A system and method for cleaning of heat exchanger tubes including an assembly, an indexer and a communication device provided with specialized software and programming. The indexer includes orthogonally arranged first and second arms. A trolley and sensors are provided on the indexer arms. One or more lances are provided on the trolley to deliver water jets into the openings. Sensors measure displacement as the trolley is moved relative to the heat exchanger's face plate. An operator controls the system from a distance away using the communication device. During setup, the pattern of the face plate is learned and mapped utilizing information from the sensors as one of the inputs. This information is utilized to help navigate the face plate during a subsequent cleaning operation. A kit for retrofitting existing X-Y indexers is also disclosed.

Disclosed is a cleaning system (1) for cleaning the plate channels (2) in a plate heat exchanger (3) during normal use of the heat exchanger (3), wherein the heat exchanger (3) comprises an inflow channel (4) through which a fluid enters the heat exchanger (3) and an outflow channel (5) through which the fluid exits the heat exchanger (3). A stack (6) of heat exchanger plates (7) is arranged between the inflow channel (4) and the outflow channel (5) so that the heat exchanger plates (7) form plate channels (2) between the inflow channel (4) and the outflow channel (5) through which the fluid may pass. The cleaning system (1) comprises # a bypass conduit (8) arranged to establish a bypass flow of the fluid between the inflow channel (4) and the outflow channel (5) bypassing the stack (6) of heat exchanger plates (7), # a cleaning head (9) comprising a cleaning aperture (10) connected to the bypass conduit (8), wherein the cleaning aperture (10) is arranged to face the stack (6) of heat exchanger plates (7) during normal use of the cleaning head (9) in the heat exchanger (3),displacement means (11) arranged to displace the cleaning head (9) linearly in a displacement direction in the inflow channel (4) or the outflow channel (5), and pressure altering means (12) arranged to alter the pressure in the bypass conduit (8), wherein the projected area (13) of the cleaning head (9) in the displacement direction is smaller than the cross-sectional area in the displacement direction of the inflow channel (4) or the outflow channel (5) in which the cleaning head (9) is placed to allow the fluid to pass the cleaning head (9) in the inflow channel (4) or the outflow channel (5). Furthermore, a plate heat exchanger (3) and a method for cleaning the plate channels (2) in a plate heat exchanger (3) is disclosed.

The present disclosure relates generally to water jet equipment. Specifically, water jet equipment that includes a support frame comprised of a plurality of stackable trolleys that support a plurality of lances as those lances are inserted into and withdrawn from heat exchanger tubes during a cleaning operation of the same. A method of cleaning elongated tubes by positioning and rotating the lances while moving in a first direction is further provided.

The present disclosure relates generally to water jet equipment. Specifically, water jet equipment that includes a support frame comprised of a plurality of stackable trolleys that support a plurality of lances as those lances are inserted into and withdrawn from heat exchanger tubes during a cleaning operation of the same. A method of cleaning elongated tubes by positioning and rotating the lances while moving in a first direction is further provided.

A method and apparatus for manipulating a tool within the secondary side of a steam generator having a tube sheet with a tube bundle having a plurality of heat exchange tubes extending from the tube sheet in rows with an annulus extending around the heat exchange tubes on a periphery of the tube bundle, between the tubes and a wrapper which surrounds the tube bundle. A robot is introduced into the annulus and extends a probe with a tool across selected lanes between the rows of tubes. A method and apparatus is also disclosed for cleaning sludge from the top of a tube sheet that includes introducing a moveable suction apparatus having attached vacuum inlets into either the no tube lane or the circumferential annulus and sludge vacuuming the top of the tube sheet.

A method and apparatus for manipulating a tool within the secondary side of a steam generator having a tube sheet with a tube bundle having a plurality of heat exchange tubes extending from the tube sheet in rows with an annulus extending around the heat exchange tubes on a periphery of the tube bundle, between the tubes and a wrapper which surrounds the tube bundle. A robot is introduced into the annulus and extends a probe with a tool across selected lanes between the rows of tubes. A method and apparatus is also disclosed for cleaning sludge from the top of a tube sheet that includes introducing a moveable suction apparatus having attached vacuum inlets into either the no tube lane or the circumferential annulus and sludge vacuuming the top of the tube sheet.

A heat exchanger cleaning system is disclosed which is capable of determining the position of a lance within a tube bundle of a heat exchanger core. The system comprises a lance for directing a jet of fluid into spaces between the tubes of the bundle, an arm mounted alongside the lance and movable relative thereto, an abutment mounted to an end of the arm to sense an outer surface of the heat exchanger core, and a transducer for measuring the position of the lance relative to the arm to determine the extent of travel of the tip of the lance beyond the front face of the tube bundle.

An automatic washing apparatus for a heat exchanger is proposed. The automatic washing apparatus is configured to recognize positions of tube holes through a camera, and to automatically wash the tube holes. The automatic washing apparatus is also configured to be able to automatically wash an external bundle and internal tubes of a heat exchanger in accordance with set operation patterns of an external washing module and an internal washing module, and to be able to reuse washing water used for washing a heat exchanger as washing water by reprocessing the washing water.

The present disclosure relates generally to water jet equipment. Specifically, water jet equipment that includes a support frame comprised of a plurality of stackable trollies that support a plurality of lances as those lances are inserted into and withdrawn from heat exchanger tubes during a cleaning operation of the same. A method of cleaning elongated tubes by positioning and rotating the lances while moving in a first direction is further provided.

The present disclosure relates generally to water jet equipment. Specifically, water jet equipment that includes a support frame comprised of a plurality of stackable trollies that support a plurality of lances as those lances are inserted into and withdrawn from heat exchanger tubes during a cleaning operation of the same. A method of cleaning elongated tubes by positioning and rotating the lances while moving in a first direction is further provided.