An automated cleaning of sediment in a heat exchanger

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of heat exchange equipment, especially to a cold and hot heat exchanger capable of automatically cleaning deposits. The heat exchanger comprises an upper guide rod, a lower guide rod, a fixed pressing plate, a right end plate, a clamping stud, a nut, a pull rope, a U-shaped claw, a heat exchange plate, and a motorized rolling brush, a spray pipe and a moving assembly. The fixed pressing plate and the right end plate are fixed by the clamping stud and the nut. The heat exchange plate is fixed between the fixed pressing plate and the right end plate by the pull rope and the U-shaped claw. The upper guide rod and the lower guide rod limit the heat exchange plate. The motorized rolling brush is used to strip the deposits. The spray pipe is used to flush the stripped deposits. The moving assembly drives the first two to move to achieve comprehensive cleaning. The present application does not need to manually disassemble the heat exchange plate, can realize automatic and continuous cleaning of the deposits, improve the cleaning efficiency, reduce the labor intensity and maintenance cost, reduce the equipment wear and tear, and ensure the efficient and stable operation of the heat exchanger.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of heat exchange equipment, and more particularly to a heat exchanger that automatically cleans deposits. Background Technology

[0002] Plate or shell-and-tube heat exchangers are widely used in various industrial sectors, including chemical, food, pharmaceutical, seawater desalination, and wastewater treatment, for heating, cooling, or condensing materials. However, during long-term operation, inorganic ions such as calcium, magnesium, and silicon, or organic impurities in the materials, easily precipitate on the heat exchange surface under changes in temperature, pressure, and flow rate, forming hard deposits (such as scale, crystalline salts, and biofilms). These deposits not only significantly reduce heat transfer efficiency and increase energy consumption but also cause flow channel blockage, increased pressure drop, and in severe cases, even equipment corrosion or operational failures.

[0003] Currently, the removal of deposits inside heat exchangers mainly relies on manual disassembly and cleaning or high-pressure water jet flushing. These methods typically require disassembling the flow channel plates one by one, performing offline flushing, and then reinstalling them into the equipment. The entire process is not only cumbersome and labor-intensive, but repeated disassembly and reassembly can also lead to wear on seals, plate deformation, and even increased risk of leakage. Furthermore, frequent downtime and reassembly significantly reduce equipment operating efficiency and production continuity, especially under conditions of frequent scaling, resulting in short cleaning cycles and high maintenance costs, failing to meet the demands of modern industry for efficient and stable operation. Therefore, existing cleaning methods have significant shortcomings in terms of convenience, efficiency, and equipment reliability. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To overcome the shortcomings of frequent shutdowns and reassemblies during heat exchanger cleaning, which significantly reduce equipment operating efficiency and production continuity, especially under conditions of frequent scaling, resulting in short cleaning cycles, high maintenance costs, and difficulty in meeting the demands of modern industry for efficient and stable operation, the technical problem of this invention is to provide a heat exchanger for automated cleaning of deposits.

[0005] Technical Solution: A heat exchanger for automatically cleaning sediment includes a left base, a right base, a fixed pressure plate, a right end plate, a clamping stud, a nut, a support column, an upper guide rod, a lower guide rod, and a heat exchange plate. The fixed pressure plate is mounted on the left base, and a clamping stud is inserted through the fixed pressure plate. The right end plate slides through the clamping stud, and a nut is threaded onto the right end of the clamping stud to press and fix the right end plate. A support column is detachably mounted on the right base. An upper guide rod and a lower guide rod connect the fixed pressure plate and the support column. A heat exchange plate is engaged between the upper and lower guide rods and is located on the fixed pressure plate. Between the fixed clamping plate and the right end plate, there are also a pull rope, U-shaped claws, a movable plate, a mounting plate, an electric roller brush, a spray pipe, an infusion pipe, and a moving assembly; a pull rope is connected between the fixed clamping plate and the right end plate, and U-shaped claws are evenly spaced on the pull rope; a movable plate is slidably mounted on the clamping stud, and a mounting plate is movably mounted on the movable plate. An electric roller brush for peeling off deposits attached to the heat exchange plate is mounted on the mounting plate; a spray pipe for rinsing off the peeled deposits is also mounted on the mounting plate, and the spray pipe is connected to an infusion pipe; the moving assembly is used to drive the movable plate to move along the clamping stud.

[0006] Preferably, a drive motor is mounted on the movable plate, and mounting plates are slidably inserted into the upper and lower parts of the movable plate. An electric roller brush is connected between the upper and lower mounting plates. A rack is mounted on the mounting plate, and a gear is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor. The gear meshes with the rack for transmission.

[0007] Preferably, the nozzle is installed between two mounting plates, the lower end of the nozzle is connected to an infusion pipe, the inlet end of the infusion pipe is equipped with a booster pump, the booster pump is installed at the end of the mounting plate, the nozzle is parallel to the electric roller brush, and the nozzle is provided with spray holes evenly spaced around its circumference.

[0008] Preferably, it also includes a recycling frame, a filter screen, a filter, and a recycling tube. The recycling frame is slidably installed between the left base and the right base. The filter screen is installed inside the upper frame of the recycling frame. The bottom of the recycling frame has a liquid outlet, and the liquid outlet is connected to the filter. The liquid outlet end of the filter is connected to the recycling tube, and the other end of the recycling tube is connected to the infusion tube.

[0009] Preferably, it also includes an electric guide rail, with the electric guide rail installed parallel to the side of the lower guide rod. The upper and lower edges of the right end plate and the heat exchange plate are slidably engaged with the upper and lower guide rods respectively through snap-fit ​​grooves. At the same time, the right end plate is connected to the moving end of the electric guide rail.

[0010] Preferably, the moving component includes an electric lead screw and a clamping plate. The electric lead screw is mounted on the upper guide rod, and the clamping plate is threaded onto the electric lead screw. The clamping plate is detachably connected to the moving plate.

[0011] Preferably, the pull rope is a chain type, and its length is freely adjustable.

[0012] Preferably, the heat exchange plate includes plates and gaskets, the plates are provided with flow channel holes and flow guide grooves, and the edges of the plates are provided with snap-fit ​​holes for U-shaped claws to hold.

[0013] The present invention has the following advantages: 1. The present invention drives the electric roller brush and the spray pipe to move synchronously through the moving component. The electric roller brush removes the deposits and the spray pipe washes away the impurities. The electric guide rail drives the right end plate to open the heat exchange plate spacing. The entire process does not require manual disassembly of the heat exchange plate, which completely solves the problems of cumbersome operation and high labor intensity of traditional cleaning methods, greatly reduces manual intervention and lowers labor costs.

[0014] 2. Compared to traditional offline cleaning methods, this invention can quickly start the cleaning program after the equipment is shut down, without the need for repeated disassembly and assembly, shortening the cleaning cycle, reducing downtime, and effectively improving the operational continuity of the heat exchanger, thus meeting the needs of modern industrial high-efficiency production. At the same time, the drive motor realizes the telescopic movement of the electric roller brush through gear and rack transmission, and the moving component drives the cleaning parts to move smoothly through electric screw transmission, which can perform comprehensive and uniform cleaning of all heat exchange plates, resulting in a more thorough cleaning effect and avoiding the impact of deposit residue on heat transfer efficiency.

[0015] 3. Traditional cleaning methods involve repeated disassembly and reassembly, which can easily lead to deformation of heat exchange plates and wear of seals, increasing the risk of equipment leakage. This invention eliminates the need to disassemble heat exchange plates. Cleaning can be completed simply by adjusting the spacing between heat exchange plates using pull ropes and electric guide rails, which significantly reduces equipment wear, thereby protecting equipment components and extending the overall service life of the equipment.

[0016] 4. This invention adds a recycling frame, filter screen, filter, and recycling pipe, which can filter and recycle the rinsing waste liquid, and recycle the filtered cleaning liquid back to the spray pipe for reuse, reducing cleaning liquid consumption and saving water resources and chemical costs; at the same time, automated cleaning reduces the workload of manual maintenance and equipment wear, further reducing the overall maintenance cost and improving the economic efficiency of equipment use.

[0017] 5. This invention uses an adjustable-length chain-type pull rope to accommodate different numbers and specifications of heat exchange plates. Its simple structural design allows for flexible application in plate heat exchangers across multiple fields, including chemical, food, pharmaceutical, seawater desalination, and wastewater treatment. It is highly practical and has broad application value. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the upper guide rod, lower guide rod, and clamping plate of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the filter screen, recycling frame, recycling pipe and filter of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the moving plate, electric roller brush, and spray nozzle of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electric roller brush and nozzle components of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the drive motor, gears, and racks of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the electric guide rail, lower guide rod, and right end plate of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electric lead screw, clamping plate, and moving plate of the present invention.

[0026] The above-mentioned attached drawings include the following reference numerals: 100-support column, 101-fixed clamping plate, 102-right end plate, 103-left base, 104-right base, 105-upper guide rod, 106-lower guide rod, 2-clamping stud, 3-nut, 4-U-shaped claw, 5-heat exchange plate, 6-pull rope, 7-drive motor, 8-electric roller brush, 801-nozzle, 802-infusion tube, 803-booster pump, 900-mounting plate, 901-gear, 902-rack, 903-moving plate, 11-filter screen, 12-recovery frame, 13-recovery tube, 14-filter, 15-electric guide rail, 16-electric lead screw, 17-clamping plate. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The present invention will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments. It should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, terms such as "set," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances. Example 1

[0028] A heat exchanger that automatically removes sediment, such as Figures 1-8As shown, the system includes a left base 103, a right base 104, a fixed clamping plate 101, a right end plate 102, a clamping stud 2, a nut 3, a heat exchange plate 5, a pull rope 6, a U-shaped claw 4, a moving plate 903, a mounting plate 900, an electric roller brush 8, a spray pipe 801, an infusion tube 802, and a moving assembly. The fixed clamping plate 101 is mounted on the left base 103, and a clamping stud 2 is inserted through the fixed clamping plate 101. In this embodiment, the clamping stud... The number of clamping studs 2 is six. A right end plate 102 is slidably inserted through the clamping studs 2. A nut 3 is threadedly connected to the right end of the clamping studs 2. The nut 3 is used to press and fix the right end plate 102. A support column 100 is detachably installed on the right base 104. An upper guide rod 105 and a lower guide rod 106 are installed between the fixing pressure plate 101 and the support column 100. A heat exchange plate 5 is slidably engaged between the upper guide rod 105 and the lower guide rod 106. The fixing pressure plate 101 and the right end plate A pull rope 6 is connected between 102. The pull rope 6 is a chain type, and its length can be freely adjusted by adding or removing chain links. There are 4 pull ropes 6, which are evenly distributed around the periphery of the heat exchange plate 5. U-shaped claws 4 are evenly installed on the pull ropes 6. Every 4 U-shaped claws 4 clamp one heat exchange plate 5. The heat exchange plate 5 includes plates and gaskets. The plates are provided with flow channel holes and guide grooves. The edges of the plates are provided with snap-fit ​​holes for the U-shaped claws 4 to clamp. A moving plate 903 is slidably installed on the clamping stud 2. An installation plate 900 is movably installed on the moving plate 903. An electric roller brush 8 is installed on the installation plate 900 for peeling off the deposits attached to the heat exchange plate 5. A spray pipe 801 for rinsing the peeled deposits is also installed on the installation plate 900. The spray pipe 801 is connected to an infusion pipe 802. The moving component is used to drive the moving plate 903 to move along the clamping stud 2. When it is necessary to clean the deposits on the surface of the heat exchange plate 5, first loosen the nut 3 at the right end of the clamping stud 2 used to press and fix the right end plate 102, then push the right end plate 102 to the right. The right end plate 102 slides to the right along the upper guide rod 105 and the lower guide rod 106. When the right end plate 102 moves to the right, gradually straighten the pulling rope 6. The U-shaped claws 4 on the pulling rope 6 push each heat exchange plate 5 in turn to form a uniform spacing between the plates. Then, use the electric roller brush 8 to peel off the deposits attached to the heat exchange plate 5 in turn. Turn on the spray pipe 801 to rinse the peeled deposits. Use the moving component to drive the electric roller brush 8 and the spray pipe 801 to move so as to switch the position between each heat exchange plate 5 to be cleaned. Finally, clean all the heat exchange plates 5. After cleaning, the electric guide rail 15 drives the right end plate 102 to move to the left to re-press the heat exchange plate 5. Tighten the nut 3 to fix the right end plate 102, and the device returns to the standby state.

[0029] like Figure 4 and Figure 6As shown, a drive motor 7 is mounted on the movable plate 903. Mounting plates 900 are slidably inserted into the upper and lower parts of the movable plate 903. An electric roller brush 8 is connected between the upper and lower mounting plates 900. A rack 902 is mounted on the mounting plate 900. The output shaft of the drive motor 7 is connected to a gear 901. The gear 901 meshes with the rack 902 for transmission. The drive motor 7 drives the gear 901 to rotate. The gear 901 meshes with the rack 902, causing the mounting plate 900 to move. This, in turn, drives the electric roller brush 8 to move, allowing the electric roller brush 8 to extend and retract between the gaps of each heat exchange plate 5, facilitating the cleaning of each heat exchange plate 5.

[0030] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the nozzle 801 is installed between the upper and lower mounting plates 900. The lower end of the nozzle 801 is connected to the infusion pipe 802. The inlet end of the infusion pipe 802 is equipped with a booster pump 803, which is installed at the end of the mounting plate 900. The nozzle 801 is parallel to the electric roller brush 8, and the nozzle 801 is provided with spray holes evenly spaced around its circumference. Specifically, the electric roller brush 8 is in front and the nozzle 801 is behind. After the electric roller brush 8 brushes the heat exchange plate 5, high-pressure water is sprayed out through the nozzle 801 to rinse the heat exchange plate 5. Example 2

[0031] Considering that cleaning multiple heat exchange plates 5 requires a large amount of clean water or washing liquid, in order to reduce resource waste, based on Embodiment 1, the device also includes a recovery frame 12, a filter screen 11, a filter 14, and a recovery pipe 13. The recovery frame 12 is slidably installed between the left base 103 and the right base 104. The recovery frame 12 is located below each heat exchange plate 5. The filter screen 11 is installed inside the upper frame of the recovery frame 12 for coarse filtration of sedimented impurities. The bottom of the recovery frame 12 has a liquid outlet, and the liquid outlet is connected to the filter 14 for fine filtration of the cleaning liquid. The liquid outlet of the filter 14 is connected to the recovery pipe 13, and the other end of the recovery pipe 13 is connected to the delivery pipe 802. The filter screen 11 and the filter 14 can filter impurities from the rinsing waste liquid. The filtered rinsing liquid flows back to the delivery pipe 802 through the recovery pipe 13, and is then transported again to the spray pipe 801 by the booster pump 803 for spraying again. In this way, the rinsing liquid can be recycled and reused, improving the utilization rate of the cleaning liquid.

[0032] It also includes an electric guide rail 15, which is installed parallel to the side of the lower guide rod 106. The upper and lower edges of the right end plate 102 and the heat exchange plate 5 are slidably engaged with the upper guide rod 105 and the lower guide rod 106 respectively through snap-fit ​​grooves. At the same time, the right end plate 102 is connected to the moving end of the electric guide rail 15. When the electric guide rail 15 is activated, it drives the right end plate 102 to move to the right, which allows the right end plate 102 to pull the heat exchange plates 5 apart one by one through the pull rope 6 until the pull rope 6 is straight. A distance is maintained between each heat exchange plate 5, which can accommodate the electric roller brush so that the electric roller brush and the spray pipe can clean the heat exchange plates 5.

[0033] The moving assembly includes an electric lead screw 16 and a clamping plate 17. The electric lead screw 16 is mounted on the upper guide rod 105, and the clamping plate 17 is threadedly connected to the electric lead screw 16. The clamping plate 17 is detachably connected to the moving plate 903. When the electric lead screw 16 is started to rotate, the clamping plate 17 moves along the electric lead screw 16. The clamping plate 17 can push the moving plate 903 to move synchronously. The mounting plate 900 on the moving plate 903 drives the electric roller brush 8 and the spray pipe 801 to move. By designing a control program, the heat exchange plate 5 can be automatically brushed in sequence, reducing manual intervention.

[0034] Although the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims should be given the broadest interpretation so as to cover all variations and equivalent structures and functions.

Claims

1. An automated heat exchanger for cleaning sediment, comprising a left base (103), a right base (104), a fixed clamping plate (101), a right end plate (102), a clamping stud (2), a nut (3), a support column (100), an upper guide rod (105), a lower guide rod (106), and a heat exchange plate (5). The fixed clamping plate (101) is mounted on the left base (103), and the clamping stud (2) is inserted through the fixed clamping plate (101). The right end plate (102) slides through the clamping stud (2). 2) A nut (3) is threaded to the right end of the clamping stud (2). The nut (3) is used to press and fix the right end plate (102). A support column (100) is detachably installed on the right base (104). An upper guide rod (105) and a lower guide rod (106) are connected between the fixed clamping plate (101) and the support column (100). A heat exchange plate (5) is snapped between the upper guide rod (105) and the lower guide rod (106). The heat exchange plate (5) is located between the fixed clamping plate (101) and the right end plate (102). Its characteristic is that It also includes a pull rope (6), a U-shaped claw (4), a moving plate (903), a mounting plate (900), an electric roller brush (8), a nozzle (801), an infusion tube (802), and a moving assembly; the pull rope (6) is connected between the fixed clamping plate (101) and the right end plate (102), and the U-shaped claws (4) are evenly spaced on the pull rope (6); the moving plate (903) is slidably mounted on the clamping stud (2), and the mounting plate (900) is movably mounted on the moving plate (903). The electric roller brush (8) for peeling off the deposits attached to the heat exchange plate (5) is mounted on the mounting plate (900); the nozzle (801) for rinsing the peeled deposits is also mounted on the mounting plate (900), and the nozzle (801) is connected to the infusion tube (802); the moving assembly is used to drive the moving plate (903) to move along the clamping stud (2).

2. A heat exchanger for automatically cleaning sediment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The moving plate (903) is equipped with a drive motor (7), and mounting plates (900) are slidably inserted into the upper and lower parts of the moving plate (903). An electric roller brush (8) is connected between the upper and lower mounting plates (900). A rack (902) is installed on the mounting plate (900). The output shaft of the drive motor (7) is connected to a gear (901), and the gear (901) meshes with the rack (902) for transmission.

3. A heat exchanger for automatically cleaning sediment as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The nozzle (801) is installed between the upper and lower mounting plates (900). The lower end of the nozzle (801) is connected to the infusion pipe (802). The inlet end of the infusion pipe (802) is equipped with a booster pump (803). The booster pump (803) is installed at the end of the mounting plate (900). The nozzle (801) is parallel to the electric roller brush (8), and the nozzle (801) is evenly spaced with spray holes in the circumference.

4. A heat exchanger for automatically cleaning sediment as described in claim 3, characterized in that, It also includes a recycling frame (12), a filter screen (11), a filter (14) and a recycling tube (13). The recycling frame (12) is slidably installed between the left base (103) and the right base (104). The filter screen (11) is installed inside the upper frame of the recycling frame (12). The bottom of the recycling frame (12) has an outlet, and the outlet is connected to the filter (14). The outlet end of the filter (14) is connected to the recycling tube (13), and the other end of the recycling tube (13) is connected to the infusion tube (802).

5. A heat exchanger for automatically cleaning sediment as described in claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes an electric guide rail (15), an electric guide rail (15) is installed parallel to the side of the lower guide rod (106), the upper and lower edges of the right end plate (102) and the heat exchange plate (5) are slidably engaged with the upper guide rod (105) and the lower guide rod (106) respectively through snap-fit ​​grooves, and at the same time, the right end plate (102) is connected to the moving end of the electric guide rail (15).

6. A heat exchanger for automatically cleaning sediment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The moving assembly includes an electric lead screw (16) and a clamping plate (17). The electric lead screw (16) is mounted on the upper guide rod (105), and the clamping plate (17) is threaded onto the electric lead screw (16). The clamping plate (17) is detachably connected to the moving plate (903).

7. A heat exchanger for automatically cleaning sediment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The pull rope (6) is a chain type, and its length can be freely adjusted.

8. A heat exchanger for automatically cleaning sediment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The heat exchange plate (5) includes a plate and a gasket. The plate is provided with flow channel holes and flow guide grooves, and the edge of the plate is provided with snap-fit ​​holes for U-shaped claws (4) to clamp.

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