Synopsis
A large heat exchanger bundle at an asphalt plant had been idle for four months with hardened residue that other contractors could not remove with hydroblasting. In six hours, Blue Wolf’s EMBC bundle cleaning technology fully cleaned and tested the unit, returning the heat exchanger to maximum efficiency.
The asphalt plant had historically cleaned the bundle using contract hydroblasting. The contractors hydro blasted the test bundle for six days but were unable to remove the fouling. This resulted in an incomplete shell-side cleaning, and extensive fouling of the cement pad the bundle was sitting on.
The bundle then sat idle for four months while asphalt residue hardened and the pad further deteriorated.
Solution
The Blue Wolf team brought our Enclosed Mobile Bundle Cleaner (EMBC) unit to the plant. This unit uses high volume flow (up to 1,500 gpm) of cleaning agent in an enclosed machine. The solution is heated and moderately pressurized and pumped through more than 400 spray jets while the bundle is constantly rotated.
The jets, coupled with the constant rotation of the bundle, provide constant contact with the cleaning agent down both sides.
Results
Within 6 hours Blue Wolf loaded the bundle into our EMBC, enclosed, cleaned and then tested the unit. Blue Wolf then cleaned and vac-truck emptied the area. The cleaned unit was returned to 100% efficiency and the customer estimated a payback period of less than a year plus on-going energy savings.
