Automatic Tube Cleaning System

ATCS Sponge Ball Cleaner

Principle of Operation of ATCS Sponge Ball Cleaner

  • The computerized Controller (1) determines the activity sequence according to a predefined time-table.
  • Air valve (3) receives a command to open, and compressed air flows at high pressure from the compressor (2) into the Injector (5A).
  • The injector is then pressurised and in turn forces the water through the pipe in the centre. The balls in the Collector are pushed into the main pipe of the Heat Exchanger inlet. The Sensor (14) prevents any air infiltration into the cooling system.
  • The Sponge Balls are slightly bigger (by about 1mm) than the internal diameter of the tubings in the Heat Exchanger. The balls will wipe the surface clean, removing the sediments and preventing crystallisation.
  • The Sponge Balls will then be collected in the Ball Trap (6) at the outlet, and are reading for the next command.
  • The computerized controller commands the drain vale (4) to open. The compressed air is released from the Injector (5A) and the high flow of water from the Ball Trap (6) flows into the Collector (5B). The Sponge Balls are carried along with the water and squeezed against the screen in the upper part of the Collector. During this process the balls are self-cleaned.

Turbo Brushes


How it Works

The four-way valve automatically reverses water flow in the condenser for about thirty seconds, once every six hours. The valve fits into the condenser supply and return piping and is custom manufactured to suit any piping configuration.

Nylon-bristled brushes are propelled through the tubes with the reversed water flow. Working in conjunction with good chemical treatment, the brushes clean the tube walls to eliminate scale formation and fouling. Each brush is designed to have a 0.025-inch interference fit in the tube wall.

Open-ended low-pressure drop catch baskets are installed in the tube ends at the tube sheet to capture the brushes in the condenser heads. Removable end-clips allow for eddy-current testing and brush replacement, which is normally recommended every four to five years.