Steam Generator Cleaning Lance With Mechanical Tool
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional high-pressure water-spraying methods are ineffective in removing hard deposits, including silicate-containing deposits, from steam generator tube sheets due to deflection of the water jet and lack of engagement surfaces, leading to minimal cleaning effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A lance with a flexible strip and a cleaning head that combines hydraulic and mechanical removal techniques, featuring a mechanical tool and a water hose to detach and wash away deposits, with optional direct or indirect drive mechanisms, including a rotating milling disk or water wheel, to create engagement surfaces for the water jet and enhance cleaning efficacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional high-pressure water-spraying methods are used, then water pressure can be increased to remove deposits, but the water jet is deflected by hard deposits and lacks engagement surfaces, resulting in minimal cleaning effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical tool (milling disk or scraping element) performs preliminary action by mechanically breaking up and loosening hard deposits before the water jet acts on them. This preliminary mechanical action creates engagement surfaces and reduces deposit hardness, allowing the subsequent water jet to effectively remove the loosened material without being deflected
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges two different cleaning mechanisms into a single integrated cleaning head: a mechanical tool (milling disk with cutting edges or scraping element) and a water jet nozzle. The mechanical tool handles hard, adherent deposits through mechanical action, while the water jet simultaneously washes away loosened particles and provides additional hydraulic cleaning, creating a synergistic effect that overcomes the limitations of either method alone
2Force
If high water pressures up to 220 bar are applied, then cleaning power increases, but silicate-containing deposits of highly compact structure remain firmly attached and cause water jet rebound
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical tool performs preliminary action by mechanically breaking up and loosening hard deposits before the water jet acts on them. This preliminary mechanical action creates engagement surfaces and reduces deposit hardness, allowing the subsequent water jet to effectively remove the loosened material without being deflected
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical tool changes the physical state and mechanical properties of the hard silicate deposits by applying mechanical stress that fractures and loosens the compact structure. This parameter change transforms the deposits from a firmly attached, compact state to a loosened, fragmented state that is more susceptible to water jet removal
3Productivity
If a mechanical tool is added to the cleaning head, then engagement surfaces are created for the water jet, but the device complexity increases with additional drive mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning head is designed to be self-servicing by using the existing high-pressure water supply to drive the mechanical tool. The water jet that would otherwise be used for cleaning directly powers the milling disk or scraping element through hydraulic action, eliminating the need for separate mechanical drive mechanisms, motors, or complex transmission systems. This self-service approach reduces device complexity while maintaining effective mechanical cleaning action
Solution Approach 2:
The high-pressure water supply serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides hydraulic power to drive the mechanical tool, performs direct hydraulic cleaning of the tube sheet surface, and washes away loosened deposit particles. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate drive mechanisms, reducing device complexity while achieving both mechanical and hydraulic cleaning effects
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 lance effectively removes hard deposits by providing engagement surfaces for the water jet, allowing for unhindered action on deposits and preventing damage to the steam generator tubes, achieving improved cleaning efficiency even at high water pressures.
Implementation Method 1
it is provided to use the water jet supply to the cleaning head in a further function for the purpose of indirectly or directly driving the tool
Implementation Method 2
a mechanical tool which acts on the deposits and removes material
Implementation Method 3
parts of the deposits can be detached and washed away by the water jet leaving the outlet opening
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a lance for removing deposits adhering to the tube sheet of a steam generator, comprising a flexible strip which is introducing into intermediate tube areas of the steam generator, which has a cleaning head at the free end of the strip, and which comprises at least one water hose that is used to supply a flow of water to the cleaning head. In a use situation, the cleaning head comprises a working face which faces the tube sheet or deposits present thereon, an outlet opening which is fluidically connected to the water hose and opens into the working face, and a mechanical tool which acts on the deposits and removes material.