Method and device for the automated cleaning of air-cooled heat exchangers by means of a fluidically driven cleaning appliance

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device for the automated cleaning of air-cooled heat exchangers (15) by means of a cleaning appliance (1), wherein a jet nozzle (3) movably mounted on the cleaning appliance (1) can be moved in at least two directions (17, 18) substantially parallel to the plane of the heat exchanger (15) such that the surface of the heat exchanger (15) to be cleaned can be partially or completely cleaned, wherein the cleaning appliance (1) has a covering frame (2), on which a gantry unit (6) for the jet nozzle (3) is movably arranged such that the movements of the gantry unit (6) cover at least partial regions of the heat exchanger (15) to be cleaned and can reach said regions for cleaning, and a guide carriage (5) is movably arranged within the gantry unit (6) such that the movements (17, 18) of the guide carriage (5) for the jet nozzle (3) sweep over the partial region of the heat exchanger (15) covered in each case by the gantry unit (6) and the jet nozzle (3) can in the process clean this partial region, wherein all movements (17, 18) of the gantry unit (6) and guide carriage (5) can be carried out in a fluidically, preferably pneumatically, controlled and / or driven manner.

Description

[0001] Method and device for the automated cleaning of air-cooled heat exchangers by means of a fluid-driven cleaning device

[0002] Description

[0003] The invention relates to a method for the automated cleaning of air-cooled heat exchangers by means of a cleaning device according to the preamble of claim 1 and a corresponding device according to the preamble of claim 5.

[0004] Heat exchangers are found in many applications and are important components for applications such as engine cooling, cold storage, and air conditioning. They are the most widely used energy transfer systems in practice. Rotors press or draw ambient air against the tubes to cool the fluid contained in the heat exchanger tubes. Fins attached to the tubes create larger cooling surfaces, ensuring effective cooling of the fluid.

[0005] In developing countries, energy demand for air conditioning is increasing significantly, and with it the use of heat exchangers. An efficiency increase of just 5% in the heat exchangers used in such air conditioning systems would therefore have significant global significance.

[0006] However, heat exchangers quickly become dirty due to various environmental influences that can be present at their locations. For example, sand, dust, pollen, and other suspended particles in the environment can deposit on the heat exchangers. Such contamination quickly forms an insulating layer that negatively impacts heat transfer in the heat exchanger, significantly reducing its energy efficiency and increasing energy costs, for example for air conditioning. Furthermore, the contamination reduces the amount of air forced or drawn through the spaces between the finned tubes. This leads to a further reduction in cooling capacity. In addition, the corrosion of the dirty heat exchanger components caused by this type of contamination reduces the operating life of the units.

[0007] The functionality of these heat exchangers therefore depends to a large extent on the cleanliness of the heat exchanger surfaces. Heat exchangers are currently mostly cleaned using chemicals (so-called spraying methods). Compressed air is often used in addition to or after cleaning. Such methods are often unsatisfactory in terms of cleaning results and are also harmful to the environment and employees.

[0008] Another approach is the use of high-pressure cleaning equipment, which in this case is operated at relatively low pressure and usually with the addition of chemical cleaning agents. However, the dense water jet can bend the delicate fins of heat exchangers very quickly, especially if the jet hits the fins at an angle. Furthermore, the dense water jet cannot penetrate the heat exchanger completely, at least in cases of greater installation depth. The front section will then be clean, but not the entire interior surfaces. Relatively large quantities of water are required to operate the nozzles, which must be provided and disposed of or treated. Due to the relatively low speed of the water as it exits the nozzle and the high density of the water, a braking effect occurs in the narrow channels of the finned heat exchanger. This means that the water has a good cleaning effect on the front side.However, the cleaning effect diminishes with increasing penetration into the heat exchanger, i.e., with greater installation depth. While the front side may be clean, the cleaned finned heat exchanger exhibits poor flow characteristics. This leads to significantly increased cleaning costs or, due to the insufficient heat dissipation through the finned heat exchanger, the performance of a unit working in conjunction with the finned heat exchanger, such as a turbine, must be throttled.

[0009] WO 2018 / 077326 A1 describes a process for cleaning special designs in a compressed air stream. Depending on the application and the jet nozzle used, the required water quantity is typically between 30 and 90 liters per operating hour. The high cleaning power is primarily due to the cavitation effect when the jet hits the surface to be cleaned. This cleaning power removes even oil and grease without the need for any additives. Its primary applications are for cleaning sensitive surfaces such as finned heat exchangers. This process can also be automated for larger heat exchanger surfaces. Typically, 3-4 jet nozzles are used simultaneously, resulting in a jet width of approximately 500 mm. A fully automated version features an electronic control system (PLC). The electronic control system allows you to select from several cleaning programs.Depending on the degree of soiling, the appropriate cleaning program can then be selected.

[0010] Automated cleaning devices are already available for high-pressure cleaning as well as cleaning with water and compressed air. However, due to the high construction effort and associated costs, these are only suitable for use on large surfaces. Using these devices to clean smaller heat exchangers would be far too complex due to their design and the complexity of the control system.

[0011] The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a method and a device for cleaning smaller air-cooled heat exchangers, which is of simple construction and cost-effective and is suitable for cleaning vertically and horizontally installed smaller heat exchangers.

[0012] The solution to the problem of the invention arises with regard to the method from the characterizing features of claim 1 and with regard to the device from the characterizing features of claim 5, each in conjunction with the features of the corresponding preamble. Further advantageous embodiments of the invention emerge from the dependent claims.

[0013] The arfindunasnamäßp Varfahran naht aus van ainam Varfahran 1 ir ai itnmati i rt n se is moved in at least two directions substantially parallel to the plane of the heat exchanger such that the surface of the heat exchanger to be cleaned can be partially or completely cleaned. Such a generic method for the automated cleaning of air-cooled heat exchangers by means of a cleaning device is further developed according to the invention in that the cleaning device has a frame, preferably covering the entire surface of the heat exchanger to be cleaned, on which a portal unit for the at least one jet nozzle is movably arranged such that the movements of the portal unit cover at least partial areas of the heat exchanger to be cleaned and can reach them for cleaning, and a guide carriage is movably arranged within the portal unit such thatthat the movements of the guide carriage for the at least one jet nozzle can sweep over the partial area of ​​the heat exchanger covered by the portal unit, and the jet nozzle can clean this partial area, whereby all movements of the portal unit and guide carriage are carried out in a fluidic, preferably pneumatic, controlled and / or driven manner. The term frame used here is to be understood as any type of bearing and guide that is arranged in the edge area of ​​the heat exchanger and can be suitable for supporting and guiding the portal unit. In the simplest case, this can also be two parallel guides or the like running along the edge of the heat exchanger. The use of a frame to be understood as such, which advantageously covers the entire heat exchanger and has a portal unit movable therein, enables a simple construction and simple positioning of the jet nozzle, in particular,if the gantry unit only covers part of the movement space available along the heat exchanger provided by the frame. This allows, after a rough positioning of the gantry unit over the respective area of ​​the heat exchanger to be cleaned, the fine positioning of the jet nozzle can be carried out using the positioning devices of the gantry unit itself. The dimensions of the gantry unit are typically significantly smaller than the dimensions of the heat exchanger, thus allowing for improved positioning of the jet nozzle within the respective movement range of the gantry section of the heat exchanger. This allows for precise yet simple execution of the jet nozzle movements. The jet nozzle movements are carried out by a guide carriage that can advantageously be moved along two axes.Through its movements, at least one jet nozzle can sweep over the section of the heat exchanger covered by the portal unit, and the jet nozzle can clean this section, for example, line by line. The guide carriage can run in one direction, for example transverse to the extension of the heat exchanger, directly along a guide crossbar, which, in the form of a linear guide, moves the jet nozzle linearly. In the other direction, for example longitudinal to the extension of the heat exchanger, this guide crossbar can then be moved within the portal unit. For example, it is conceivableto utilize the movement of the jet nozzle along the guide traverse to complete a cleaning path on the heat exchanger, and to adjust the positioning of the jet nozzle between adjacent cleaning paths by adjusting the guide traverse within the gantry unit. Of course, this would also be conceivable in reverse or in another way. A particular advantage here is that, due to these simple Cartesian movement options of the jet nozzle, these movements do not require complex drive and control devices, e.g., electrical ones, but can be implemented quite easily using fluidic and, in particular, pneumatic drives. Such fluidic and, in particular, pneumatic drives are particularly robust and can be operated safely, even over extended periods, even under the harsh environmental conditions under which heat exchangers frequently operate and, of course, also require cleaning.They require little maintenance. Another advantage is that, because the heat exchangers are cleaned using compressed air and water, the compressed air medium must be present at the heat exchangers anyway, thus eliminating the need for an additional power supply for the cleaning device. This makes the method according to the invention particularly simple and economical to implement and particularly advantageous for cleaning small and medium-sized heat exchangers. However, these particular advantages of fluidic drives do not preclude the use of fully or partially electric drives instead of fluidic drives; certain requirements are relevant during use. The use of the term "fluidic" in this context should always be understood to mean that individual or all drives can be electrically / electronically implemented when applying the method and also in the device.

[0014] It is particularly advantageous if the movement of the guide traverse relative to the gantry unit for the delivery of the jet nozzle is carried out under mechanically controlled control. The main advantage here is that a mechanically controlled movement of the guide traverse enables the feed movement of the guide traverse to be realized with high precision and uniformity, which is necessary for good coverage of adjacent jet nozzle paths during cleaning. This precise positioning would otherwise be more fluidically complex than with mechanically controlled control.

[0015] Furthermore, it is conceivable that after the complete cleaning of the surface of the heat exchanger covered by the portal unit, the guide carriage and / or the guide cross member are moved back into an initial position relative to the portal unit and the portal unit is moved fluidically, preferably by means of a pneumatic motor and winch, relative to the frame so that the jet nozzle can clean another partial surface of the heat exchanger.As a result, after machining the surface of the heat exchanger that is located just below the surface that can be machined by the gantry unit, the next section of the heat exchanger can be approached by the gantry unit by fluidically repositioning the gantry unit relative to the frame, for example via a pneumatic motor and a winch unit that can be actuated by the pneumatic motor, after which the newly covered area can be cleaned by the movement options of the guide carriage and guide cross member.

[0016] The invention further relates to a device for the automated cleaning of air-cooled heat exchangers by means of a cleaning device, wherein at least one jet nozzle movably mounted on the cleaning device in at least two directions substantially parallel to the plane of the heat exchanger is further developed in accordance with the invention in that the cleaning device has a frame, preferably covering the entire surface of the heat exchanger to be cleaned, on which a portal unit for the at least one jet nozzle is movably arranged such that the movements of the portal unit cover at least partial areas of the heat exchanger to be cleaned and can reach them for cleaning, and within the portal unit a guide carriage is movably arranged such thatthat the movements of the guide carriage for the at least one jet nozzle can sweep over the partial area of ​​the heat exchanger covered by the portal unit, and the jet nozzle can thereby clean this partial area, whereby all movements of the portal unit and guide carriage can be carried out in a fluidic, preferably pneumatic, controlled and / or driven manner. The essential properties and advantages of a device particularly suitable for carrying out the method according to claim 1 have already been described for the method; therefore, reference is made here.

[0017] It is particularly advantageous to use fluidic motors and / or fluidic cylinders, preferably pneumatic motors and / or pneumatic cylinders, as drives for the movements of the gantry unit and guide carriage. Such fluidic drives are relatively inexpensive and can be operated safely even under harsh environmental conditions, and their accuracy is sufficiently precise for the application in question. Both fluidic cylinders, such as pneumatic cylinders, and fluidic motors can be used. These can be connected to the components to be moved, such as the guide carriage or the guide crosshead, via auxiliary and transmission devices, and can drive them.

[0018] In order to achieve a movement option of the device that matches the usually flat design of at least sections of the heat exchanger, in a further embodiment the guide carriage can be mounted on the gantry unit so that it can move in a first direction of movement on a guide cross member, wherein the guide cross member itself is in turn mounted on the gantry unit so that it can move in a direction of movement perpendicular to this. The guide carriage itself can thus be designed to be movable relative to the gantry unit perpendicular to this movement. The guide carriage and guide cross member can thus be moved at the same distance over the surface of the heat exchanger so that the jet nozzle always maintains the same distance from the surface of the heat exchanger to be cleaned.

[0019] In a further embodiment, it is conceivable that a fluidic cylinder, preferably a pneumatic cylinder, is provided as the drive for the movements of the guide carriage on the guide cross member arranged horizontally or at least at an angle vertically, which lifts the guide carriage vertically, for example, against the force of gravity. Thus, the movement of the fluidic cylinder on the at least partially vertically arranged guide cross member can be transmitted from the fluidic cylinder to the guide carriage via rollers and / or cables, so that by appropriate transmission (pulley principle), relatively large strokes of the guide carriage can be achieved even with relatively short strokes of the fluidic cylinder.

[0020] It is also conceivable, with a partially vertically arranged guide beam, that the return movement of the guide carriage on the at least partially vertically arranged guide beam to a home position occurs automatically under the influence of gravity, preferably under the influence of a weight. For this purpose, a weight can be added to the guide carriage, which reinforces the return movement under the influence of gravity.

[0021] Particularly for heat exchanger surfaces that are essentially arranged horizontally and are to be cleaned, a largely horizontal arrangement of the guide carriage and guide cross member results. For this application, two fluid cylinders, preferably two pneumatic cylinders, can be provided as the drive for the movements of the guide carriage on the horizontally arranged guide cross member. Their action is oppositely directed and they move the guide carriage back and forth in the plane of the gantry unit along the guide cross member. One of the fluid cylinders then ensures the movement of the hydraulic cylinder, which acts on the guide carriage by pulling it via belts or similar devices.

[0022] In another embodiment, it is conceivable that at least one fluidic motor, preferably a pneumatic motor, is provided as the drive for the movements of the guide carriage on a substantially horizontally arranged guide crosshead, which moves the guide carriage in the plane of the gantry unit along the guide crosshead. Fluidic motors are known standard components that rotate when pressurized with compressed air and can also reverse their direction of rotation. This has the advantage that, for example, a pneumatic motor can trigger both forward and reverse movements of, for example, the guide carriage. Here, too, it is conceivable that the movement of the guide carriage along the substantially horizontally arranged guide crosshead is transmitted from the fluidic motor, preferably the pneumatic motor, to the guide carriage via rollers and / or cables.

[0023] It is particularly advantageous if the movement of the guide traverse relative to the gantry unit for the delivery of the jet nozzle can be mechanically controlled. Such forced control offers the advantage of high precision and uniformity, for example, of the feed movement of the guide traverse, in order to achieve good coverage of adjacent jet nozzle paths during cleaning without requiring excessive effort in terms of fluidic positioning.

[0024] In this case, it is conceivable, for example, that mechanical guide elements are arranged on the gantry unit in the area of ​​the two end positions of the movement of the guide carriage along the guide cross member, which interact with the guide cross member or the guide carriage in such a way that the guide cross member is forcibly advanced by a distance relative to the gantry unit when the guide carriage moves into the area of ​​an end position. Mechanical guide elements designed like toothings can interact on the gantry unit, for example, which, when the guide carriage reaches the respective end position, advance the guide cross member along the guide slopes perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of the guide cross member and thus bring about the desired feed movement.The toothed, serrated strips, which are designed like teeth and equipped with guide bevels, can be offset from one another, for example, by half a tooth width perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of the guide cross member, so that the guide cross member moves a defined amount in the feed direction relative to the gantry unit upon reaching each end position. Figuratively speaking, the guide element on the guide cross member that comes into contact with a tooth of the serrated strip is pushed in the feed direction by the bevel of the tooth, and as a result, the guide cross member also moves further in the feed direction as desired, so that the jet nozzle, during the next movement of the guide carriage, follows a new cleaning path slightly offset from the previously completed cleaning path.For this purpose, it is advantageous if the tooth spacing of the toothed strips, which are designed in a toothed manner and are equipped with guide bevels, is selected in such a way that the adjustment of the guide cross member and thus of the jet nozzle perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of the guide cross member ensures sufficient overlap between successive cleaning processes of the jet nozzle.

[0025] Furthermore, it is conceivable that a horizontal return of the guide crosshead to an initial position relative to the gantry unit could be achieved by an additional return carriage, which can be activated by a cable pull attached to the gantry element via a toggle switch or a rocker switch that flips over as soon as the guide crosshead reaches its end position within the gantry unit. This returns the guide crosshead to its intended initial position relative to the gantry unit and makes it available for a new machining cycle in its intended position.

[0026] It is also advantageous if the movement of the gantry unit relative to the frame can be controlled and / or driven fluidically, preferably pneumatically, preferably with a fluid motor. This allows the movement of the preferably pneumatic motor to be transmitted to the gantry unit easily and with sufficient precision.

[0027] A particularly preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention is shown in the drawing.

[0028] They show:

[0029] Figure 1 - a schematic representation of a device according to the invention when cleaning a heat exchanger in a middle position,

[0030] Figure 2 - a schematic device according to Figure 1 when cleaning a

[0031] Heat exchanger in an initial position with retracted pneumatic cylinder,

[0032] Figure 3 - a schematic device according to Figure 1 when cleaning a

[0033] Heat exchanger in a closed position with extended pneumatic cylinder.

[0034] Figure 4a, 4b - enlarged view of the mechanically forced feed of the guide traverse,

[0035] Figure 5 - a variant of the device according to Figure 1 with return of the

[0036] Guide carriage when the cleaning device is arranged horizontally,

[0037] Figure 6 - a variant of the device according to Figure 1 with drive of the guide carriage by means of a pneumatic motor.

[0038] Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a possible embodiment of the device according to the invention, in which a cleaning device 1 for a surface of a heat exchanger 15, which lies here in the plane of the drawing, is shown. The cleaning device consists of a frame 2 which extends essentially over the entire surface of the heat exchanger 15. Within the area covered by the frame and via guides 23 which will be explained later, an area is covered which represents the working area of ​​a guide carriage 5 which will be explained in more detail. For the sake of simplicity, a single jet nozzle 3, known per se, can be seen on the guide carriage 5, which is intended to clean the surface of the heat exchanger 15 with water and compressed air. For this purpose, the guide carriage 5 performs mutually perpendicular movements 17, 18 and can therefore cover the entire working space within the portal unit 6 in a manner which will be explained later.

[0039] For the movement of the guide carriage 5 along the direction of movement 17, the guide carriage 5 is mounted in a manner only indicated on a guide cross member 4 so as to be movable and linearly displaceable, for example with the aid of a roller guide or similar bearing. In the illustration in Figure 1, the guide cross member 4 extends essentially from the lower strut of the frame 2 to the upper strut of the frame 2 and is movably held in the direction of movement 18 within the gantry unit 6 by means of guides 23, 24, as explained below. In order to drive the movement of the guide carriage 5 in the direction of movement 17, a pneumatic cylinder 7 is arranged on the guide cross member 4 in Figure 1, approximately parallel to the latter, the cylinder rod 27 of which, in the illustration in Figure 1, can extend upwards out of the pneumatic cylinder 7 in the direction of the upper end of the guide cross member 4.By means of a cable pull 8 (only indicated) and deflection pulleys 16, this movement of the cylinder rod 27 can be converted into a type of lifting movement of the guide carriage 5 with the jet nozzle 3 arranged on it, whereby, as with a pulley system, the lifting movement of the cylinder rod 27 can also be translated into a displacement of the guide carriage 5. In Figure 1, the guide carriage 5 is shown in a middle position of this lifting movement, in Figure 2 the guide carriage 5 is in the area of ​​the upper end position and in Figure 3 in the area of ​​the lower end position. Figuratively speaking, the guide carriage 5 and thus the jet nozzle 3 are moved by extending and retracting the cylinder rod 27 along the guide cross member 4 from bottom to top in the direction of movement 17 and can, in the process, clean a partial area of ​​the surface of the heat exchanger 15 in the working area of ​​the gantry unit 6 in a gap-like manner.If, as in Figure 1, a one-sided operating mechanism is used, the return stroke of the guide carriage 5 can be effected via the weight load of the guide carriage 5 itself or, if necessary, an additional weight can be attached which moves the guide carriage 5 back into its lower end position and the cylinder rod 27 into its retracted position in the pneumatic cylinder 7.

[0040] To move the portal unit 6 within the frame 2, a pneumatic motor 9 (only indicated) can be seen on the lower crossbar of the frame 2. This motor can move the entire portal unit 6 along the direction of movement 22 via a winch and a cable 19, thus ensuring that the working area below the portal unit 6 can be moved across the entire heat exchanger 15. However, this adjustment primarily serves to roughly position the portal unit 6 above the heat exchanger 15; the movement of the guide carriage 5 for the actual cleaning of the heat exchanger 15 is described below.

[0041] In order to realize a feed movement in the feed direction 18 in addition to the cleaning movement of the jet nozzle 3 in the direction of movement 17 on the guide carriage 5, a mechanical forced guide is arranged at the top and bottom of the gantry unit 6 for executing the feed movement in the feed direction 18. This is carried out with the aid of a serrated rail 11. The serrated rail 11 has, as can be seen better in Figures 4a and 4b, a type of toothing with guide bevels 21, which are intended for interaction with rollers 10 on the guide carriage 5. If the guide carriage 5 moves into one of its end positions during the cleaning movement in the direction of movement 17, the roller 10 arranged on the guide carriage 5 comes into the area of ​​the serrated rail 11 and, as can be seen in Figure 4a.Until the end position of the guide carriage 5 is finally reached, the roller 10 then rolls on this guide slope and penetrates ever deeper into this guide slope 21 of the toothed rail 11, whereby the guide cross member 4 is guided in a rail 23 with a bearing 24. As a result, the guide carriage 5 and thus the entire guide cross member 4 is displaced by exactly one toothing width of the toothed rail 11 in the feed direction 18 and thus the position of the guide carriage 5 and the jet nozzle 3 changes. The stroke to be carried out by the guide carriage 5 and the jet nozzle 3 is carried out slightly offset from the previous path of the guide carriage 5 and the jet nozzle 3, whereby the toothing width of the toothed rail 11 should be selected such that the working area of ​​the jet nozzle 3 overlaps the previous path of the guide carriage 5 and the jet nozzle 3 and the surface of the heat exchanger can be covered without gaps.

[0042] If the guide carriage 5 and the jet nozzle 3 now reach the opposite end of their movement, the process described above is again carried out on the corresponding serrated strip 11. However, it must be noted that the lower and upper serrated strips 11 should be offset from one another in the feed direction, advantageously by half a tooth width, so that the guide carriage 5 and thus the jet nozzle 3 can again move forward in the feed direction 18. Through this type of pendulum movement of the guide carriage 5 between the lower and upper end positions with respective feed in the feed direction 18, the guide cross member 4 can work successively forward within the area of ​​the heat exchanger 15 covered by the portal unit, as can be seen more clearly when comparing Figures 2 and 3.

[0043] Once the working area of ​​the guide carriage 5 below the gantry unit 6 has been successively processed in this way, the guide cross member 4 can be moved back to a home position by a return carriage 12, which can also be pneumatically actuated, for example, and is connected to the gantry unit 6 by means of a cable pull 13. Mounted on this return carriage 12 is a toggle switch 14 or rocker which flips over and is activated as soon as the guide cross member 4 reaches its end position within the gantry unit 6. When the toggle switch 14 is activated, a connection is established to the plate holder 28 of the pneumatic cylinder 7 attached to the gantry unit 6. This connection enables the plate holder 28 to grasp and carry the toggle switch 14 during the return movement, whereby the guide cross member 4 is efficiently retracted to its starting position via the cable pull 13. This position can be seen in Figure 2.Subsequently, the portal unit 6 can be cleaned, as described above, by the pneumatic motor 9 and the working area of ​​the heat exchanger 15. This can be seen in Figure 1.

[0044] Figure 5 shows an embodiment of the device according to Figure 1, which is equipped with a double-acting pneumatic cylinder 7 for a back-and-forth movement of the guide carriage 5, even for applications in which the heat exchanger is essentially horizontally aligned and a return movement of the guide carriage 5 under the influence of gravity is not possible. For this purpose, separate deflection pulleys 16, 26 and cables 8, 25 are provided on the double-acting pneumatic cylinder 7 for both directions of movement of the guide carriage 5, which are arranged such that the guide carriage 5 is virtually clamped between them and moves parallel to the movement of the pneumatic cylinder 7 along the guide cross member 4.

[0045] For this application, two fluidic cylinders 7, preferably two pneumatic cylinders 7 (not shown here in more detail), can also be provided as the drive for the movements of the guide carriage 5 on the horizontally arranged guide cross member 4. Their action is opposite and they move the guide carriage 5 back and forth in the plane of the gantry unit 6 along the guide cross member 4. One of the fluidic cylinders 7 then ensures a movement of the guide carriage 5 in one direction and the other fluidic cylinder 7 ensures a movement of the guide carriage 5 in the opposite direction, wherein the fluidic cylinders 7 each act on the guide carriage 5 by pulling via cables 13, belts or the like.

[0046] Figure 6 shows an embodiment of the device according to Figure 1, in which, instead of a pneumatic cylinder 7, a pneumatic motor 20 drives the movement of the guide carriage 5 in both directions 17 via deflection pulleys 16, 26 and cables 8, 25. List of part numbers

[0047] 1 cleaning device

[0048] 2 frame

[0049] 3 jet nozzle

[0050] 4 guide traverse

[0051] 5 guide carriages

[0052] 6 Portal unit

[0053] 7 pneumatic cylinders

[0054] 8 cable pull

[0055] 9 Pneumatic motor

[0056] 10 rolls

[0057] 11 toothed rail

[0058] 12 return slides

[0059] 13 cable pull

[0060] 14 toggle switches

[0061] 15 heat exchangers

[0062] 16 rolls

[0063] 17 Vertical movement device

[0064] 18 Horizontal movement device

[0065] 19 winds

[0066] 20 Pneumatic motor

[0067] 21 guide bevels

[0068] 22 Movement of portal unit

[0069] 23 Rail guide traverse

[0070] 24 Bearing guide traverse

[0071] 25 cable pull

[0072] 26 pulleys

[0073] 27 Cylinder rod

[0074] 28 Plate holder

Claims

Patent claims 1. A method for the automated cleaning of air-cooled heat exchangers (15) by means of a cleaning device (1), wherein at least one jet nozzle (3) movably mounted on the cleaning device (1) is moved in at least two directions (17, 18) substantially parallel to the plane of the heat exchanger (15) such that the surface of the heat exchanger (15) to be cleaned can be partially or completely cleaned, characterized in that the cleaning device (1) has a frame (2) covering preferably the entire surface of the heat exchanger (15) to be cleaned, on which frame a portal unit (6) for the at least one jet nozzle (3) is movably arranged such that the movements (17, 18) of the portal unit (6) cover at least partial areas of the heat exchanger (15) to be cleaned and can reach them for cleaning, a guide carriage (5) is movably arranged within the portal unit (6) such that the movements (17,18) of the guide carriage (5) for the at least one jet nozzle (3) can sweep over the partial area of the heat exchanger (15) covered by the portal unit (6) and the jet nozzle (3) can clean this partial area, wherein all movements of the portal unit (6) and the guide carriage (5) are carried out in a fluidic, preferably pneumatic, controlled and / or driven manner.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide carriage (5) on the portal unit (6) is moved in a first direction of movement (17) on a guide cross member (4), wherein the guide cross member (4) itself is in turn moved in a direction of movement (18) perpendicular thereto on the portal unit (6).

3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the movement of the guide cross member (4) relative to the portal unit (6) for the delivery of the jet nozzle (3) is carried out in a mechanically positively controlled manner (10, 11).

4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that after the complete cleaning of the surface of the heat exchanger (15) covered by the portal unit (6), the guide carriage (5) and / or the guide cross member (4) are moved back into an initial position relative to the portal unit (6) and the portal unit (6) is moved fluidically, preferably by means of a pneumatic motor (9) and winch (19), relative to the frame (2) in such a way that the jet nozzle (3) can clean a further partial surface of the heat exchanger (15).

5. Device for the automated cleaning of air-cooled heat exchangers (15) by means of a cleaning device (1), wherein at least one jet nozzle (3) movably mounted on the cleaning device (1) is movable in at least two directions (17, 18) substantially parallel to the plane of the heat exchanger (15) such that the surface of the heat exchanger (15) to be cleaned can be partially or completely cleaned, characterized in that the cleaning device (1) has a frame (2) which preferably covers the entire surface of the heat exchanger (15) to be cleaned, on which frame a portal unit (6) for the at least one jet nozzle (3) is movably arranged such that the movements of the portal unit (6) cover at least partial areas of the heat exchanger (15) to be cleaned and can reach them for cleaning, within the portal unit (6) a guide carriage (5) is movably arranged such that the movements (17,18) of the guide carriage (5) for the at least one jet nozzle (3) sweep over the partial area of the heat exchanger (15) covered by the portal unit (6) and the jet nozzle (3) there, wherein all movements (17, 18) of the portal unit (6) and guide carriage (5) can be carried out fluidically, preferably pneumatically, controlled and / or driven.

6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that fluidic motors (20) and / or fluidic cylinders (7), preferably pneumatic motors (20) and / or pneumatic cylinders (7), can be used as drives for the movements (17, 18) of the portal unit (6) and the guide carriage (5).

7. Device according to one of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that the guide carriage (5) is movably mounted on the portal unit (6) in a first direction of movement (17) on a guide cross member (4), wherein the guide cross member (4) itself is in turn movably mounted on the portal unit (6) in a direction of movement (18) perpendicular thereto.

8. Device according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that at least one fluidic cylinder (7), preferably a pneumatic cylinder (7), is provided as a drive for the movements (17) of the guide carriage (5) on the horizontal or at least partially vertically arranged guide cross member (4), which lifts the guide carriage (5) vertically against the force of gravity.

9. Device according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that two fluidic cylinders (7), preferably pneumatic cylinders (7), are provided as a drive for the movements (17) of the guide carriage (5) on the horizontal or at least partially vertically arranged guide cross member (4), the action of which is oppositely directed and which move the guide carriage (5) back and forth along the guide cross member (4) in the plane of the portal unit (6).

10. Device according to one of claims 8 or 9, characterized in that the movement of the at least one fluidic cylinder (7) on the at least partially vertically arranged guide cross member (4) via rollers 11. Device according to one of claims 8 or 10, characterized in that the return movement of the guide carriage (5) on the at least partially vertically arranged guide cross member (4) into a basic position takes place automatically under the effect of gravity, preferably under the effect of a weight load.

12. Device according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that at least one fluidic motor (20), preferably a pneumatic motor (20), is provided as a drive for the movements (17) of the guide carriage 5 on a substantially horizontally arranged guide cross member (4), which moves the guide carriage (5) in the plane of the portal unit (6) along the guide cross member (4).

13. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that the movement (17) of the guide carriage (5) along the substantially horizontally arranged guide cross member (4) is transferable by the fluidic motor (20), preferably the pneumatic motor (20), via rollers (16) and / or cables from the fluidic motor(s) (20), preferably the pneumatic motor (20), to the guide carriage (5).

14. Device according to one of claims 5 to 13, characterized in that the movement (18) of the guide cross member (4) relative to the portal unit (6) for the delivery of the jet nozzle (3) can be carried out in a mechanically positively controlled manner (10, 11).

15. Device according to claim 14, characterized in that in the region of the two end positions of the movement of the guide carriage (5) along the guide cross member (4) on the portal unit (6) mechanical guide elements (11) are arranged, which interact with the guide cross member (4) in such a way that the guide cross member (4) is forcibly advanced by a distance relative to the portal unit (6) when the guide carriage (5) moves into the region of an end position. Toothed strips (11) designed in a tension-like manner and equipped with guide bevels (21) can be provided.

17. Device according to one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that at the ends of the guide carriage (5) on both sides, preferably roller-like, feed elements (10) are arranged, which, when the respective end position of the guide carriage (5) is reached, interact with the toothed strips (11) designed like a tooth and equipped with guide bevels (21) in such a way that the guide cross member (4) can be pushed forward along the guide bevels (21) perpendicular to the longitudinal extent (17) of the guide cross member (4).

18. Device according to one of claims 14 to 17, characterized in that the toothed strips (11) equipped with guide bevels (21) are arranged offset from one another in the region of the two end positions of the movement of the guide carriage (5) by half a tooth width perpendicular to the longitudinal extent (17) of the guide cross member (4).

19. Device according to one of claims 14 to 18, characterized in that the tooth spacing of the toothed strips (11) which are designed in a toothed manner and are equipped with guide bevels (21) is selected such that the delivery of the guide cross member (4) and thus of the jet nozzle (3) perpendicular to the longitudinal extent (17) of the guide cross member (4) ensures sufficient overlap between successive cleaning processes of the jet nozzle (3).

20. Device according to one of claims 5 to 19, characterized in that a horizontal return of the guide cross member (4) into a starting position relative to the portal unit (6) is carried out by an additional return carriage (12) which can be activated by means of a cable pull (13) fastened to the portal element (6) via a toggle switch (14) or a rocker which swings over as soon as the guide cross member (4) reaches its end position within the por- 21. Device according to one of claims 5 to 20, characterized in that the movement (22) of the portal unit (6) relative to the frame (2) can be carried out in a fluidic, preferably pneumatic, controlled and / or driven manner, preferably with a fluidic motor (9).

22. Device according to claim 21, characterized in that the movement (22) of the portal unit (6) relative to the frame (2) can be transmitted by the fluidic motor (9), preferably the pneumatic motor (9), via rollers and / or cables (19) from the fluidic motor (9), preferably the pneumatic motor (9), to the portal unit (6).

23. Device according to one of claims 5 to 22, characterized in that the jet nozzle (3) is designed as a high-speed nozzle operated with compressed air and small quantities of water.

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