Power plant rubber ball cleaning

Product Details

I. Overview:

The ball cleaning device is an equipment used to effectively clean the condenser cooling tubes of a steam turbine generator set during operation. The performance of this device directly affects the cleanliness and heat transfer efficiency of the condenser. Its applicability is quite extensive, as it not only suits the condensers of steam turbines but also the cooling tubes of fixed tube sheet heat exchangers in the oil, chemical, and other industries. Operating continuously without reducing load, this device can be put into use at any time, maintaining the cleanliness of the cooling tubes, extending their lifespan, reducing labor intensity, and is indispensable for enhancing the economic benefits of power plants and ensuring the safe operation of condensers.

Our factory's rubber ball device is the upgraded replacement for other rubber ball cleaning devices currently available. The main components, the secondary filter and the ball collection net, come in two current types. It features the following characteristics:

1. Innovative and rational design structure; 2. Easy to operate; 3. High胶球 recovery rate (≥96%); 4. Strong secondary filter efficiency.

Section II: Schematic of Gel Ball Cleaning System

The胶球Cleaning System consists of a secondary filter, ball collection net, ball loading chamber,胶球pump, manifold, valves, pipelines, and electrical control equipment.

III. Working Principle:

Select the appropriate sponge rubber balls, with a wet diameter slightly larger than the cooling tube inner diameter (about 1-2mm) and having a wet density similar to water. Insert the balls from the ball chamber manual opening into the chamber, with a quantity approximately 10% of the condenser water chamber copper tube count. Then, start the ball pump and open the ball valves at both ends of the system. The balls will be carried into the condenser water chamber by the water flow with slightly higher pressure at the circulation water inlet. As the balls are a soft, elastic, porous body, under the action of the pressure difference between the circulation water inlets and outlets, they are compressed through the cooling tubes, cleaning the inner diameter once. This removes the dirt inside the tubes along with the water flow. The balls then enter the collection net through the outlet pipe, where they are separated by the grid of the collection net. They are then pumped out by the ball pump and returned to the ball chamber, thus continuously and automatically cleaning the condenser cooling tubes in a cyclic process.

IV. Components of the Gel Ball Cleaning Device:

1. Secondary Filter: The secondary filter is one of the main components of the cooling water purification system, effectively removing all debris larger than 6mm. It plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth flow of rubber balls and the normal operation of the condenser. For detailed operational parameters and other information, refer to the manual for the "New Electrically Operated Rotating Jet Secondary Filter."

2. Ball Catcher: The ball catcher is a crucial component in the rubber ball cleaning system, installed on the condenser outlet pipe section. Its function is to separate rubber balls from the cooling water, and it must be capable of not leaking or jamming balls. After the balls are recovered, they are led out through a conduit from the ball catcher and returned to the ball filling room. Our factory's ball catcher features the current structural design, with its grid plate being rotatable; during the operation of the rubber ball device, the grid plate is in the ball collection position. When the cleaning device is not in operation, the grid plate can rotate to a position aligned with the water flow direction; this not only reduces water resistance but also serves to clear debris from the grid plate.

The rotation and positioning of the mesh plate are executed by an electric actuator (the small ball-catching net is manually controlled). Whether the mesh plate is in place is a crucial factor in ensuring the efficiency of the ball-catching net.

3. Ball Charging Room

The ball loading room is a device in the胶球 cleaning system used for adding, retrieving, storing balls, and observing the ball circulation. It is divided into Type I and II based on the storage volume of the balls, and into electric and manual types according to the user's requirements. When the switch valve controlling the operation of the ball loading room is set to the "ball in" position, the balls can freely and continuously circulate within the system. When the switch valve is set to the "ball out" position, the balls are blocked within the loading room, allowing cooling water to pass through, with all balls in circulation returning to the ball loading room.

4. Spherical Ball Pump

The rubber ball pump serves as the power source for the continuous circulation of rubber balls in the rubber ball cleaning system. The water flow, extracted from the ball intake net and passing through the rubber balls, increases pressure and is then sent into the cooling water pipes. This pump is a fixed, fault-free centrifugal pump, featuring non-clogging, non-crushing of balls, and minimal wear on the balls. Different rubber ball pumps with varying parameter specifications are selected based on different operating conditions. For small condensers and heat exchanger systems, a low-flow pump should be chosen to reduce hot water backflow; for systems with long rubber ball conveyance pipelines and significant resistance losses, a high-head pump should be selected to ensure the normal circulation of the balls.

5. Operation Control Cabinet (CGK-Ⅱ)

(1) Utilizes advanced and rational HMIs for touch screen control, with a low failure rate. (HMI human-machine interface touch screen and PLC)

(2) Achieve precise location control for more accurate and thorough detection, ensuring high recovery rates for the balls. The entire process is automated. Long-distance control (operation and monitoring) via a single cable is achievable.

6. Divertor

The分流器 is a three-way (pipe) valve. It allows the ball to enter the condenser side requiring cleaning by switching the guide plate. It can also be used as a three-way pipe for the convergence of the ball collection net outlet pipes and the分流 of the collection tubes.

V. Installation Instructions and Precautions:

Prior to the commissioning of the rubber ball cleaning unit, ensure that the condenser water chamber and the inner walls of the copper tubes are thoroughly cleaned of hard scale, and replace any copper tubes with cracks or deformed inner diameters one by one to ensure smooth passage of the rubber balls.

(2) Seal off all blind spots of the condenser one by one to prevent the ball from hiding, ensuring the cleaning effect and the recovery rate of the ball.

(3) The system pipeline layout should be simple, short, and straight, with as few elbows as possible.

(4) Select the ball pump rationally; ensure it has sufficient flow and the outlet pressure is slightly higher than the circulating water pressure (about 0.02 MPa or more).

(5) Regularly check the ball room's rubber ball inventory and continuously replenish to meet cleaning requirements.

(6) Regularly inspect the collection rate; for instance, if the recovery rate is low, check the following three aspects.

Are the ball catch grating in the receiving position and properly in place?

b. Is there any debris in the condenser water chamber, blocking the openings of the cooling pipes, and hindering the passage of the rubber balls?

c. Is the ball pump's outlet pressure normal?