Hydro-mechanical cleaning of furnace coils and pipelines is a method of step-by-step cleaning of the inner surface of the coil of a tubular furnace or pipeline due to the mechanical action of special cleaning shells pushed by a stream of water.
The essence of the method consists in the repeated advancement of the cleaning projectile (scraper) along the contour of the furnace coil from the starting-receiving device at the inlet to the starting-receiving device at the outlet. The scraper, having cleaning elements (spikes, bolts, brushes, etc.) on its surface, moves through the coil and, gradually, mechanically removes deposits from the inner surface. The advancement of the scraper is ensured by the impact of the water flow developed by the installation of hydro-mechanical cleaning. The separated deposits are removed from the coil cavity by a stream of water and collected in the receiving nets-traps of the installation or drained with waste water. Depending on the furnace design, hardness and amount of deposits, different types of cleaning shells are selected.
To date, the hydromechanical method is used worldwide as the main one for cleaning furnace coils of various technological installations in oil refining, chemical and other industries and allows achieving the following results:
-filling is carried out by pumping liquid by the pump of the hydro-mechanical cleaning unit into the coil cavity;
-after the completion of the filling process, the flow is flushed at high speed for a minute;
-survey ("Flow test") of water flow (gallon/min) and pressure (bar) indicators with entry in the reporting form.
-a soft test scraper is launched through the entire coil of the flow - to assess the patency inside the flow;
-according to the condition of the test scraper, the operator evaluates the contamination of the flow and develops an algorithm to start cleaning;
-the size of the starting cleaning scraper is determined and it is launched into the coil cavity;
-the operator makes sure that the first working scraper has passed through the entire flow coil.
-as cleaning is carried out, there is a gradual increase in the size of the scraper to the final one;
-the final standard size of the scraper is usually a scraper with a diameter exceeding the inner dimeter of the coil pipes, but not more than the standard size;
-based on a visual assessment of the color and composition of the water discharged after the passage of the scraper, the absence of coke particles in it, according to the condition of the working scraper, a decision is made to deliver the flow to the Customer;
-finishing parametric test. Indicators for water flow rate (flow rate) and pressure are compared with the initial data and entered into the form;
-the test scraper is launched through the entire flow coil, in the presence of the Customer's representative;
-based on the assessment of the condition of the scraper, the Customer accepts the result of the work.
- high-speed flushing of the "empty" coil and draining of water.
Our company owns its own laboratory for the development and production of scrapers. Using modern technologies in the field of hydro-mechanical cleaning and our own experience in carrying out work, we have developed and use our own cleaning materials.
The size range of scrapers (standardized in diameter) varies widely from 15 mm to 310 mm in diameter, with a gradation (step) along the dimensional grid of 6.35 mm.