Patent ID: 7017592

Claim:
A method of washing the heat sink media in a selected regenerative heat exchanger of a Regenerative Fume Incinerator while the remaining regenerative heat exchangers of the Regenerative Fume Incinerator are on-line with the process, the selected regenerative heat exchanger having an upper section and a lower section, and at least one spray pipe installed in between the upper and lower sections, the spray pipe connected to a source of cleaning fluid, the spray orifices on the spray pipe being directed towards an upper surface of the lower section of the heat sink media within the selected regenerative heat exchanger, the method comprising the following steps: (a) cooling the lower section of the heat sink media of the selected regenerative heat exchanger to a pre-set temperature less than 500 degrees Fahrenheit by passing a process gas through the selected regenerative heat exchanger, while maintaining the other regenerative heat-exchangers in their normal on-line operating modes of operation; (b) stopping the flow of the process gas through the selected regenerative heat exchanger; and (c) introducing the cleaning fluid into the spray-pipe of the selected regenerative heat-exchanger to wash the upper surface of the lower section of the heat sink media.