Product Details

I. Overview:

The Turbine Generator Unit's ball cleaning device is an equipment for effectively cleaning the condenser cooling tubes during operation. The performance of this device directly affects the cleanliness of the condenser and its heat transfer efficiency. Its application range is quite extensive, covering not only the condensers of turbine generators but also the cooling tube cleaning of fixed tube plate heat exchangers in the oil, chemical, and other industries. Operating continuously without reducing load, the device 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 enhancing the economic benefits of power plants and ensuring the safe operation of the condensers.

Our factory's rubber ball device is the updated and upgraded version of other rubber ball cleaning devices 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 efficiency.

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 unit.

Section 3: Working Principle:

Select appropriate sponge rubber balls, with the 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 manual access hole, with a quantity of approximately 10% of the copper tube count in the condenser water chamber. Next, start the ball pump and open the ball valves at both ends of the system. The balls are then driven by the slightly higher pressure water flow at the circulation water inlet into the condenser water chamber. As the balls are 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 of the tubes. This process carries the dirt on the tube walls out with the water flow. The balls, along with the circulating water, enter the collection net through the outlet pipe. Blocked by the collection net plate, the balls are separated and then pumped back to the ball chamber by the ball pump, thereby continuously and automatically cleaning the condenser cooling tubes in a cyclic manner.

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, 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 Type Electrically Rotating Reverse 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, ensuring it is leak-proof and ball-free. After the balls are collected, they are guided out through a pipe from the ball catcher 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 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 (the small ball-catching net is manually controlled). Whether the mesh board is in place is a crucial factor for ensuring the ball-catching efficiency of the ball-catching net.

3. Ball Loading Room

The ball loading room is a device in the rubber 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 storage capacity of the balls, and into electric and manual types according to user requirements. When the switch valve for controlling the operation status of the ball loading room is placed in the "load ball" position, the balls can freely and continuously circulate within the system. When the switch valve is placed in the "collect ball" position, the balls are blocked within the loading room, while the cooling water can still pass through, ensuring that all balls introduced into the circulation return to the ball loading room.

4. Spherical Pump

The rubber ball pump serves as the power source for the continuous circulation of rubber balls in the rubber ball cleaning system. Water flow extracted from the ball collection net, after passing through the rubber balls, increases the pressure head and is 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 conveying 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) 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. Single cable remote control (operation and monitoring) is achievable.

6. Divertor

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

V. Installation Instructions and Precautions:

Prior to the operation of the rubber ball cleaning device, thoroughly clean the condenser water chamber and the interior walls of the copper tubes, and replace any copper tubes with cracks or deformed inner diameters one by one to ensure smooth passage of the rubber balls.

(2) Seal all dead corners of the condenser one by one to prevent the hiding of ball valves, which affects the cleaning effect and the recovery rate of ball valves.

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

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

(5) Regularly check the ball room's胶球quantity, continuously replenish, to meet cleaning requirements.

(6) Regularly inspect the ball recovery rate. For instance, if the recovery rate is low, check the following three aspects.

Is the ball catch grid in the correct position and properly aligned?

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 outlet pressure of the ball pump normal?