The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 29, 1987
Filed:
Nov. 12, 1985
Millard F Smith, Westport, CT (US);
Slickbar Products Corp., Southport, CT (US);
Abstract
Methods and apparatus are described for cleaning and recycling flexible floating cleaning plugs introduced into and propelled by water pressure through the cooling water tubes of a power plant heat exchanger located near a flowing body of water. A cooling water outlet conduit delivers used cooling water from the exit end of the heat exchanger cooling water tubes, together with a plurality of flexible floating cleaning plugs propelled therethrough, discharging them into the flowing body of water upstream from a containment barrier. The barrier has a convergent weir region at its downstream end, and a conveyor carries floating cleaning plugs from the convergent weir through a washing spray positioned to sluice away the accumulated scale, sediment, dirt and sludge gathered by the plugs from the cooling water tubes. A cooling water pump has its intake positioned far downstream in said flowing body of water or in a different body of water. Freshly washed plugs for recycled use join the cooling water stream ejected by the cooling water pump and the stream is then delivered to the heat exchanger cooling water tubes.