Pulsed detonation cleaning systems and methods

1. A pulsed detonation cleaning system for cleaning an internal surface of a tube, the system comprising:

a pulsed detonation combustor cleaner comprising:

a combustion chamber; and

an exit aperture disposed downstream of the combustion chamber;

the exit aperture being positioned in abutting relationship to the tube;

an external fuel-air mixture flow configured to pass through the exit aperture and into the tube; and

wherein the pulsed detonation combustor cleaner delivers the external fuel-air mixture flow into the tube and ignites the external fuel-air mixture flow to create a plurality of detonation waves within the combustion chamber and throughout the tube to clean the internal surface of the tube.

2. The pulsed detonation cleaning system of claim 1 , further comprising a flow of air and a flow of fuel in communication with the combustion chamber.

3. The pulsed detonation cleaning system of claim 2 , wherein the combustion chamber mixes the flow of air and the flow of fuel therein.

4. The pulsed detonation cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the pulsed detonation combustor cleaner comprises an ignition device to ignite the external fuel-air flow.

5. The pulsed detonation cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the tube is part of a heat exchanger.

6. The pulsed detonation cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the tube is part of a heat exchanger with a header in communication with a plurality of tubes.

7. A method of cleaning an internal surface of a tube with a pulsed detonation combustor cleaner, comprising:

positioning an exit aperture of the pulsed detonation combustor cleaner in abutting relation to an inlet of the tube;

flowing an external fuel-air mixture into the tube from the pulsed detonation combustor cleaner; and

igniting the external fuel-air mixture to create a plurality of detonation waves within the pulsed detonation combustion cleaner and throughout the tube to clean the internal surface of the tube.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step of mixing a flow of fuel and a flow of air in a combustion chamber to create the external fuel-air flow.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of flowing the external fuel-air flow into the tube from the pulsed detonation combustor cleaner comprises flowing the external fuel-air flow into a heat exchanger.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of flowing the external fuel-air flow into the tube from the pulsed detonation combustor cleaner comprises flowing the external fuel-air flow into a heat exchanger with a header in communication with a plurality of tubes.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step of creating high pressure from the plurality of detonation waves.

12. A pulsed detonation cleaning system for cleaning an internal surface of a tube, comprising:

a pulsed detonation combustor cleaner comprising:

a combustion chamber;

an air inlet and a fuel inlet in communication with the combustion chamber configured to mix an air flow from the air inlet with a fuel flow from the fuel inlet; and

an exit aperture disposed downstream of the air inlet and the fuel inlet;

the exit aperture being positioned in abutting relationship to the tube to form a single continuous combustion zone comprising both the combustion chamber and the tube;

wherein the flow of air and the flow of gas mix in the combustion chamber to form an external fuel-air flow such that the pulsed detonation combustor cleaner delivers the external fuel-air flow into the tube and ignites the external fuel-air flow to clean the internal surface of the tube.

13. The pulsed detonation cleaning system of claim 12 , wherein the pulsed detonation combustor cleaner comprises an ignition device to ignite the external fuel-air flow.

14. The pulsed detonation cleaning system of claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of detonation waves resulting from the ignition of the external fuel-air flow within the tube.

15. The pulsed detonation cleaning system of claim 12 , wherein the tube comprises a heat exchanger.

16. The pulsed detonation cleaning system of claim 12 , wherein the tube comprises a heat exchanger with a header in communication with a plurality of tubes.