US 12,011,805 B2
System and method of cleaning a heat exchanger
Paul Wilson, Burlington (CA); Peter Visser, Misissauga (CA); and Brent Spivak, Mississauga (CA)
Assigned to CANDU ENERGY INC., Mississauga (CA)
Appl. No. 16/464,597
Filed by CANDU ENERGY INC., Mississauga (CA)
PCT Filed Nov. 24, 2017, PCT No. PCT/CA2017/000249
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 28, 2019,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/098556, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 7, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/426,920, filed on Nov. 28, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2020/0156212 A1, May 21, 2020
Int. Cl. B24C 3/32 (2006.01); B08B 9/023 (2006.01); B08B 9/032 (2006.01); B24C 1/00 (2006.01); B24C 7/00 (2006.01); F28G 1/16 (2006.01); F28G 9/00 (2006.01); F28G 15/00 (2006.01); F28G 15/04 (2006.01)
CPC B24C 3/325 (2013.01) [B08B 9/023 (2013.01); B08B 9/032 (2013.01); B24C 1/00 (2013.01); B24C 7/00 (2013.01); F28G 1/16 (2013.01); F28G 1/163 (2013.01); F28G 9/00 (2013.01); F28G 15/003 (2013.01); F28G 15/04 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A cleaning system for cleaning inner surfaces of tubes included in a heat exchanger, the cleaning system comprising:
a first cleaning device having a first cleaning head configured to supply a cleaning fluid and blasting media through the first cleaning head and into a tube to perform a cleaning cycle;
a second cleaning device having a second cleaning head configured to receive the cleaning fluid and the blasting media through the second cleaning head from the tube in the cleaning cycle;
wherein the first cleaning device, the second cleaning device, and a reclaimer define a first portion of a closed loop flow path for the cleaning fluid and the blasting media, wherein the tube when coupled to the first cleaning device and the second cleaning device defines a second portion of the closed loop flow path, and wherein the reclaimer is configured to collect the cleaning fluid and the blasting media from the second cleaning device, separate debris from the blasting media for disposal, and supply reclaimed blasting media to the first cleaning device without the separated debris; and
a controller configured to:
determine a delivery parameter for the cleaning cycle based at least in part on at least one characteristic of the tube,
control the cleaning device to perform the cleaning cycle based at least in part on the first delivery parameter,
send a signal to the first cleaning device to supply the cleaning fluid and the blasting media into the tube, wherein reclaimed blasting media is concurrently supplied to the first cleaning device using the reclaimer.