Impulse combustion cleaning system and method

Abstract

A system for removing accumulated debris from a surface of a vessel. The system comprises a vessel having a surface to be cleaned. A impulse cleaning device defines a combustion chamber in which combustible fuel and air are mixed and ignited to produce supersonic combustion that is directed at the surface to be cleaned within the vessel. A sensor is associated with the impulse cleaning device. The sensor is for detecting a condition within the impulse cleaning device and generating a signal in response to a detected condition.

1 . A system for removing accumulated debris from a surface of a vessel, the system comprising:
 a vessel having a surface to be cleaned;   a impulse cleaning device defining a combustion chamber in which combustible fuel and air are mixed and ignited to produce supersonic combustion that is directed at the surface to be cleaned within the vessel; and   a sensor associated with the impulse cleaning device, the sensor for detecting a condition within the impulse cleaning device and generating a signal in response to a detected condition.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the sensor detects a supersonic combustion event in the impulse cleaning device. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2  further including an apparatus that generates an alarm signal in response to a predetermined period of time elapsing before supersonic combustion in the impulse cleaning device is detected by the sensor. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the sensor generates a signal as a function of the combustion in the impulse cleaning device. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1  further including a controller for receiving the signal generated by the sensor to control production of combustion in response to the signal. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5  in which the controller controls production of combustion by controlling at least one of the delivery of combustible fuel to the combustion chamber, the delivery of air to the combustion chamber and the delivery of ignition energy to the combustion chamber. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the sensor is selected from the group comprising a strain gage, an accelerometer, an acoustic detection device, a pressure gage and an ion probe. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the sensor is a strain gage mounted outside of the combustion chamber of the impulse cleaning device to sense displacement of the impulse cleaning device. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the sensor is an accelerometer mounted outside of the combustion chamber of the impulse cleaning device to sense acceleration of a component of the impulse cleaning device. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the sensor comprises an ion probe spaced from a know location a predetermined distance along the impulse cleaning device, the ion probe being in communication with the combustion chamber and being capable of detecting the movement of a combustion event past the ion probe. 
   
   
       11 . A cleaner for removing accumulated debris from a surface of a vessel, the cleaner comprising:
 a impulse cleaning device defining a combustion chamber in which combustible fuel and air are mixed and ignited to produce combustion that results in a shock wave directed at the surface to be cleaned within the vessel; and   a sensor operably connected with the impulse cleaning device, the sensor detecting a condition of the impulse cleaning device and generating a signal in response to a detected condition.   
   
   
       12 . The cleaner of  claim 11  wherein the sensor detects supersonic combustion in the impulse cleaning device. 
   
   
       13 . The cleaner of  claim 2  further including an apparatus that generates an alarm signal in response to a predetermined period of time elapsing before supersonic combustion in the impulse cleaning device is detected by the sensor. 
   
   
       14 . The cleaner of  claim 11  wherein the sensor generates a signal as a function of the combustion in the impulse cleaning device. 
   
   
       15 . The cleaner of  claim 14  wherein the sensor generates a signal having frequency information to determine the quality of the combustion as a function of a change in the frequency information. 
   
   
       16 . The cleaner of  claim 15  further including a controller to adjust detonation parameters based on the sensor signal frequency information. 
   
   
       17 . The cleaner of  claim 14  wherein the sensor generates signal intensity level information to determine the quality of the combustion as a function of a change in intensity level. 
   
   
       18 . The cleaner of  claim 17  further including a controller to adjust detonation parameters based on the sensor signal intensity level information. 
   
   
       19 . The cleaner of  claim 14  further including a windowed counter to determine the quality of the combustion event by establishing the duration of combustion 
   
   
       20 . The cleaner of  claim 14  further including a sensor having a local integrated gain stage to enhance the transmission of the signal from the sensor to the controller. 
   
   
       21 . The cleaner of  claim 11  further including a controller for receiving the signal generated by the sensor to control production of combustion in response to the signal. 
   
   
       22 . The cleaner of  claim 21  in which the controller controls production of combustion by controlling at least one of the delivery of combustible fuel to the combustion chamber, the delivery of air to the combustion chamber and the delivery of ignition energy to the combustion chamber. 
   
   
       23 . The cleaner of  claim 11  wherein the sensor is selected from the group comprising a strain gage, an accelerometer, an acoustic detection device, a pressure gage and an ion probe. 
   
   
       24 . A method for removing accumulated debris from a surface within a vessel, the method comprising:
 providing a impulse cleaning device defining a combustion chamber;   delivering a flow of air to the combustion chamber;   delivering a flow of combustible fuel into the flow of air in the combustion chamber;   mixing the combustible fuel and air within the combustion chamber;   periodically igniting the fuel and air mixture to produce supersonic combustion;   directing the supersonic combustion into the vessel at a surface to be cleaned to loosen and remove accumulated debris from the surface of the vessel; and   sensing the supersonic combustion in the impulse cleaning device and generating a signal in response to sensing the supersonic combustion.   
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24  further including the step of generating an alarm signal in response to a predetermined period of time elapsing before supersonic combustion in the impulse cleaning device is sensed. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 24  further including the step of controlling production of combustion as a function of the signal generated in the sensing step by controlling at least one of the delivery of combustible fuel to the combustion chamber, the delivery of air to the combustion chamber and the delivery of ignition energy to the fuel and air mixture in the combustion chamber.