JPS57131999A - Method of cleaning heat transfer pipes used in heat exchanger - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To raise the efficiency of cleaning heat transfer pipes of a heat exchanger, by providing a recirculation pump and a sand feeding tank with an injecting nozzle, and passing sand through the inside of heat transfer pipes of a condenser while controlling the amount of sand to be circulated. CONSTITUTION:A valve 20 at a lower portion of a sand feeding tank 19 is opened while passing water from a pipe 8 into a conduit 12 through operation of a recirculation pump 10. With opening of the valve 20, sand in the sand feeding tank 19 is drawn into sea water when water discharged from the pump 10 is passed through an injection nozzle 18 and ejected into the conduit 12, and the sand thus drawn into sea water is carried into heat transfer pipes 2. Since the sand is carried through the inside of the heat transfer pipes 2 while impinging onto the internal surfaces of the pipes 2, contaminant matter sticked to the internal surfaces of the heat transfer pipes 2 can be removed by the sand. Here, since the efficiency and time required for cleaning the internal surfaces of the pipes 2 are determined by the amount of sand to be circulated, it is controlled by the opening of the valve 20 disposed at the lower portion of the tank 19.