Tube cleaning and inspecting system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10514217-B2
Application number	US-201715494259-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2017
Priority date	Apr 22, 2016
Publication date	Dec 24, 2019
Grant date	Dec 24, 2019

Abstract

Systems and methods may utilize a two-axis stand configured with a locator moveable along two orthogonally oriented axes. The locator may scan a tube opening. A controller may position the locator and the two-axis stand to a) scan across a plurality of tube openings, b) locate the plurality of tube openings based on the scan, and c) activate a cleaning tool to clean tube interiors associated with respective tube openings. Control may be automated and/or based on user interaction with a user interface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for cleaning and inspecting one or more tubes forming a tube bundle, comprising:
a two-axis stand configured to translate a head parallel to a face plate of the tube bundle;
a locator mounted to the head and aligned to illuminate and receive reflected light from the face plate of the tube bundle; and
a puncher mounted to the head and oriented to insert and retract a cleaning tool into and out of one of the tubes.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to:
simultaneously translate the head across the face plate and operate the locator to generate scanned data,
calculate locations of the tubes from the scanned data,
translate the head to position the puncher in front of one of the tubes according to one of the calculated locations corresponding to said one of the tubes, and
control the puncher to insert the cleaning tool into said one of the tubes.

3. The system of claim 2 , the controller being further configured to:
activate the cleaning tool to clean said one of the tubes, and
control the puncher to retract the cleaning tool out of said one of the tubes.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein:
the locator and the puncher are mounted to the head with a known offset distance therebetween; and
the controller is further configured to calculate the locations of the tubes based on the known offset distance.

5. The system of claim 2 , the controller being further configured to verify a presence of said one of the tubes, after translating the head to position the puncher in front of said one of the tubes, by finding with the locator at least one of a top edge, a bottom edge, a left edge, and a right edge of said one of the tubes.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a hose configured to supply water to the puncher for spraying an interior of said one of the tubes; and
a shield configured to prevent water accumulating on the locator.

7. The system of claim 1 , the locator being a laser sensor having a laser configured to illuminate the face plate of the tube bundle with laser light and an optical sensor configured to receive the laser light reflected from the face plate of the tube bundle.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an inspection probe installable on the puncher to insert into said one of the tubes and to inspect an interior of said one of the tubes.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising the cleaning tool.

10. The system of claim 1 , the head including a feedback device configured to detect a position of the cleaning tool relative to the face plate of the tube bundle.

11. The system of claim 1 , the head including a gimbal that tilts to align the puncher with said one of the tubes.

12. A method that cleans and inspects one or more tubes forming a tube bundle, comprising:
determining locations of the tubes by simultaneously translating a head of a two-axis stand parallel to a face plate of the tube bundle and operating a locator mounted to the head;
translating the head to position a puncher mounted to the head in front of one of the tubes according to one of the determined locations corresponding to said one of the tubes; and
inserting a cleaning tool mounted to the puncher into said one of the tubes.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining locations includes determining a hole center and a diameter for each of the tubes.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
cleaning said one of the tubes by activating the cleaning tool; and
retracting the cleaning tool out of said one of the tubes after cleaning said one of the tubes.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising inspecting an interior of said one of the tubes using an inspection probe installed on the puncher.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein inspecting the interior of said one of the tubes includes inspecting said one of the tubes with the inspection probe before and after cleaning said one of the tubes.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising verifying a presence of said one of the tubes, after translating the head to position the puncher in front of said one of the tubes, by finding with the locator at least one of a top edge, a bottom edge, a left edge, and a right edge of said one of the tubes.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein operating the locator includes:
illuminating the face plate with laser light; and
detecting the laser light reflected from the face plate.

Assignees

• Univ Arizona

Inventors

• Wall Alan
• MCCRADY Daniel Craeg

Classifications

• F28G1/163

  from internal surfaces of heat exchange conduits · CPC title

• F28G1/08

  having scrapers, hammers, or cutters, e.g. rigidly mounted · CPC title

• B08B9/0436

  provided with mechanical cleaning tools, e.g. scrapers, with or without additional fluid jets (B08B9/045, B08B9/047 take precedence) · CPC title

• B08B9/043

  moved by externally powered mechanical linkage, e.g. pushed or drawn through the pipes · CPC title

• B08B9/04

  using cleaning devices introduced into and moved along the pipes · CPC title