US 12,031,781 B2
System and method for cleaning a tube bundle of a heat exchanger core
Derek Sumsion, Rayleigh (GB); Michael Watson, Rayleigh (GB); and Jon Camp, Rayleigh (GB)
Assigned to Tube Tech Industrial Ltd., Rayleigh (GB)
Appl. No. 17/631,975
Filed by Tube Tech Industrial Limited, Rayleigh (GB)
PCT Filed Jul. 21, 2020, PCT No. PCT/IB2020/056829
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 1, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/019364, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 4, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 1911026 (GB), filed on Aug. 1, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0276013 A1, Sep. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. F28G 1/16 (2006.01); B08B 9/023 (2006.01); B08B 13/00 (2006.01); F28G 15/00 (2006.01); F28G 15/04 (2006.01)
CPC F28G 1/166 (2013.01) [B08B 9/023 (2013.01); B08B 13/00 (2013.01); F28G 15/003 (2013.01); F28G 15/04 (2013.01); B08B 2209/02 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for cleaning a tube bundle of a heat exchanger core, the system comprising:
a lance for directing a jet of fluid into spaces between the tubes of the bundle in a direction transverse to the tubes of the bundle,
a carriage for advancing the lance into the bundle,
a mount movable relative to the carriage for holding the lance,
a spring acting on the mount to urge the lance towards the tube bundle, and
a sensor for detecting relative movement between the lance and the carriage, so as to detect when a reaction force acting on the lance upon encountering an obstruction in the tube bundle exceeds a predetermined limit,
at least two fixed members with a shaft extending therebetween and connected for movement with the carriage, and
at least one slidable member connected for movement with the lance and slidable on the shaft,
wherein the relative movement between the lance and the carriage is achieved by the at least one slidable member traversing the shaft.