Impulse Cleaning System with Eductor Assembly for Boiler Debris Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning methods for industrial boilers, such as pressurized steam, water jets, and mechanical hammering, are costly and often damage heat transfer surfaces, while supersonic combustion systems require improvement in cleaning area and flushing action to effectively remove soot and debris without downtime.
Innovation Solution
An impulse cleaning system with a combustion chamber and eductor assembly that generates supersonic shock waves to loosen and remove debris, using a controller to manage fuel and air flow, and an eductor assembly to widen the cleaning area by inducting surrounding atmosphere, allowing for online cleaning without damaging the surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If pressurized steam or water jets are used for cleaning, then debris removal effectiveness is improved, but heat transfer surfaces are damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical cleaning methods (pressurized steam, water jets, mechanical hammering) with a supersonic combustion-based impulse cleaning system. The combustion chamber generates supersonic shock waves that mechanically impact and remove deposits without the harmful effects of conventional mechanical cleaning methods, thus improving debris removal effectiveness while preventing surface damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the cleaning process by using supersonic combustion to generate extreme pressure and temperature conditions momentarily, then rapidly collapsing. This pulsed parameter change allows effective deposit removal through thermal and mechanical stress on the deposits without transferring damaging forces to the base metal surface.
2Productivity
If mechanical hammering is used for cleaning, then debris removal effectiveness is improved, but maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical hammering systems with a combustion-based impulse system. The supersonic combustion chamber generates pressure waves that achieve cleaning without the complex mechanical components of hammering systems, reducing maintenance requirements and costs while maintaining effective debris removal.
3Area of stationary object
If traditional cleaning systems are used, then cleaning action is provided, but cleaning area is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the cleaning action from a single-point mechanical impact to a three-dimensional volume by using supersonic shock waves that propagate through the combustion chamber and into the vessel. The eductor assembly further expands this by inducting surrounding atmosphere, creating a volumetric cleaning field that covers larger areas simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The eductor assembly acts as an intermediary device that takes the supersonic combustion flow and uses it to induce surrounding atmosphere into the combustion stream. This intermediary mechanism widens the effective cleaning area by entraining and accelerating additional gas that contacts broader surfaces.
4Loss of time
If online cleaning is implemented, then downtime is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The impulse cleaning device is designed as a self-contained unit that can be integrated into existing boiler systems without requiring separate dedicated cleaning equipment. The combustion chamber serves multiple functions: generating supersonic shock waves for cleaning, providing the necessary fuel-air mixing, and acting as the cleaning delivery mechanism, thereby reducing overall system complexity despite enabling continuous operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The impulse cleaning system effectively removes soot and debris from industrial boiler surfaces without downtime, maintaining efficiency and reducing maintenance costs by using supersonic shock waves that do not damage the heat transfer surfaces, and the eductor assembly increases the cleaning area, enabling more efficient operation.
Implementation Method 1
Supersonic combustion events create strong impulse waves that remove the build-up deposits and accumulated debris from the heat exchanger surfaces
Implementation Method 2
combustible fuel and air are mixed and ignited to produce combustion that is directed at the surface to be cleaned
Implementation Method 3
an eductor assembly surrounding a downstream end of the chamber for inducting surrounding atmosphere into the combustion to widen the area being cleaned
Data Source
AI summary
A system and associated method for removing accumulated debris from a surface of a vessel. The system includes an impulse cleaning device defining a combustion chamber in which combustible fuel and air are mixed and ignited to produce combustion that is directed at the surface to be cleaned within the vessel, and an eductor assembly surrounding a downstream end of the chamber for inducting surrounding atmosphere into the combustion to widen the area being cleaned.