Impulse Air Jet Action on the Convective Heat Exchange Tubular Surfaces in Boilers

Calculation and experimental investigations were carried out to determine the parameters of the impulse air jet created by the pneumatic generator of the air-impact system of the cleaning of tubular heat exchangers in boilers. Two configurations (lengthwise and checkerboard) of the arrangement of tubular heat exchangers located at distances from 1.0 m to 2.5 m of nozzle exit were experimentally investigated and the forces acting on them were determined. Numerical modeling of the impulse jet impact on heat exchange tubes was carried out. It was shown that an increase in the pressure of the generated impulse jet to 2.35 MPa makes it possible to significantly increase the acting force from 78 N to 1881 N at a large distance from the exhaust nozzle. The results obtained can be used in the development of specific systems for air impact cleaning systems of boiler units with other sizes and configurations of the heat exchange tubes.