I. Core Principle
Utilizing elastic sponge rubber balls with a diameter 1-2 mm larger than the internal diameter of the condenser cooling tubes (wet density 1.0-1.1), the balls are compressed through the tube bundle by the pressure difference at the inlets and outlets of the circulating water, removing scale, biological sludge, and suspended matter from the tube walls by friction. After cleaning, the balls are collected by a ball collection net and pumped back to the ball storage room for reuse, achieving a closed-loop recycling process; the entire process requires no downtime or load reduction.
Section 2: Main Components
Ball Loading Room: Operation unit for loading, collecting, replacing, and observing balls, equipped with a switch valve and an exhaust valve.
Ball Catching Net: Installed on the condenser's water outlet side, intercepts rubber balls and can switch to backwashing position for cleaning the net surface; ball collection rate required to be ≥95%.
Secondary Filter: Removes large particles from coolant to prevent clogging and ball jamming.
Rubber Ball Transfer Pump (Obstacle-Free Centrifugal Pump): Non-damaging to rubber balls, providing recirculating power.
Divertor + Valve Pipeline: Evenly distributes rubber balls, switches process flow.
Electrical / PLC Control Cabinet: Achieves automatic ball insertion, timed cleaning, ball collection monitoring, and fault alarms.
Section 3: Standard Workflow
Pack the balls (usually around 10% of the number of cooling tubes), exhaust and establish a circulation path.
Ball receiver net cut to receiving position; start the rubber ball pump.
The gel balls enter the circulating water inlet from the ball loading room, are washed by the pipe bundles, and then intercepted by the ball collection net.
The胶球pump draws the balls back into the ball chamber, repeating the cycle.
After cleaning, backwash the ball collection net, and recover all the rubber balls back to the ball storage room for standby.
4. Application Scenarios & Advantages
Applicable to steam turbines condensers for thermal power plants, nuclear power plants, large-scale chemical plants, and steel mills (copper tubes/titanium tubes/stainless steel tubes).
Advantages: Online operation without affecting turbine output; physical cleaning with no chemical contamination; significantly improves condenser vacuum and reduces coal consumption; extends heat exchanger tube lifespan, and reduces the frequency of shutdown chemical cleaning.
Limitations: Limited effectiveness on hard/dense scale; requires chemical cleaning pretreatment. Catch rate is significantly affected by mesh condition and aging of rubber balls.
V. Selection and Maintenance Points
Gel Ball Selection: Standard Soft Gel Balls (daily scale prevention), Silicon Carbide Gel Balls (mild descaling); Regularly inspect gel ball diameter and elasticity; replace promptly if aging or damaged.
Ball Collection Rate Management: Regular backwashing of the ball collection net and secondary filter to prevent debris clogging; investigate if the collection rate falls below 90%.
Regular inspections: No abnormal vibration or noise from the gel ball pump; no leakage from valves; control cabinet parameters normal; perform system switching and function tests on a periodic basis.
Antifreeze and Corrosion Resistance: Drain all standing water before winter shutdown to prevent cracking; use high-corrosion-resistant stainless steel materials for seawater conditions.
