Chemical Engineering & Technology, Vol.28, No.5, 617-622, 2005
A method for cleaning heat exchanger pipes with flow energy usage
This paper describes the application of an effective hydro-dynamical vibrational device for cleaning inner surfaces of pipes from sediments. The device is based on the phenomenon of vortex shedding behind spheres in fluid flow (Karinan vortex street), which leads to vibration and sphere rotation. Forces of impact interactions of a sphere with the pipe wall exceed 25 N. This value allows cleaning of pipe inner surfaces irrespective of the sediment type. The ability to vary the sphere oscillations and a range of up to 125 Hz provide very flexible intensity control for the cleaning process. The pressure pulsations caused by the working device greatly increase the efficiency of sediment removal. Experimental results are provided, showing good agreement between practice and theoretical models. Laboratory tests show the high efficiency of the cleaning device.