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Heat Accumulators

Self-cleaning-heat-exchanger

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Self-cleaning heat exchanger

Details

Inventors: Vandenhoeck, J. Paul;
Assignee:
Primary Examiner: Marcus; Stephen
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Lerner, David, Littenberg & Samuel

A method and apparatus for cleaning a heat exchanger during operation thereof. The heat exchanger includes a plurality of tubes through which a first fluid is conducted from an inlet end to an outlet end in indirect heat transfer relationship with a second fluid disposed on the outside of the tubes intermediate the inlet and outlet ends of the tubes. Further, the heat exchanger includes an inlet chamber for the first fluid communicating with the inlet ends of the tubes, and a tube sheet for supporting the inlet ends of the tubes and isolating the inlet chamber from the second fluid, the inlet ends of the tubes extending into the inlet chamber beyond the tube sheet. The method of cleaning comprises introducing a particulate cleaning media between the inlet ends of the tubes and the tube sheet, and then forcing the introduced particulate cleaning media in a direction counter to the direction of flow of the first fluid through the tubes along the exterior surfaces of the tubes to the inlet ends of the tubes so that the particulate cleaning media is introduced into the tubes and is directed against the inner walls thereof as the flow of particulate cleaning media is changed so that it flows through the tubes in the direction of the flow of the first fluid. Apparatus is also disclosed for cleaning of a heat exchanger in accordance with this method.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION These and other disadvantages of the prior art are overcome with the method and apparatus of the present invention which is directed to cleaning of a heat exchanger during operation in which the heat exchanger has a plurality of tubes through which a first fluid is conducted from an inlet end to an outlet end in indirect heat transfer relationship with a second media disposed on the outside of the tubes intermediate the inlet and outlet ends of the tubes, and in which the heat exchanger further includes an inlet chamber for the first fluid communicating with the inlet ends of the tubes, and a tube sheet for supporting the inlet ends of the tubes and for isolating the first fluid in the inlet chamber from the second heat transfer media, the inlet ends of the tubes extending into the inlet chamber beyond the tube sheet.
According to the method of the present invention, a particulate cleaning medium is introduced between the inlet ends of the tubes and the tube sheet and is then forced in a direction counter to the direction of flow of the first fluid through the tubes along the exterior surfaces of the tubes to the inlet ends of the tubes so that the particulate cleaning matter is introduced into the tubes and is directed against the inner walls of the tubes as the direction of flow is changed so that the particulate cleaning media flows through the tubes in the direction of the flow of the first fluid.
In this way, the particulate cleaning media does not become entrained in the flow of the first fluid through the tubes, but is rather pulled along the inner walls of the tubes at a much slower velocity to result in an efficient cleaning of the tubes without causing erosion of the tube surfaces.
According to the apparatus of the present invention, in the shell-tube type heat exchanger, means are provided for distributing the particulate cleaning media between the inlet ends of the tubes and the tube sheet and for forcing the particulate cleaning media along the exterior surfaces of the tubes to the inlet ends of the tubes in a direction counter to the direction of flow of the fluid through the tubes so that the particulate cleaning media is introduced into the tubes and is directed against the inner walls of the tubes as its direction of flow is changed and it moves in the direction of flow of the fluid through the tubes

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