Shock Wave Boiler Heat Exchanger Cleaning System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shock wave cleaning systems for industrial boiler heat exchangers are inefficient in removing deposits due to insufficient pressure and are costly and unsafe, particularly in large industrial steam generators with large cross-sectional ducts.
Innovation Solution
A shock wave cleaning system using a high-pressure gas chamber connected to a low-pressure chamber via a trigger device, generating supersonic shock waves without explosion, utilizing non-explosive gas like helium at pressures between 50 and 300 bars, with a leak gas recovery system to minimize gas loss and optimize safety and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If conventional shock tubes or air cannons are used to clean heat exchanger walls, then the system structure is simple and operation is easy, but the shock wave pressure is insufficient to remove adherent deposits on heat exchanger walls, especially when the walls are far from the air gun
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the shock wave generation into multiple independent air cannons distributed across the duct cross-section, each generating localized high-pressure shock waves that propagate toward the heat exchanger walls. This segmentation allows each unit to operate independently at optimal pressure while collectively covering large surface areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a reflective surface positioned between the air cannon and the heat exchanger wall to redirect and concentrate shock waves. This intermediary element amplifies the shock wave pressure by reflecting it back onto the deposit-covered surfaces, enabling effective cleaning at greater distances without increasing the complexity of the air cannon itself.
2Productivity
If explosion shock tubes are used to generate high-pressure shock waves for effective deposit removal, then the cleaning efficiency is improved, but the operating cost becomes excessively high and safety constraints are strongly increased
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces expensive and dangerous explosive materials with inexpensive, non-explosive compressed air as the shock wave generation medium. The compressed air is readily available, safe to handle, and can be rapidly replenished, providing a continuous cleaning operation without the safety hazards and high costs associated with explosive materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the shock wave generation by using high-pressure compressed air (typically 200-300 bars) instead of explosive chemical reactions. This parameter change maintains the necessary shock wave pressure for effective cleaning while eliminating the safety risks and operational costs associated with explosives, making the system both productive and reliable.
3Area of stationary object
If the heat exchanger ducts are large in cross-section (several m2) as in large capacity industrial steam generators, then the boiler capacity is improved, but the shock wave pressure decreases rapidly with distance from the air gun, making cleaning ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the large duct cross-section into multiple zones, each served by one or more air cannons positioned to cover specific areas. This segmentation ensures that no point on the heat exchanger wall is too far from a shock wave source, maintaining effective cleaning pressure across the entire large surface area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-point shock wave source to a distributed array of sources across the duct cross-section. By adding spatial distribution as a new dimension, the system maintains shock wave pressure effectiveness across large areas that would be impossible to clean with a single air cannon, regardless of duct size.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates chiefly to a cleaning system (1), designed to generate shock waves from a pressurized gas and direct them against the surface of the exchanger, which system (1) comprises at least one cleaning device (10) comprising a high-pressure first chamber (2) intended to be fluidically connected to a pressurized-gas reservoir (3) so as to supply said first chamber (2) with high-pressure gas, a low-pressure second chamber (4) comprising a discharge orifice (5) for the shockwave (6), and a triggering device (7) that can be operated reversibly between a closed position that prevents fluidic communication between said first and second chambers (2, 4) and an open position that places said chambers (2, 4) in fluidic communication.