Heat recovery steam generator cleaning system and method

1. A cleaning system for heat recovery steam generators (HRSG) comprising:

an explosive subsystem including:

a pair of elongated rods;

a plurality of detonation cords of essentially equal length and with an explosive grain loading of 18-50 grains per foot;

a detonation delay assembly;

wherein opposite ends of each detonation cord are attached to each of the elongated rods in a generally uniformly spaced manner forming a plurality of essentially parallel straight lengths of detonation cord when at least one of the rods is suspended adjacent a bank of HRSG finned-tubing; and

wherein the detonation delay assembly is connected to each length of detonation cord such that each detonation cord explodes in sequence with a predetermined delay between each explosion; and

a pressurized air subsystem including:

an elongated beam;

a transport assembly operably coupled to the elongated beam for reciprocal movement along a portion of a length of the beam;

a pressurized air blower assembly operably coupled to the transport assembly;

a suspension assembly suspends the elongated beam, the transport assembly, and the pressurized air blower assembly adjacent the bank of HRSG finned-tubing after the detonation cords have been exploded;

wherein the transport assembly moves the pressurized air blower assembly along a portion of the beam at least once as the pressurized air blower assembly directs pressurized air towards the bank of HRSG finned-tubing; and

the suspension assembly moves the suspended elongated beam, the transport assembly, and the pressurized air blower assembly up or down after the transport assembly and pressurized air blower assembly have moved along the portion of the beam length at least once, so that a next portion of the bank of HRSG finned-tubing may be cleaned by pressurized air.

2. The cleaning system of claim 1 wherein the rods are at least 24 feet long.

3. The cleaning system of claim 1 wherein each of the detonation cords are more than 60 feet long.

4. The cleaning system of claim 1 wherein the spacing between each detonation cord is approximately 12 inches.

5. The cleaning system of claim 1 wherein a spacing between each detonation cord and the bank of HRSG finned-tubing is approximately 12 inches.

6. The cleaning system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined delay is between 5-25 milliseconds.

7. The cleaning system of claim 1 wherein the elongated beam is at least 24 feet long.

8. The cleaning system of claim 1 wherein the elongated beam is a box beam.

9. The cleaning system of claim 1 wherein the transport assembly includes a drive motor connected to a set of drive wheels for moving the transport assembly back and forth along the elongated beam.

10. The cleaning system of claim 1 wherein the transport assembly moves along the elongated beam at a rate of 1-12 inches per minute.

11. The cleaning system of claim 1 wherein the pressurized air blower assembly includes an inlet for receiving pressurized air and at least one outlet nozzle for directing the pressurized air towards the bank of HRSG finned-tubing.

12. The cleaning system of claim 11 wherein the pressurized air blower assembly delivers a volume of air of 250-1600 cubic-feet per minute.

13. The cleaning system of claim 11 wherein a pressure produced at the at least one outlet nozzle is 100-600 pounds per square-inch.

14. The cleaning system of claim 11 further including a motor for oscillating the at least one outlet nozzle during use.

15. The cleaning system of claim 11 wherein the at least one outlet nozzle is positioned approximately 4 inches from the bank of HRSG finned-tubing.

16. The cleaning system of claim 11 further including at least a second outlet nozzle for directing the pressurized air in an opposite direction from the at least one nozzle and towards another bank of HRSG finned-tubing.

17. The cleaning system of claim 16 further including a third outlet nozzle adjacent the at least one outlet nozzle and a fourth outlet nozzle adjacent the second outlet nozzle.

18. The cleaning system of claim 1 wherein the suspension assembly includes a pair a winches mounted above the bank of HRSG finned-tubing and each winch is connected to opposing ends of the elongated beam.

19. The cleaning system of claim 1 wherein the transport assembly moves the pressurized air blower assembly along the portion of the beam length twice before the suspension assembly moves the suspended elongated beam, the transport assembly, and the pressurized air blower assembly up or down.

20. The cleaning system of claim 1 wherein the suspension assembly moves the suspended elongated beam, the transport assembly, and the pressurized air blower assembly up or down 1-3 inches.

21. The cleaning system of claim 1 further including an automatic control having a first limit switch connected to the elongated beam for causing the transport assembly to reverse direction once the transport assembly contacts the first limit switch and a second limit switch connected to the elongated beam for causing the suspension assembly to move the suspended elongated beam, the transport assembly, and the pressurized air blower assembly and causing the transport assembly to again reverse direction once the transport assembly contacts the second limit switch.

22. The cleaning system of claim 21 further including a manual control for over-riding the automatic control.

23. A method of cleaning heat recovery steam generators (HRSG) comprising:

suspending at least one elongated rod adjacent a bank of HRSG finned-tubing such that a plurality of generally uniformly spaced detonation cords attached to the rod form essentially parallel straight lengths of detonation cords, each detonation cord having an explosive grain loading of 18-50 grains per foot;

exploding each detonation cord in a sequence where a detonation delay assembly attached to each of the plurality of detonation cords creates a predetermined delay between each detonation cord explosion;

after the detonation cords are exploded,

suspending an elongated beam, having a transport assembly and a pressurized air blower assembly operably coupled to the elongated beam, adjacent the bank of HRSG finned-tubing;

moving the pressurized air blower assembly, with the transport assembly, along a portion of the beam as the pressurized air blower assembly directs pressurized air towards the bank of HRSG finned-tubing; and

moving the beam, the transport assembly, and the pressurized air blower assembly up or down, after the pressurized air assembly has moved along the portion of the beam, so that a next portion of the bank of HRSG finned-tubing may be cleaned by pressurized air.

24. The cleaning system of claim 23 wherein the rod is at least 24 feet long.

25. The cleaning system of claim 23 wherein each of the detonation cords are more than 60 feet long.

26. The cleaning system of claim 23 wherein the space between each detonation cord is approximately 12 inches.

27. The cleaning system of claim 23 wherein a space between each detonation cord and the bank of HRSG finned-tubing is approximately 12 inches.

28. The cleaning system of claim 23 wherein the predetermined delay is between 5-25 milliseconds.

29. The cleaning system of claim 23 wherein the elongated beam is at least 24 feet long.

30. The cleaning system of claim 23 wherein the elongated beam is a box beam.

31. The cleaning system of claim 23 wherein the transport assembly includes a drive motor connected to a set of drive wheels for moving the transport assembly back and forth along the elongated beam.

32. The cleaning system of claim 23 further including moving the transport assembly along the elongated beam at a rate of 1-12 inches per minute.

33. The cleaning system of claim 23 further including receiving pressurized air at an inlet of the pressurized air blower assembly and directing the pressurized air from at least one outlet nozzle of the pressurized air blower assembly towards the bank of HRSG finned-tubing.

34. The cleaning system of claim 33 further including delivering, from the pressurized air blower assembly, a volume of air of 250-1600 cubic-feet per minute.

35. The cleaning system of claim 33 further including producing, at the at least one outlet nozzle, an air pressure of 100-600 pounds per square-inch.

36. The cleaning system of claim 33 further including oscillating the at least one outlet nozzle during use, with a motor.

37. The cleaning system of claim 33 positioning the at least one outlet nozzle approximately 4 inches from the bank of HRSG finned-tubing.

38. The cleaning system of claim 33 further including directing the pressurized air, with at least a second outlet nozzle, in an opposite direction from the at least one nozzle and towards another bank of HRSG finned-tubing.

39. The cleaning system of claim 38 further including a third outlet nozzle adjacent the at least one outlet nozzle and a fourth outlet nozzle adjacent the second outlet nozzle.

40. The cleaning system of claim 23 further including mounting a suspension assembly, including a pair a winches, above the bank of HRSG finned-tubing and connecting each winch to opposing ends of the elongated beam.

41. The cleaning system of claim 40 further including providing an automatic control having a first limit switch connected to the elongated beam for causing the transport assembly to reverse direction once the transport assembly contacts the first limit switch and a second limit switch connected to the elongated beam for causing the suspension assembly to move the suspended elongated beam, the transport assembly, and the pressurized air blower assembly and causing the transport assembly to again reverse direction once the transport assembly contacts the second limit switch.

42. The cleaning system of claim 41 further including providing a manual control for over-riding the automatic control.

43. The cleaning system of claim 23 further including moving the pressurized air blower assembly, with the transport assembly, along the portion of the beam length twice before moving the suspended elongated beam, the transport assembly, and the pressurized air blower assembly up or down, with a suspension assembly.

44. The cleaning system of claim 23 further including moving the suspended elongated beam, the transport assembly, and the pressurized air blower assembly up or down 1-3 inches, with a suspension assembly.