Ball-measuring system for self-cleaning heat exchanger

US4554965A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Taprogge Gesellschaft mbH · DE

Inventors

• Rolf Bochinski · Duisburg, DE
• Klaus Eimer · Ratingen, DE
• Alois Lange · Ratingen, DE
• Xuan Luong Nghiem · Krefeld, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 16, 1984
• Grant date: Nov 26, 1985
• Expiry date: Mar 16, 2004

Classification

• Technology area (CPC F): Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
• CPC primary: F28G1/12
• WIPO field: Thermal processes and apparatus
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A tube-type heat exchanger having inlet and output conduits and tubes connected therebetween, and a return conduit extending from the output to the inlet conduit is traversed by a coolant liquid from the intake to the output conduit through the tubes. Balls are released into the intake conduit from the return conduit and pass with the coolant through the tubes to clean same. These balls are trapped in the output conduit and introduced back into the return conduit where each ball's momentum is measured and an output corresponding thereto is generated. This output is compared with a set-point signal corresponding to minimum acceptable ball momentum, and any ball whose momentum is below the minimum momentum is withdrawn from the return conduit and replaced in the conduits with a fresh ball.