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, come in two current 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 mesh filtration capability.

Section 2: Spherical Ball Cleaning System Diagram

The rubber ball cleaning system consists of a secondary filter, ball collection net, ball loading chamber, rubber ball pump, diverter, valves, pipelines, and electrical control equipment.

Section 3: Operating Principle:

Select appropriate sponge rubber balls, with a wet diameter slightly larger than the cooling tube inner diameter (about 1-2mm) and a wet specific gravity 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 carried into the condenser water chamber by the water flow at a slightly higher pressure at the water inlet. Due to the balls being a soft, elastic, and porous material, under the pressure difference between the circulating water inlets and outlets, they are compressed through the cooling tubes, scrubbing the inner diameter once. This removes the dirt from the tube walls and carries it out with the water flow. The balls then enter the collection net through the outlet pipe, where they are separated by the collection net plate and pumped back to the ball chamber by the ball pump, thus 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 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 working parameters and more information, refer to the manual for the "New Type Electrically Rotating Backwash Secondary Filter."

2. Ball Catcher: The ball catcher 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 capable of not losing or jamming balls. After the balls are collected, they are led out through the outlet pipe and returned to the ball loading room. Our factory's ball catcher features the latest design, with its grate plate being rotatable; during the operation of the rubber ball unit, the grate plate is positioned for ball collection. When the cleaning unit is not in operation, 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 and positioning of the web plate are executed by an electric actuator (the small ball collecting net is manually controlled). Whether the grid plate is in place is crucial for ensuring the collection efficiency of the ball collecting net.

3. Ball Loading 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 capacity of the balls, and into electric and manual types according to user requirements. When the switch valve controlling the operation status 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 inside the ball loading room, while the cooling water can still pass through, ensuring that all balls in circulation return to the ball loading room.

4. Ball pump

The rubber ball pump is the power source that drives the continuous circulation of rubber balls in the rubber ball cleaning system. Water flow from the dense 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 with features such as non-blocking, non-crushing of balls, and minimal wear on the balls. 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 pressure losses, 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 for enhanced efficiency and reduced failure rates. (HMI human-machine interface touch screen and PLC)

(2) Achieve precise location control for more accurate and thorough detection, ensuring a high recovery rate of the balls. The entire process is automated. It can be controlled remotely over long distances via a single cable (operation and monitoring).

6. Separator Valve

A分流器 is a three-way (pipe) valve. By switching its guide plates, it allows the ball to enter the condenser side that requires cleaning. It can also be used as a three-way pipe for the convergence of the ball collection net outlet pipes and the divergence of the ball intake pipes.

V. Installation Instructions and Precautions:

Prior to commissioning the rubber ball cleaning unit, first thoroughly clean the hard scale inside the condenser water chamber and copper tube walls, and replace any copper tubes with cracks or diameter deformation one by one to ensure smooth passage of the rubber balls.

(2) Seal off all dead-angle components of the condenser individually to prevent the hiding of gel balls, which may affect the cleaning effect and the recovery rate of the gel balls.

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

(4) Select the ball pump reasonably, ensuring sufficient flow rate and an outlet pressure slightly higher than the circulating water pressure (approximately 0.02 MPa or more).

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

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

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

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

c. Is the ball pump outlet pressure normal?