Impulse Cleaning Technology
Impulse cleaning technology, the main subject of this paper, utilizes intense pressure waves, orders of magnitude more
intense than acoustic cleaners. They provide
significantly
more
thorough
and
far
reaching
cleaning
of
heat
transfer
surfaces
and
have
the
ability
to
address
more
sticky
deposits
typically
outside
the
range
of
acoustic
cleaning
capabilities.
Impulse
cleaning
or
detonation
cleaning
is
not
in
reference
to
the
use
of
dynamite
or
detonation
cord,
both
of
which
occur
offline
and
have
significant
risk
and
liability
associated
with
it.
Impulse
cleaning
for
boilers
was
derived
from
the
research
conducted
in
an
effort
to
develop
a
new
propulsion
system
known
as
a
pulse
detonation
engine
(PDE).
A
PDE
offers
the
potential
for
highly
efficient
propulsion.
In
most
cases,
the
impulse
or
shock
waves
are
created
through
the
rapid
combustion,
or
detonation,
of
a
charge
of
fuel/oxidizer
in
such
a
manner
to
direct
the
resulting
impulse
wave
into
the
heat
transfer
surface
to
be
cleaned.
The
basis
for
this
rapid
combustion
technology
has
roots
deep
within
the
aerospace
research
and
development
field
where
high-‐throughput,
pressure-‐rise
combustion
has
the
potential
to
radically
change
the
design
of
future
propulsion
systems.
The
process
of
creating
a
detonation
consists
of
injecting
a
mixture
of
fuel
and
oxidizer
into
a
chamber,
igniting
this
mixture,
transitioning
the
resulting
combustion
wave
to
a
detonation
wave,
and
then
purging
with
air
to
prepare
for
the
next
cycle.
(Fig.1)