Ultrasonic jet-pump cleaner

1. A method of in-situ cleaning of a portion of a boiling water reactor nuclear power plant, the method comprising: identifying a jet pump for the boiling water reactor nuclear power plant, the jet pump defining an interior cavity comprising a fluid; providing an ultrasonic cleaning tool comprising at least one transducer; inserting at least a portion of the at least one transducer into the interior cavity of the jet pump in-situ; determining the desired energy level of the at least one transducer sufficient to compensate for overpressure and induce cavitation; and energizing the at least one transducer to the desired energy level.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising translating at least a portion of the at least one transducer about a portion of the interior cavity of the jet pump.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the jet pump has a mixer stage comprising a portion of the interior cavity of the jet pump, and wherein at least a portion of the at least one transducer is translated about a portion of the mixer stage portion of the interior cavity.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the desired energy level is between about 750 watts and about 1500 watts.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the desired energy level is lower than that required to induce decoupling of the fluid from the at least one transducer.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one transducer is operated at a frequency from about 20 kHz to about 40 kHz.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one transducer is operated at a frequency of about 25 kHz.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the jet pump has a diffuser stage comprising a portion of the interior cavity of the jet pump, and wherein at least a portion of the at least one transducer is translated about a portion of the diffuser stage portion of the interior cavity.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one transducer is a radial omni-directional transducer.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one transducer comprises a diameter of less than 1.5 inches.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the jet pump comprises at least one inlet, and wherein the at least one transducer is deployed through at least a portion of the at least one inlet of the jet pump.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the jet pump has a nozzle portion, wherein the interior cavity of the jet pump comprises the nozzle portion.

13. The method of claim 12 , comprising: providing a delivery boom operatively connected to at least a portion of the ultrasonic transducer; and deploying the at least one transducer inside a portion of the nozzle portion of the jet pump via the delivery boom.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the delivery boom comprises a telescoping delivery boom.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic cleaning tool comprises at least one suction port operatively connected to a suction hose.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of blocking a portion of the interior cavity of the jet pump to facilitate improved capture of particulate via the suction port.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

said energizing of the at least one transducer to the desired energy level induces cavitation without inducing decoupling of the fluid from the transducer; and

the desired energy level is an energy level that would decouple the fluid from the at least one transducer under normal atmospheric pressure conditions.

18. A method of in-situ cleaning of a portion of a boiling water reactor nuclear power plant, the method comprising: identifying a jet pump for the boiling water reactor nuclear power plant, the jet pump comprising an interior cavity comprising fluid; providing a plurality of ultrasonic transducers; positioning at least a portion of each of the transducers substantially adjacent a portion of the jet pump in-situ; determining the desired energy level of the plurality of transducers sufficient to compensate for overpressure and induce cavitation; and energizing the plurality of transducers to the desired energy level.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the desired energy level is from about 1000 watts to about 6000 watts.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the desired energy level is from about 2500 watts to about 4000 watts.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the desired energy level is lower than that required to induce decoupling of the fluid from the transducers.

22. The method of claim 18 , wherein the transducers are operated at a frequency from about 20 kHz to about 40 kHz.

23. The method of claim 18 , wherein the transducers are operated at a frequency of about 25 kHz.

24. The method of claim 18 , wherein the portion of the jet pump comprises a nozzle portion.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the plurality of ultrasonic transducers comprises an array of planar type directional ultrasonic transducers arranged in a substantially side-by-side relationship circumferentially around the nozzle portion of the jet pump.

26. The method of claim 24 , wherein the nozzle portion of the jet pump comprises a plurality of nozzles.

27. The method of claim 24 further comprising: providing a transducer positioning fixture comprising a plurality of transducer holders configured to position each of at least a portion of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers substantially adjacent a portion of the nozzle portion of the jet pump; and mounting the positioning fixture to an exterior portion of the nozzle portion of the jet pump.

28. The method of claim 18 , wherein:

said energizing of the plurality of transducers to the desired energy level induces cavitation without inducing decoupling of the fluid from the plurality of transducers; and

the desired energy level is an energy level that would decouple the fluid from the plurality of transducers under normal atmospheric pressure conditions.