Auto-indexing lance positioner apparatus and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11517947-B2
Application number	US-202017004934-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2020
Priority date	Oct 26, 2018
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

A system and an apparatus for positioning a plurality of flexible cleaning lances through tubes penetrating a tube sheet of a heat exchanger tube sheet, includes a smart lance tractor drive, a controller, and a tumble box connected to the controller operable to generate and/or distribute electrical power to the AC induction sensor from an air pressure source, supply electrical power to the controller and distribute pneumatic power to pneumatic motors for positioning the tractor drive on the positioner frame. The smart tractor drive includes sensors for detection of mismatch between expected and actual lance positions, sense lance insertion distance and lance removal and provide automated drive reversal operation to remove blockages within tubes being cleaned.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible high pressure fluid cleaning lance tractor drive apparatus comprising:
a housing configured to receive at least one flexible lance hose passing through the housing; and
a lance position assembly fastened to a rear wall of the housing, the lance position assembly comprising:
a sensor roller having a roller portion configured to engage the at least one flexible lance hose passing through the housing and a magnetic ring portion adjacent the roller portion;
an idler roller configured to press against the at least one flexible lance hose to maintain the at least one flexible lance hose engaged with the sensor roller; and
a magnetic sensor module fastened to the rear wall of the housing adjacent to the sensor roller operable to sense magnetic field fluctuations in the magnetic ring portion of the sensor roller as the sensor roller rolls along the at least one flexible lance hose.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the magnetic ring portion is a multipole magnetic ring.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the idler roller is pneumatically biased against the flexible lance hose.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising the lance position assembly including a second sensor roller for engaging a second flexible lance hose, the second sensor roller having a second magnetic ring portion, and a second idler roller configured to press against the second flexible lance hose to maintain the second flexible lance hose engaged with the second sensor roller.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising the lance position assembly including a third sensor roller for engaging a third flexible lance hose, the third sensor roller having a third magnetic ring portion, and a third idler roller configured to press against the third flexible lance hose to maintain the third flexible lance hose engaged with the third sensor roller.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the magnetic sensor module is operable to separately sense magnetic field fluctuations in each of the magnetic ring portion, the second magnetic ring portion, and the third magnetic ring portion as the sensor rollers roll along each respective flexible lance hose.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the magnetic sensor module sends sensed separate magnetic field fluctuation signals to a hand held controller for processing.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a crimp and lance stop assembly removably fastened to the housing, the crimp and lance stop assembly including an induction stop sensor having at least one bore therethrough fastened to a lance guide tube support receiving the at least one flexible lance hose therethrough, wherein the induction stop sensor is configured to sense presence of a flexible lance hose end crimp when the flexible lance hose end crimp enters the at least one bore.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 further comprising the induction stop sensor having three bores therethrough each configured to separately sense presence of a flexible lance hose end crimp entering the respective through bore.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a lance stop block removably fastened to an exterior of the rear wall of the housing, the lance stop block including a first removable induction stop sensor having at least one bore therethrough fastened to the lance stop block configured to receive the at least one flexible lance hose therethrough, wherein the first removable induction stop sensor is configured to sense presence of a hose stop element when a portion of the hose stop element enters the at least one bore.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising a crimp and lance stop assembly removably fastened to a front wall of the housing, the crimp and lance stop assembly including another removable induction stop sensor having at least one bore therethrough fastened to a lance guide tube support receiving the at least one flexible lance hose therethrough, wherein the another removable induction stop sensor is configured to sense presence of a flexible lance hose end crimp when a flexible lance hose end crimp enters the at least one bore through the another removable induction stop sensor.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the first removable induction stop sensor and the another removable stop sensor are identical.

13. A flexible high pressure fluid cleaning lance tractor drive apparatus comprising:
a housing configured to receive at least one flexible lance hose passing through the housing; and
a crimp and lance stop assembly fastened to the housing, the crimp and lance stop assembly including an induction stop sensor having at least one bore therethrough fastened to a lance guide tube support fastened to the housing, the at least one bore configured to receive the at least one flexible lance hose therethrough, wherein the induction stop sensor is configured to sense presence of a flexible lance hose end crimp when the flexible lance hose end crimp on the at least one flexible lance hose passing through the housing enters the at least one bore.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 further comprising the induction stop sensor having three bores therethrough each configured to receive the at least one flexible lance hose therethrough and to separately sense presence of a flexible lance hose end crimp on the at least one flexible lance hose entering that one of the three bores.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13 further comprising a lance stop block fastened to an inlet wall of the housing configured to detect presence of a flexible lance hose stop element fastened to the at least one flexible lance hose.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the lance stop block fastened to the inlet wall of the housing carries another induction sensor configured to detect the flexible lance hose stop element.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the flexible lance hose stop element comprises an elongated body configured to wrap around and grip the at least one flexible lance hose, the elongated body having a first half and a second half removably fastenable together via threaded fasteners, each half having a cylindrical stop portion having a first outer diameter and a shoulder extension portion having a different outer diameter less than the first outer diameter to enable the shoulder extension portion to slidably extend within the lance stop block on the lance drive apparatus and prevent passage of the cylindrical stop portion into the lance stop block.

18. A flexible high pressure fluid cleaning lance tractor drive apparatus comprising:
a housing;
at least one drive motor in the housing configured to frictionally grip one or more flexible lance hoses passing through the housing, each of the one or more flexible lance hoses passing through the housing having a distal end and a flexible lance hose end crimp adjacent the distal end; and
a crimp and lance stop assembly fastened to the housing, the crimp and lance stop assembly including a removable induction stop sensor having one or more bores therethrough, wherein each of the one or more bores is configured to receive one of the one or more flexible lance hoses therein, and wherein the removable induction stop sensor is configured to sense presence of the flexible lance hose end crimp when the flexible lance hose end crimp enters the one of the one or more bores.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18 further comprising two flexible lance hoses pa

Assignees

• Stoneage Inc

Inventors

• Schneider Joseph A
• Markham Adam Christopher
• Howell Scott
• Szabo Daniel
• Montoya Cody
• Barnes Jeffery R
• Hanley Cooper

Classifications

• B08B9/04

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

• F28G15/003

  Control arrangements · CPC title

• F28G15/08

  Locating position of cleaning appliances within conduits · CPC title

• F28G1/163 Primary

  from internal surfaces of heat exchange conduits · CPC title

• B08B9/0433 Primary

  provided exclusively with fluid jets as cleaning tools · CPC title