Patent ID: 11933556
Assignee: USA DEBUSK LLC
Field: Thermal processes and apparatus (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F | IPC F

Claim 13:
14. A method of vapor blast cleaning tubes of a tube bundle comprising:
securing nozzles in a nozzle holder of a nozzle positioning system in a nozzle arrangement corresponding to an arrangement of tubes of a tube bundle, a nozzle holder positioning system configured to move the nozzle holder and the nozzles secured therein relative to the tube bundle in a first dimension, a second dimension, and a third dimension to position outlets of the nozzles into engagement with inlets of tubes of the tube bundle such that the nozzles are positioned to direct a cleaning fluid comprising a mixture of water vapor and media into the inlets of the tubes of the tube bundle while the inlets of the tubes of the tube bundle are engaged by the outlets of the nozzles to provide a vapor blast cleanse of the tubes of the tube bundle;
conducting a tube engage operation comprising controlling the nozzle holder positioning system to move the nozzle holder in the third dimension to advance the outlets of the nozzles into engagement with inlets of a set of tubes of the tube bundle;
conducting a tube cleaning operation comprising directing cleaning fluid comprising a mixture of water vapor and media into the inlets of the set of tubes by way of the outlets of the nozzles engaged with the inlets of the set of tubes of the tube bundle;
conducting a tube disengage operation comprising controlling the nozzle holder positioning system to move the nozzle holder in the third dimension to retract the outlets of the nozzles to disengage the outlets of the nozzles from the inlets of the set of tubes of the tube bundle.