Product Details

I. Overview:

The ball cleaner is a device used for effectively cleaning the condenser cooling tubes in steam turbine generators during operation. The performance of this device directly impacts the cleanliness of the condenser and its heat transfer efficiency. Its application range is quite extensive, covering not only condensers of steam turbines but also cooling tube cleaning for fixed tube sheet heat exchangers in the oil, chemical, and other industries. Under continuous operation without reducing load, the device can be deployed at any time, ensuring the cleanliness of the cooling tubes, extending their service life, reducing labor intensity, and is essential for improving the economic benefits of power plants and ensuring the safe operation of condensers.

Our factory's rubber ball device is a replacement for other rubber ball cleaning devices currently available. The main components, the secondary filter and the ball collection net, come in two current models. 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 screen filtration capability.

Section II: Ball Cleaning System Diagram

The rubber ball cleaning system consists of a secondary filter, ball collection net, ball filling room, rubber ball pump, manifold, valves, pipelines, and electrical control unit.

III. Working Principle:

Select 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. Place the balls into the ball chamber through the handhole, with a quantity of 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 are driven into the condenser water chamber by the water flow under slightly higher pressure at the water inlet. As the balls are a soft, elastic, porous material, they are compressed through the cooling tubes under the pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of the circulating water, scrubbing the inner diameter of the tubes. The dirt inside the tubes is carried away with the water flow. The balls, along with the circulating water, enter the ball collection net through the outlet pipe. Blocked by the collection net plate, the balls are separated and then extracted by the ball pump back to the ball chamber, thus continuously and automatically cleaning the condenser cooling tubes in a cyclic process.

IV. Components of the Gel Ball Cleaning Unit:

1. Secondary Filter: The secondary filter is one of the main equipment in the cooling water purification system. 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 manual for "New Type Electrically Rotating Reverse Jet Secondary Filter."

2. Catching Net: The catching net is a crucial 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 leak-proof and ball-free. After the balls are collected, they are guided out through a pipeline from the catching net back to the ball loading room. Our factory's catching net features the latest design, with its grate panel being rotatable; during the operation of the rubber ball device, the grate panel is in the catching position. When the cleaning device is not in use, the grate panel can rotate to align with the water flow direction; this not only reduces water resistance but also serves to clear debris from the grate panel.

The rotation and positioning of the web plate are executed by an electric actuator (the small ball collecting net is manually controlled). Whether the grate plate is in place is a crucial factor for ensuring the ball collection efficiency of the net.

3. Ball Charging Room

The ball loading chamber is a device in the rubber ball cleaning system for adding, removing, storing balls, and observing the ball circulation. It is divided into Type I and II based on the storage capacity of the balls, and into electric and manual types according to the user's requirements. When the switch valve is placed in the "feed ball" position, balls can freely and continuously circulate within the system. When the switch valve is in the "collect ball" position, balls are blocked within the loading chamber, allowing cooling water to pass through, and all balls introduced into the circulation return to the loading chamber.

4. Spherical Ball Pump

The rubber ball pump is the power source that drives the continuous circulation of rubber balls in the rubber ball cleaning system. The water flow from the ball intake net, after passing through the rubber balls, increases the pressure head and is sent into the cooling water pipes. This pump is a fixed, trouble-free centrifugal pump, featuring no ball clogging, no ball breaking, 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 conveying pipelines and significant resistance loss, a high-head pump should be selected to ensure the normal circulation of the balls.

5. Operation Control Cabinet (CGK-Ⅱ)

(1) Utilizing HMI touch screen control, 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 a high recovery rate of 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 pipe and the divergence of the ball intake pipe.

V. Installation Instructions and Precautions:

Prior to the operation of the rubber ball cleaning device, first thoroughly clean the condenser water chamber and the inner walls of the copper tubes, replacing any copper tubes with cracks or internal diameter deformation to ensure the rubber balls flow unobstructed.

(2) Seal off all dead corners of the condenser one by one to prevent the hiding of rubber balls, which can affect cleaning efficiency and the recovery rate of rubber balls.

(3) The system piping layout should be simple, short, and straight, with as few bends 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 (approximately 0.02 MPa or more).

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

(6) Regularly check the recovery rate, such as: if the recovery rate is too low, investigate the following three aspects.

a. Is the ball receiver grid in the receiving position and properly aligned?

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

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