly rigid or flexible, connects said sealed container to the casing of said heat transfer unit and a valve is provided in said external guide tube to isolate said sealed container. A flexible internal guide tube is provided to connect the end of said external guide tube at said heat transfer unit casing to a support and positioning apparatus provided within the header box or water box of said heat transfer unit. The distal end of said flexible internal guide tube is positioned by said support and positioning apparatus sequentially in alignment with the end of each tube to be cleaned or surveyed and said projection apparatus is then activated to extend said Iance, umbilical cable or the like through each tube. Said projection apparatus may also be activated to retract said Iance, umbilical cable or the like wholly onto its said drum so that said valve in said external guide tube may be closed, said sealed container drained and opened and said apparatus removed for repair or servicing. Said heat transfer unit may be maintained in an on-line condition during all of the procedures detailed.
The nature of the present invention and its aspects will be more readily understood by reference to the following brief description of the accompanying drawings and the explanatory text relating thereto. In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view of said sealed container showing the preferred arrangement of said projection apparatus, ducts, valves and the like.
With reference to Figure 1 , drum 1 has a cleaning Iance, umbilical cable of a survey unit or the like (not shown) wound upon it in a spiral groove (not shown) formed on its outer surface, said drum and Iance assembly being enclosed within a cage of axially disposed rollers 2 which serves to support said drum. Said drum is driven in a rotational sense by shaft 16 which is connected to suitable drive means (not shown). Said rollers of said roller cage are rotationally supported in roller support plates (not shown) positioned at each end of said drum and act to confine said Iance, umbilical cable or the like within said groove and to restrain it from any radial and, therefore, circumferential, movement. The whole of said drum and roller assembly is enclosed within sealed container 4, to which said roller support plates are removably fixed. Drive means for said drum are preferably positioned within said sealed container or, in alternative embodiments, may be mounted externally and driven through a suitable sealed shaft arrangement. Said sealed container may be opened to provide access to said drum and roller assembly by removal of sealingly fixed panels (not shown).
Said drum is rotated to extend said Iance, umbilical cable or the like out from said groove formed on its outer surface, through tangentially arranged initial guide tube 3, external guide tube 5 and isolation valve 7 to heat transfer unit casing 6 where it passes to a flexible internal guide tube (not shown). Where said drum is maintained during rotation in a fixed axial relationship with said roller cage, said initial guide tube is made flexible, terminating at said drum in terminal block 17 which is slideably supported upon axially disposed rails (not shown) and axially displaced during rotation of said drum. To provide space for flexing of said initial guide tube during axial movement of said terminal block, said sealed container is provided with a localised extension 19, to a boss 18 on which said external guide tube is attached. Where said drum is axially displaced during rotation, said terminal block and said localised extension of said sealed container are dispensed with and said initial guide tube is made rigid.
Connections 8 and valve 9 are provided to supply fluid from said heat transfer unit casing to said sealed container. Said connections and valve may alternatively be used to fill said sealed container with water or other fluid from another source. Vent line 12 and valve 13 are provided to vent air or gas from said sealed container. Drain line 10 and valve 11 are provided to drain said sealed container of liquid. Upper and lower surfaces of said sealed container are made generally conical or pyramidal to facilitate drainage of liquid and venting of air or gas.
Support and positioning means (not shown) are provided within the header box or water box of said heat transfer unit adjacent its tube array. Preferably, said support and
positioning means take the form of a portal frame robot or a radial arm rotationally supported on the axis of a tube bundle and along which secondary positioning means may be moved. Said drum and said support and positioning means incorporate, respectively, rotational and position sensing means (not shown) to provide feedback to a control unit (not shown) by means of which cleaning or survey functions are controlled. Drive means (not shown) for said support and positioning means are preferably mounted within the casing of a heat transfer unit or, in alternative embodiments, may be mounted externally and driven through suitably sealed shafts, cables or the like.
In operation, with valves 7 and 9 closed, said sealed container 4 is opened by removal of said removable panels and said drum and roller assembly is installed. Said panels are then sealably replaced, valve 11 closed and valves 9 and 13 opened to fill said sealed container. With valve 13 still open, valve 7 is opened to purge air from said internal, external and initial guide tubes back into said sealed container. Said drum is then rotated repeatedly in opposite directions through at least 180° to dislodge entrapped air which is vented through valve 13 prior to its closure. Automated cleaning or surveying is then initiated, during which said drum is rotated to extend said Iance, umbilical cable or the like out through said initial and external guide tubes to the distal end of said internal guide tube. With said distal end of said internal guide tube aligned with a tube to be cleaned by said support and positioning means, said drum is rotated further to extend said Iance, umbilical cable or the like through the length of said tube at a pre-set speed and then retract it back to the distal end of said internal guide tube. The distal end of said internal guide tube is then repositioned by said support and positioning means in alignment with the next tube to be cleaned and the process repeated.
To remove said drum and roller assembly from said sealed container, said drum is rotated to retract said Iance, umbilical cable or the like fully back into said groove formed on the outer surface of said drum and valves 7 and 9 are closed. Valves 13 and 11 are then opened to drain said sealed container, following which said sealed container is opened by removal of said removable panels.
Claims
1 . Apparatus for projecting a flexible Iance selectably through a tube forming one of an array of said tubes in a heat transfer unit while said heat transfer unit remains in service, said apparatus comprising storage means for said Iance whereby said Iance is extended from or withdrawn back to said storage means, guide means extending from said storage means through which said Iance moves during extension or withdrawal, positioning means connected to a distal end of said guide means to position said distal end selectably in line with the tube through which the Iance is to be projected, said apparatus being characterised in that at least said positioning means and at least a first portion of said guide means is located within a header space of said heat transfer unit, said portion of the guide means iocated within said heat transfer unit including at least one flexible zone.
2. Apparatus according to Claim 1 , characterised in that storage means and a second portion of said guide means is Iocated within a substantially sealed housing, communication means being provided adapted to be connected to the header space of said heat transfer unit to allow fluid within said space to circulate through said substantially sealed housing.
3. Apparatus according to Claim 2, characterised in that said communication means comprises at least one passage adapted for fluid connection to said header space and to said housing, the or each said passage including an isolation valve adapted to be open to permit fluid flow or closed to prevent fluid flow through the passage.
4. Apparatus according to Claim 3, characterised in that at least one said passage comprises a third portion of said guide means extending between said housing and the header space of said heat transfer unit.
5. A heat transfer unit comprising an outer wall, an array of tubes having open ends leading to a header space and apparatus for projecting a flexible Iance through each of said tubes in sequence, said heat transfer unit including a guide path iocated within said header space having a first end Iocated adjacent the open ends of said tubes and a second end communicating through the outer wall of the heat transfer unit, positioning means being mounted in said header space and adapted for operation from a position external of said heat transfer unit to locate the first end of the guide path in alignment selectably with each of said tubes in sequence, the second end of said guide path being connected to Iance control apparatus, storing said flexible Iance and adapted to project said flexible Iance therefrom along said guide path.
6. Apparatus adapted to permit a flexible Iance to be projected through a tube forming one of an array of said tubes in a heat transfer unit while said heat transfer unit remains in service, said heat transfer unit having a header space adjacent open ends of the tubes in said array, a guide means in said header space leading from an access opening into said header space to a position adjacent said open ends of the tubes in the array, and positioning means to position an end of said guide means selectably in line with a said tube, said apparatus comprising storage means for said iance whereby said Iance is extended from or retracted back to said storage means, a guide tube leading from said storage means through which said Iance moves during extension or withdrawal and connection means permitting said guide tube to communicate with said guide means of the heat transfer unit when in use, said apparatus being characterised in that said storage means and at least a portion of said guide tube are Iocated in a substantially sealed housing and fluid communication means is provided to enable fluid from said header space to be circulated through said substantially sealed housing.
7. A method enabling projection of a flexible Iance selectably through a tube forming one of an array of said tubes in a heat transfer unit while said heat transfer unit remains in service, said method comprising providing said flexible Iance on a rotatable storage means therefore within a substantially sealed housing, communicating said sealed housing with said heat transfer unit whereby fluid in said heat transfer unit is circulated through said substantially sealed housing, and rotating said storage means to extend said Iance therefrom while guiding said Iance from said housing to said heat transfer unit and into an open end of a selected said tube in the array of said tubes.
8. Apparatus adapted to permit a flexible Iance to be projected through a tube forming one of an array of said tubes in a heat transfer unit while said heat transfer unit remains in service, said apparatus comprising a guide path adapted for location within a header space of the heat transfer unit having a first end arranged adjacent to open ends of said tubes and a second end adapted to communicate through an outer wall of said heat transfer unit, said second end of the guide path being adapted for connection to a device enabling projection of the flexible Iance along said guide path, said apparatus including positioning means adapted to be mounted within said header space and operated from a position external of said heat transfer unit to locate said first end of the guide path in alignment selectably with each of said tubes in sequence, and valve means adapted to seal said guide path when a said flexible Iance is not being projected therethrough.
9. A heat transfer unit comprising an outer wall, an array of tubes having open ends leading to a header space and apparatus adapted to permit a flexible -lance to be projected through each of said tubes in sequence while said heat transfer unit remains in service, said heat transfer unit including a guide path Iocated within said header space having a first end Iocated adjacent said open ends of the tubes and a second end communicating through the outer wall of said heat transfer unit, said second end of the guide path being adapted for connection to a device enabling projection of a said flexible Iance along said guide path, positioning means being mounted in said header space and adapted for operation from a position external of said heat transfer unit to locate said first end of the guide path in alignment selectably with each of said tubes in sequence, and valve means adapted to seal said guide path when a said flexible iance is not being projected therethrough whereby fluid is maintained within said heat transfer unit.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUPK3104 | 1990-10-31 | ||
| AUPK310490 | 1990-10-31 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| WO1992008091A1 true WO1992008091A1 (en) | 1992-05-14 |
Family
ID=3775043
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/AU1991/000505 WO1992008091A1 (en) | 1990-10-31 | 1991-10-31 | Apparatus for projecting devices through the tubes of heat transfer units in an on-line condition |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| WO (1) | WO1992008091A1 (en) |
Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US3585076A (en) * | 1968-08-29 | 1971-06-15 | Rockwell Mfg Co | Conduit cleaning apparatus |
| US4103841A (en) * | 1977-08-26 | 1978-08-01 | Super Products Corporation | Hose reel apparatus |
| US4691723A (en) * | 1984-05-21 | 1987-09-08 | Ernst Schmutz Gmbh | Apparatus for cleaning radioactive tube banks |
| AU5419290A (en) * | 1989-04-13 | 1990-11-05 | Barry Bros. Specialised Services Pty Ltd | Apparatus for mechanically projecting devices through tubes |
-
1991
- 1991-10-31 WO PCT/AU1991/000505 patent/WO1992008091A1/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US3585076A (en) * | 1968-08-29 | 1971-06-15 | Rockwell Mfg Co | Conduit cleaning apparatus |
| US4103841A (en) * | 1977-08-26 | 1978-08-01 | Super Products Corporation | Hose reel apparatus |
| US4691723A (en) * | 1984-05-21 | 1987-09-08 | Ernst Schmutz Gmbh | Apparatus for cleaning radioactive tube banks |
| AU5419290A (en) * | 1989-04-13 | 1990-11-05 | Barry Bros. Specialised Services Pty Ltd | Apparatus for mechanically projecting devices through tubes |
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