Air Cooling Island Cleaning Hydro Blasting Machine

 

Air cooling islands (ACIs) are critical equipment used to condense exhaust steam from steam turbines in large industrial facilities such as thermal power plants and chemical plants. Cooling is achieved through heat exchange between air and steam. Over long-term operation, they can be susceptible to reduced heat exchange efficiency due to dust accumulation, scaling, and clogging.

 

 

 

I. Core System Components

ACI cleaning systems are typically integrated devices, primarily consisting of the following components:

1. High-Pressure Water Supply Unit

- Comprising a high-pressure pump, water storage tank, and filter, these units provide a high-pressure water flow of 10-25 MPa (pressure adjustable based on the level of dirt), ensuring sufficient penetrating power.

- Some systems support hot water cleaning (50-80°C), enhancing the dissolution and removal of stubborn dirt such as oil and sticky deposits.

2. Spray Actuator

Mobile cleaning arm: Moves horizontally and vertically along the air-cooling island's heat sink (finned tube) array, covering a large cleaning area.

Specialized nozzles: Mostly fan-shaped or rotating, the spray angle precisely matches the fin pitch (typically 5-10mm), avoiding water waste and ensuring no dead spots in gaps.

Lifting/retracting mechanism: Adapts to the multi-layered structure of the air-cooling island (up to tens of meters in height), achieving full coverage of the finned tubes at all levels.

3. Intelligent Control System

Supports automatic programming of cleaning paths (such as zoned cleaning and reciprocating flushing). PLC-controlled cleaning arm movement speed, water pressure, and water volume reduce manual intervention.

Some systems are equipped with cameras and sensors for real-time monitoring of cleaning results to prevent missed or over-cleaning.

4. Auxiliary Facilities

Wastewater recovery unit: Collects dust-laden wastewater after cleaning, filters it through sedimentation, and recycles it, reducing water waste.

Safety protection components: Such as explosion-proof design for high-pressure piping, leakage protection, and windproof fixings (suitable for the open-air environment of the air-cooling island).

II. Advantages of Cleaning Air-Cooling Islands

Compared to traditional methods such as manual flushing and low-pressure water jets, the core advantages of professional cleaning systems are reflected in the following aspects:

1. Precision Cleaning and Adaptability to Complex Structures

The core heat exchange element of an air-cooling island is the "finned tube" (a steel tube with densely packed metal flakes, spaced only a few millimeters apart). Traditional cleaning methods can easily cause dust accumulation in the gaps due to dispersed water flow or insufficient pressure.

- The system uses customized nozzles and controllable water pressure (15-20 MPa) to precisely penetrate the gaps between the fins, removing obstructions such as dust, catkins, and bird droppings, achieving a cleaning coverage rate of over 95%.

- The mobile arm automatically moves according to the fin arrangement, avoiding missed cleaning or repeated operations during manual cleaning.

2. High efficiency and energy saving, reducing downtime

- A single system can clean 100-300 square meters of fin area per hour, 5-10 times more efficient than manual cleaning, significantly reducing unit downtime for maintenance (traditional manual cleaning of an air-cooling island may take 3-5 days, while system cleaning only takes 1-2 days).

- After cleaning, the heat transfer efficiency of the finned tubes is improved by 10%-30%, directly reducing turbine backpressure and coal consumption (according to estimates, for every 1% increase in air-cooling island heat transfer efficiency, unit coal consumption can decrease by approximately 0.3g/kWh).

3. Protect equipment and extend service life

- Controllable pressure: Prevents high-pressure water flow from impacting and deforming thin fins (traditional manual high-pressure water jets can easily damage fins due to improper operation).

- No chemical damage: Using clean water as the cleaning medium (with the addition of a neutral detergent if necessary), it avoids corrosion to metal pipes caused by acid or alkali cleaning, extending the life of the air-cooling island equipment (typically by 3-5 years).

4. Adaptable to Harsh Environments, Ensuring Operational Safety

Air-cooling islands are often located high in the open air (with the top platform tens of meters above the ground). Manual cleaning poses risks such as falls and injuries from high-pressure water rebound.

- The system can be remotely controlled or operated automatically, eliminating the need for operators to reach elevated work surfaces, minimizing safety hazards.

- Equipped with a windproof and rainproof design, it can operate stably in wind speeds ≤ Level 6 and is unaffected by outdoor weather (except for extreme downpours and lightning).

III. Applicable Cleaning Scenarios

1. Daily Preventative Cleaning

For seasonal dust accumulation (such as spring catkins and autumn leaf litter) and atmospheric dust deposits, regular cleaning (every 1-3 months) maintains heat exchange efficiency and prevents further clogging.

2. Heavy Fouling Cleaning

When the air-cooling island (ACI) exhibits the following problems due to prolonged cleaning, a deep system cleaning is required:

- Fin gaps clogged by oil (e.g., lubricant leaks) or sticky dust, resulting in poor heat dissipation;

- Ice scale and salt crystals left after winter freeze-thaw cycles (common in northern China), affecting spring startup efficiency.

3. Maintenance Cleaning

In conjunction with unit overhauls, a comprehensive cleaning of the ACI is performed to ensure optimal heat exchange for the next operating cycle.

 

Model	GYB-2 160/100
Pump Speed	366 rpm
High pressure pump	Triple plunger pump
	Pump head material: Stainelss steel
	Plunger material: stainless steel
	Pump speed:405rpm
	Plunger stock:95mm
Rate Pressure	100 bar / 1450 psi
Water flow	160 L/min
Plunger dia.	30mm
Electric motor drive	30kw, 3Phase, 380v/50Hz or 440v/60Hz
Diesel engine drive	50kw, 6-cylinder

 

 

 

IV. Application Value

The ACI cleaning system can directly improve unit operating efficiency through efficient cleaning:

- Reducing turbine backpressure by 0.5-2 kPa, corresponding to a 0.5%-2% increase in unit power generation efficiency;

- Reducing the need for reduced load operation due to poor heat exchange, potentially increasing power generation by millions of kWh annually;

- Reducing equipment maintenance frequency and costs, including the replacement costs associated with fin corrosion and blockage.

Therefore, this system is a key guarantee equipment for energy saving, consumption reduction and safe and stable operation of large industrial air cooling units.

 

 

 

 

1. Packing: Plywood packing

2. Shipping way: suggest deliver by sea

3. Delivery port: Qingdao Port; or deliver to any port you need

 

 

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