A lance drive support apparatus is adapted to be fastened directly to a heat exchanger tube sheet adjacent a selected number of tubes to be cleaned. One embodiment includes an angled flat base plate having an inner center corner, an outer center corner, a first outer end corner and a second outer end corner, a support post adjacent each outer end corner, and the inner center corner fastened at one end to the base plate, and a top plate fastened to an opposite end of each support post. An extensible scissor arm assembly pivotally fastened to the inner center corner post can position a lance drive mechanism at a distal end of the scissor arm assembly at precise X and Y coordinates adjacent the tube sheet. The precise X and Y coordinates are determined by positions of X and Y cylinders connected to a common scissor arm assembly extension hinge.

A tube cleaning system and method including a nozzle holder operable to secure nozzles in a nozzle arrangement, the nozzle arrangement corresponding to an arrangement of tubes of a tube bundle, and a nozzle positioning system operable to move the nozzle holder and nozzles secured therein, to cause the nozzles to engage a set of tubes of the tubes of the tube bundle, the nozzles configured to direct cleaning fluid into the set of tubes.

An apparatus for sensing an obstruction within a tube being cleaned and repetitively advancing and retracting a flexible high pressure fluid cleaning lance within the tube is disclosed. The apparatus monitors drive roller/belt position and actual hose position, compares the belt (expected travel) to hose position (travel) and generates a position difference, or mismatch. If the mismatch is above a predetermined level, the drive motor direction is reversed for a predetermined time interval, and forward operation restored after the predetermined time interval; and the sequence of repeating the reversing and restoring operations is continued until the position difference or mismatch no longer exceeds the predetermined difference threshold.

A guide tube pitch adjustment apparatus for aligning distal ends of lance guide tubes in registry with tube openings in a heat exchanger tube sheet is disclosed. A guide tube pitch clamp assembly carried within and supported from a housing. The pitch clamp assembly has at least two V-blocks fastened to a threaded rod. One V-block is fastened to a portion of the threaded rod having right hand threads, and another V-block is fastened to another portion of the threaded rod having left hand threads. Each of the V-blocks supports a portion of one of the guide tubes, and a cross bar clamp within the housing is oriented to span across the V-blocks and adjustably hold the portions of the guide tubes in a spaced relationship such that spacing between the distal ends of adjacent guide tubes may be adjusted by rotation of the threaded rod.

A flexible lance drive device is disclosed that has, in a compact housing, a drive motor between an inner and an outer wall, a linear array of pairs of driven upper and lower drive rollers outside the outer wall coupled to the drive motor via shafts extending through both of the inner and outer walls. Each driven roller is fastened to its shaft via a quick release device. A drive sprocket is fastened to each shaft outside the inner wall. The drive motor is coupled to each of the drive sprockets via a serpentine belt carried outside the inner wall. The lower driven rollers are rotatably carried by the inner and outer walls. The upper driven rollers are rotatably carried by a block positioned between the inner and outer walls and coupled to the lower driven rollers by a pair of parallel links releasably biased by a piston driven linkage.

A guide tube pitch adjustment apparatus for aligning distal ends of lance guide tubes in registry with tube openings in a heat exchanger tube sheet is disclosed. A guide tube pitch clamp assembly carried within and supported from a housing. The pitch clamp assembly has at least two V-blocks fastened to a threaded rod. One V-block is fastened to a portion of the threaded rod having right hand threads, and another V-block is fastened to another portion of the threaded rod having left hand threads. Each of the V-blocks supports a portion of one of the guide tubes, and a cross bar clamp within the housing is oriented to span across the V-blocks and adjustably hold the portions of the guide tubes in a spaced relationship such that spacing between the distal ends of adjacent guide tubes may be adjusted by rotation of the threaded rod.

A cleaning device for a combustion boiler, comprising a high-temperature-resistant cleaning hose for feeding a cleaning medium into the combustion boiler, a hose reel which can be rotated about a first axis of rotation, wherein the cleaning hose can be wound at least partially in said reel, and wherein the hose reel comprises an opening through which the cleaning hose can be guided during winding or unwinding parallel to the first axis of rotation.

A flexible lance drive device is disclosed that has, in a compact housing, a drive motor between an inner and an outer wall, a linear array of pairs of driven upper and lower drive rollers outside the outer wall coupled to the drive motor via shafts extending through both of the inner and outer walls. Each driven roller is fastened to its shaft via a quick release device. A drive sprocket is fastened to each shaft outside the inner wall. The drive motor is coupled to each of the drive sprockets via a serpentine belt carried outside the inner wall. The lower driven rollers are rotatably carried by the inner and outer walls. The upper driven rollers are rotatably carried by a block positioned between the inner and outer walls and coupled to the lower driven rollers by a pair of parallel links releasably biased by a piston driven linkage.

An apparatus for sensing an obstruction within a tube being cleaned and repetitively advancing and retracting a flexible high pressure fluid cleaning lance within the tube is disclosed. The method includes sensing a pneumatic supply pressure to a pneumatic lance drive motor at the motor during forward operation, sensing a pneumatic discharge pressure at the drive motor during forward operation, determining a difference between the pressures, comparing the difference to a predetermined difference threshold; reversing the drive motor direction for a predetermined time interval if the difference exceeds the threshold, and restoring forward operation after the predetermined time interval; and repeating the reversing and restoring operations until the difference no longer exceeds the predetermined difference threshold.

A heat exchanger tube cleaning assembly and method is provided. The assembly can allow for semi-automated tube cleaning of a heat exchanger or other piping or equipment used in an industrial facility such as, for example, a petrochemical plant or oil refinery.