Product Details

I. Overview:

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

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

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

Section II: Spherical Ball Cleaning System Diagram

The胶球Cleaning System consists of a secondary filter, ball collection net, ball filling room,胶球pump, diverter, valves, pipelines, and electrical control equipment.

III. Working Principle:

Select an appropriate sponge rubber ball, with a wet-state diameter slightly larger than the cooling tube inner diameter (about 1-2mm), and a wet-state specific gravity similar to water. Insert the rubber ball into the ball chamber through the handhole, with a quantity approximately 10% of the condenser inlet water chamber copper tube count. Then, start the rubber ball pump and open the ball valves at both ends of the system. The rubber balls are driven into the condenser water chamber by the water flow at a slightly higher pressure at the circulation water inlet. Due to the rubber ball being a soft, elastic, and porous body, under the pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of the circulating water, it is compressed through the cooling tubes, cleaning the inner diameter once. The dirt on the tube inner wall is carried away with the water flow. The rubber balls, along with the circulating water, enter the ball collection net through the outlet pipe. Blocked by the collection net plate, the rubber balls are separated and pumped back to the ball chamber by the rubber ball pump, thereby continuously and automatically cleaning the condenser cooling tubes in a cyclic manner.

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 unit. It removes all debris larger than 6mm, playing a crucial role in ensuring the smooth flow of rubber balls and the normal operation of the condenser. For detailed working parameters and other information, refer to the "New Electric Rotating Backwash Secondary Filter" manual.

2. Ball Catcher: The ball catcher is a critical component of 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 collected, they are led out through a conduit from the ball catcher and returned to the ball loading room. Our factory's ball catcher features the current structural design, with its grate plate being rotatable. When the rubber ball unit is in operation, the grate plate is positioned for ball collection. When the cleaning unit is not in use, the grate plate can rotate to align with the water flow direction, reducing water resistance and also serving to clear debris from the grate plate.

The rotation positioning of the mesh board is executed by an electric actuator (for small ball catchers, manual control is applied). The correct positioning of the mesh board is crucial for ensuring the efficiency of the ball catchers.

3. Ball Loading Room

The ball filling room is a device in the胶ball cleaning system for adding, retrieving, storing balls, and observing the ball circulation. It is divided into Type I and Type II based on the ball storage volume, and into electric and manual types based on the user's requirements. When the control valve for switching the filling room operation is placed in the "Add Ball" position, the balls can freely and continuously circulate within the system. When the valve is set to the "Collect Ball" position, the balls are blocked inside the filling room, while the cooling water can still pass through, ensuring that all balls introduced into the circulation return to the filling room.

4. Gel Ball Pump

The rubber ball pump is the power source that continuously circulates rubber balls in the rubber ball cleaning system. Water flow from the dense ball intake net, after passing through the rubber balls, increases pressure and is sent into the cooling water pipes. This pump is a fixed, fault-free centrifugal pump with features like no ball clogging, no ball crushing, and minimal ball wear. Depending on different operating conditions, different parameter specifications of rubber ball pumps are selected. 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 pipes and significant resistance loss, a high-head pump should be selected to ensure normal ball circulation.

5. Operation Control Cabinet (CGK-Ⅱ)

(1) Employed with an HMI touch screen control, it's more advanced and rational with a low failure rate. (HMI human-machine interface touch screen and PLC)

(2) Achieve precise location control for more accurate and targeted detection, ensuring high recovery rate of the balls. The entire process is automated. It allows for long-distance control via a single cable (operation and monitoring).

6. Divertor

The分流器 is a three-way (pipe) valve. By switching the guide plate, it allows the ball to enter the condenser on the side that needs cleaning. It can also be used as a three-way pipe for the convergence of the ball collection net's outlet pipe and the divergence of the ball intake pipe.

V. Installation Instructions and Precautions:

Prior to the operation of the rubber ball cleaning unit, ensure the condenser water chamber and the interior walls of the copper tubes are thoroughly cleaned of hard scale. Replace any copper tubes with cracks or internal diameter deformities one by one to ensure unobstructed flow of rubber balls.

(2) Seal off all dead corners of the condenser individually to prevent ball clogs and ensure optimal cleaning results and recovery rate.

(3) The layout of the system piping should be simple, short, and straight, with the number of elbows minimized.

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

(5) Regularly inspect the ball room's rubber ball inventory, continuously replenish as needed, to meet cleaning requirements.

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

Is the ball collection grid panel in the collection position and properly in place?

b. Is there any debris in the condenser water chamber, blocking the cooling tube openings, and obstructing the path of the rubber balls?

c. Is the outlet pressure of the ball pump normal?