Apparatus for cleaning a smelt spout of a combustion device

1. A cleaning apparatus for cleaning a smelt spout of a boiler, the smelt spout having side walls and a bottom wall extending therebetween, the boiler including a boiler wall defining an outlet port for discharging molten smelt, the smelt spout configured to be in fluid communication with the outlet port so that the molten smelt is able to flow along a flow path of the smelt spout, the cleaning apparatus comprising:

a cleaning tool having a pair of cleaning blades generally aligned with the respective side walls of the smelt spout and extending along the smelt spout side walls in the direction of the flow path, the cleaning blades each having a cleaning edge with a length substantially as long as a portion of the smelt spout which is cleaned by each of the cleaning blades; and

an actuating assembly configured to move the cleaning blades along a cleaning path from a retracted position near an upper edge of the side wall to an extended position toward the bottom wall for cleaning the spout,

wherein the cleaning blades and the cleaning edges respectively slide along the side walls of the smelt spout from near the upper edge toward the bottom wall to dislodge hardened smelt deposits therefrom as the cleaning blades move from the retracted position to the extended position, and

wherein the cleaning blades each have a blade thickness sufficiently small to substantially prevent obstruction of the flow of the molten smelt when the cleaning blades are in the extended position.

2. A cleaning apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the cleaning edges of cleaning blades each extend substantially completely along a length of the smelt spout.

3. A cleaning apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the cleaning blades are each generally planar.

4. A cleaning apparatus as in claim 1 , further comprising a support assembly connected to the smelt spout and the cleaning tool and configured to permit the movement of the cleaning blades from the retracted position to the extended position.

5. A cleaning apparatus as in claim 4 , the support assembly configured to prevent the cleaning tool from contacting the bottom wall of the smelt spout when the cleaning blades are in the extended position.

6. A cleaning apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the cleaning edges of cleaning blades do not contact the bottom wall of the smelt spout when the cleaning blades are in the extended position.

7. A cleaning apparatus as in claim 4 , wherein the support assembly includes hood having a pair of side walls each connected to the smelt spout and each positioned adjacent to one of the cleaning blades, and a pair of connection assemblies each slidably coupling one of the cleaning blades with one of the side walls of the hood.

8. A cleaning apparatus as in claim 7 , wherein each of the connection assemblies includes a support rod and a sleeve slidably receiving the support rod to slidably couple the one of the cleaning blades with the one of the side walls of the hood.

9. A cleaning apparatus as in claim 1 , the smelt spout including a smelt spout collar positioned within the boiler wall outlet port, the cleaning tool further including a punch to slide along a surface of the smelt spout collar to dislodge hardened smelt deposits therefrom.

10. The cleaning apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the punch and the cleaning blades move in unison between the retracted position and the extended position, and wherein the punch slides along the surface of the smelt spout collar to dislodge other hardened smelt deposits therefrom as the punch moves from the retracted position to the extended position.

11. A cleaning apparatus as in claim 1 , the smelt spout having a U-shaped cross-section defined by the respective side walls and the bottom wall extending therebetween, the spout side walls positioned a trough width apart from each other, and the cleaning blades each having a blade thickness substantially smaller than the trough width.

12. A cleaning apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the respective side walls of the smelt spout are generally arcuate so that the first and second blades are deflected towards each other when in the extended position.

13. A cleaning apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the cleaning blades each have a blade stiffness sufficient to substantially prevent the cleaning blades from deflecting towards each other when in the extended position.

14. A cleaning apparatus as in claim 1 , the actuating assembly configured to move the cleaning blades from the retracted position to the extended position along a cleaning path, wherein the cleaning path and a normal line generally perpendicular to the flow path define a cleaning angle therebetween that is less than or equal to 60 degrees.

15. A cleaning apparatus as in claim 14 , wherein the cleaning angle is less than or equal to 45 degrees.

16. A cleaning apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the cleaning blades are positioned above a top surface of the molten smelt when the cleaning blades are in the retracted position and wherein at least a portion of each of the cleaning blades is positioned below the top surface of the molten smelt when the cleaning blades are in the extended position.

17. A cleaning apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the cleaning tool and the actuating assembly are mounted generally above the smelt spout so that a downstream portion of the smelt spout is substantially unobstructed by the cleaning tool and the actuating assembly.

18. A cleaning apparatus for cleaning a smelt spout of a boiler, the smelt spout having respective side walls and a bottom wall extending therebetween, the boiler including a boiler wall defining an outlet port for discharging molten smelt, the smelt spout configured to be in fluid communication with the outlet port so that the molten smelt is able to flow along a flow path of the smelt spout, the cleaning apparatus comprising:

a cleaning tool having a pair of cleaning blades generally aligned with the respective side walls of the smelt spout and extending along the spout side walls in the direction of the flow path, the cleaning blades each having a cleaning edge with a length substantially as long as a portion of the smelt spout which is cleaned by each of the cleaning blades;

a support assembly connected to the smelt spout and the cleaning tool and configured to permit movement of the cleaning blades from a retracted position to an extended position for cleaning the spout;

an actuating assembly connected to the support assembly and the cleaning tool and configured to move the cleaning blades from the retracted position to the extended position along a cleaning path,

wherein the cleaning blades respectively slide along the side walls of the smelt spout from near the upper edge toward the bottom wall to dislodge hardened smelt deposits therefrom as the cleaning blades move from the retracted position to the extended position,

wherein the cleaning blades each have a blade thickness sufficiently small to substantially prevent obstruction of the flow of the molten smelt when the cleaning blades are in the extended position, and

wherein the cleaning path and a normal line generally perpendicular to the flow path define a cleaning angle therebetween that is less than or equal to 60 degrees.

19. A cleaning apparatus as in claim 18 , wherein the cleaning angle is less than or equal to 45 degrees.

20. A cleaning apparatus as in claim 18 , wherein the cleaning path is generally linear.

21. A cleaning apparatus as in claim 18 , wherein the cleaning path is generally arcuate.

22. A cleaning apparatus as in claim 18 , wherein the cleaning edges of cleaning blades each extend substantially completely along a length of the smelt spout.

23. A cleaning apparatus as in claim 18 , wherein the support assembly includes hood having a pair of side walls each connected to the smelt spout and each positioned adjacent to one of the cleaning blades and a pair of connection assemblies each slidably coupling one of the cleaning blades with one of the side walls of the hood.

24. A cleaning apparatus as in claim 23 , wherein each of the connection assemblies includes a support rod and a sleeve slidably receiving the support rod to slidably couple the one of the cleaning blades with the one of the side walls of the hood.

25. A cleaning apparatus as in claim 18 , the smelt spout including a smelt spout collar positioned within the boiler wall outlet port, the cleaning tool further including a punch configured to slide along a surface of the smelt spout collar to dislodge hardened smelt deposits therefrom.

26. A cleaning apparatus as in claim 18 , the smelt spout having a trough including a U-shaped cross-section defined by the respective side walls of the smelt spout and the bottom wall extending therebetween, the respective spout side walls positioned a trough width apart from each other, and the cleaning blades each having a blade thickness substantially smaller than the trough width.

27. A cleaning apparatus as in claim 26 , wherein the actuating assembly is configured to move the cleaning blades from the retracted position to the extended position along the cleaning path towards the bottom wall of the trough so that the cleaning blades drive the hardened smelt deposits toward the bottom of the trough and into the molten smelt.

28. A cleaning apparatus as in claim 18 , wherein the cleaning blades are positioned above a top surface of the molten smelt when the cleaning blades are in the retracted position and wherein at least a portion of each of the cleaning blades is positioned below the top surface of the molten smelt when the cleaning blades are in the extended position.

29. A smelt discharge assembly for facilitating the removal of molten smelt from a boiler, the smelt discharge assembly comprising:

a smelt spout in fluid communication with an outlet port of a boiler so that the molten smelt from the boiler is able to flow along a flow path defined by the smelt spout;

a cleaning tool having a pair of cleaning blades generally aligned with respective side walls of the smelt spout and extending along the side walls in the direction of the flow path, the cleaning blades each having a cleaning edge with a length substantially as long as a portion of the smelt spout which is cleaned by each of the cleaning blades;

a support assembly connected to the smelt spout and the cleaning tool and configured to permit the movement of the cleaning blades from a retracted position to an extended position for cleaning the spout; and

an actuating assembly configured to move the cleaning blades from the retracted position to the extended position along a cleaning path,

wherein the edges of the cleaning blades respectively slide along the side walls from near the upper edge toward the bottom wall when the cleaning blades are moved toward the extended position,

wherein the cleaning blades each have a blade thickness sufficiently small to substantially prevent obstruction of the flow of the molten smelt when the cleaning blades are in the second position, and

wherein the cleaning path is generally nonparallel to the flow path.