INDUSTRIAL HEAT EXCHANGER CLEANING: SAFE AND EFFICIENT.

The thermal exchange process in industrial heat exchangers often leads to a build up of stubborn deposits, which can harden and reduce flow, or even completely block the apparatus. Clean surfaces and unhindered material flow are, however, the basis for efficient production processes, which are required for constant production temperatures.

WOMA: Heat-Exchanger Cleaning

Free flow - Clean heat exchangers with ultra high-pressure cleaning

Process efficiency can be increased and at the same much energy saved by regular and residue-free cleaning of heat exchangers. Technical requirements and local conditions can vary greatly and are to be taken consistently into account there already in the planning of the cleaning:

  • Very large total surfaces with at times complicated geometric structure, e.g. U-shaped pipes or small-bore pipes with only 12 mm diameter
  • Wide range of deposits with often very hard cover layers
  • In some cases, internal and external cleaning is necessary
  • It is often not possible to clean the heat exchanger on the spot as there is too little space or there is no access. The heat exchanger must then be removed and transported to a wash bay
  • The cleaning task must be completed as quickly as possible so that production can be restarted immediately
  • Liquid media often contain dirt and baked-on components, e.g. carbonates, minerals, oxides, burned chemicals or deposits of oils and sulphites

Each cleaning method has its systemic benefits and drawbacks. High-pressure water jetting can however be used everywhere – for internal and external cleaning as well as for very different surfaces, media and coatings. In comparison, other cleaning methods have, in part, considerable drawbacks in terms of applicability, cleaning results and cost.

Chemical washing in acid baths is very complicated and requires enormous baths. Ultrasonic cleaning takes time and is not effective in reaching into indentations. Sandblasting is abrasive and involves high material and disposal costs. Mechanical drilling is complicated and only suitable for straight pipes.

Ultra-high-pressure technology is also the only method with which up to 250 kW hydraulic power can be applied, even in the smallest pipe diameters. A thorough cleaning out of stubborn deposits is therefore guaranteed.

WOMA: Heat-Exchanger Cleaning