Automated Cleaning System With Remote X-Y Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lance tube cleaning systems require manual operation, exposing operators to high-pressure fluids and necessitate additional personnel to manage lance slack, posing safety and efficiency concerns.
Innovation Solution
An automated cleaning system incorporating an X-Y positioning system for remote operation of the lance guide, a drive system to manage lances, and a reel to manage lance slack, allowing for remote control and reduced manual intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If manual operation is used to position the lance guide, then the system is simpler and easier to manufacture, but operator safety is compromised due to exposure to high-pressure fluids
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical positioning with an automated drive system that uses a reel to pay out and retract the lance, and a positioning cart to move the lance guide along the tube bundle. This substitution eliminates operator exposure to high-pressure fluids while maintaining positioning capability through automated mechanical means.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning cart serves as an intermediary device between the reel and the lance guide. It receives the lance from the reel and facilitates its movement along the tube bundle, thereby isolating the operator from direct contact with high-pressure fluid areas while enabling controlled positioning.
2Ease of operation
If additional operators are used to manage lance slack, then lance control is improved, but labor requirements and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The reel system is designed to automatically manage lance slack through its own mechanical structure. The reel pays out lance as needed and automatically winds it back during retraction, eliminating the need for additional operators to manually manage slack while maintaining precise lance control throughout the cleaning cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a dynamic reel mechanism that can adjust its operation during the cleaning cycle. The reel actively pays out lance during approach and retraction phases, and can be activated during cleaning operations to manage slack dynamically, thereby maintaining ease of operation without requiring additional personnel.
3Productivity
If automated positioning systems are implemented, then operator safety and productivity are improved, but device complexity and initial cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The automated positioning system is divided into distinct functional modules: a reel for lance management, a positioning cart for lateral movement, and a drive system for actuation. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while simplifying the overall system architecture and reducing complexity compared to a fully integrated automated system.
Data Source
AI summary
An automated cleaning system according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, an X-Y positioning system configured to position a lance guide relative to an element to be cleaned. The X-Y positioning system is remotely operated. The system further includes a lance in communication with the lance guide, a drive system configured to drive the lance relative to the element to be cleaned, and a reel configured to manage a slack in the lance.