A hydroblaster includes a carriage. A plurality of bearings is rotatably mounted to the carriage at a bottom portion of the carriage. A plurality of legs is mounted to the carriage at the bottom portion of the carriage. The plurality of legs extend downwardly from the bottom portion of the carriage past the plurality of bearings. A fluid conduit is disposed on the carriage at a top portion of the carriage. A first motor is mounted to the carriage at the top portion of the carriage. The first motor is coupled to the fluid conduit such that the first motor is operable to rotate the fluid conduit. A second motor is mounted to the carriage at the top portion of the carriage. The second motor is coupled to a gear positioned at the bottom portion of the carriage such that the second motor is operable to rotate the gear.

An apparatus for driving a flexible lance hose into and out of tubes in a heat exchanger tube sheet includes a housing and an upper endless belt drive assembly and a lower endless belt drive assembly spaced apart by a gap for receiving a flexible lance hose therein. One of the drive assemblies is fixed to the housing. The other drive assembly is movable within the housing toward and away from the one endless belt drive assembly. The apparatus further includes a drive motor fastened to the housing configured to engage at least one of the upper and lower endless belts and drive a flexible lance hose disposed in the gap.

A system for cleaning heat exchange tubes includes one or more cleaning robots that are assembled with the tubes. Each cleaning robot includes a housing having an opening extending therethrough for receiving one of the heat exchange tubes, a scraper blade extending into the opening of the housing, the scraper blade having an inner scraping edge that opposes the outer surface of one of the tubes, a wheel coupled with the housing for rolling over the outer surface of the tube, and a motor for driving rotation of the wheel to move the cleaning robot over the outer surface of the tube. The system includes a system controller with one or more microprocessors and one or more software programs for monitoring and controlling operation of the cleaning robots.

A device for driving a flexible lance for cleaning a heat exchanger duct or the like, includes a frame in which a driving mechanism is arranged for moving this flexible lance in a driving direction in the direction of an outlet opening. The driving mechanism is provided with a clamp member which can be clamped on the flexible lance and which is movable in the frame towards and away from this outlet opening. The clamp member is mounted on an endless drive element. The active part of the endless drive runs parallel to the driving direction. The drive mechanism further comprises at least one non-driven counter roller arranged opposite said clamp member. The lance is clamped between the clamp member and the counter roller.

A device for driving a flexible lance for cleaning a heat exchanger duct or the like, includes a frame in which a driving mechanism is arranged for moving this flexible lance in a driving direction in the direction of an outlet opening. The driving mechanism is provided with a clamp member which can be clamped on the flexible lance and which is movable in the frame towards and away from this outlet opening. The clamp member is mounted on an endless drive element. The active part of the endless drive runs parallel to the driving direction. The drive mechanism further comprises at least one non-driven counter roller arranged opposite said clamp member. The lance is clamped between the clamp member and the counter roller.

A system and an apparatus for positioning a plurality of flexible cleaning lances through tubes penetrating a tube sheet of a heat exchanger tube sheet, includes a smart lance tractor drive, a controller, and a tumble box connected to the controller operable to generate and/or distribute electrical power to the AC induction sensor from an air pressure source, supply electrical power to the controller and distribute pneumatic power to pneumatic motors for positioning the tractor drive on the positioner frame. The smart tractor drive includes sensors for detection of mismatch between expected and actual lance positions, sense lance insertion distance and lance removal and provide automated drive reversal operation to remove blockages within tubes being cleaned.

A system and an apparatus for positioning a plurality of flexible cleaning lances through tubes penetrating a tube sheet of a heat exchanger tube sheet, includes a smart lance tractor drive, a controller, and a tumble box connected to the controller operable to generate and/or distribute electrical power to the AC induction sensor from an air pressure source, supply electrical power to the controller and distribute pneumatic power to pneumatic motors for positioning the tractor drive on the positioner frame. The smart tractor drive includes sensors for detection of mismatch between expected and actual lance positions, sense lance insertion distance and lance removal and provide automated drive reversal operation to remove blockages within tubes being cleaned.

A machine comprising: a lance, the lance configured to clean insides of tubes; a guide way positioned near the tubes; a transversal drive support slidable on the guide way and configured to move the lance along the guide way towards an insertion head; a rotational drive coupled to the lance for controlling rotation of the lance; and a feeding system coupled to the lance, wherein the guide way forms at least one supporting lance channel over a length of the guide way, the at least one channel forming an enclosure from all sides for guiding the lance, whereby a part on the circumference of the enclosure is made of a flexible lip, which lip can be locally bent by deflectors travelling with the lance.

A machine comprising: a lance, the lance configured to clean insides of tubes; a guide way positioned near the tubes; a transversal drive support slidable on the guide way and configured to move the lance along the guide way towards an insertion head; a rotational drive coupled to the lance for controlling rotation of the lance; and a feeding system coupled to the lance, wherein the guide way forms at least one supporting lance channel over a length of the guide way, the at least one channel forming an enclosure from all sides for guiding the lance, whereby a part on the circumference of the enclosure is made of a flexible lip, which lip can be locally bent by deflectors travelling with the lance.

A system and an apparatus for positioning a plurality of flexible cleaning lances through tubes penetrating a tube sheet of a heat exchanger tube sheet, includes a smart lance tractor drive, a controller, and a tumble box connected to the controller operable to generate and/or distribute electrical power to the AC induction sensor from an air pressure source, supply electrical power to the controller and distribute pneumatic power to pneumatic motors for positioning the tractor drive on the positioner frame. The smart tractor drive includes sensors for detection of mismatch between expected and actual lance positions, sense lance insertion distance and lance removal and provide automated drive reversal operation to remove blockages within tubes being cleaned.