Upper bundle steam generator cleaning system and method

Abstract

An upper bundle steam generator cleaning system including a cleaning head deployment and support device receivable through a hand hole of the steam generator and including retractable cylinders which raise the cleaning head up through the flow slots to position a cleaning head about a flow slot of the upper tube bundles; and a cleaning head mounted with the support device for directing fluid about the tubes of the upper bundles of the steam generator for directing fluid about the tubes of the upper bundles of the steam generator thereby cleaning the generator from the top down flushing deposits downward during the cleaning process.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. An upper bundle steam generator cleaning system comprising: 
       a cleaning head means deployment and support device receivable within the steam generator and including means to raise and position a cleaning head means about the upper bundles of the steam generator, said cleaning head means deployment and support device including a translation rail extending between a hand hole of steam generator and a center tie rod along the blow down lane; and  
       cleaning head means mounted with said support device; said cleaning head means including means for directing fluid about the tubes of the upper bundles of the steam generator for cleaning the generator from the top down thereby flushing deposits downward during the cleaning process.  
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1  in which said deployment and support device further includes a rotation stage including a number of vertically extendable cylinders pivotably mounted on said translation rail. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1  in which said cleaning head means includes means for directing fluid between the tubes from a flow slot. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1  in which a number of said nozzles are opposed to each other for cleaning tubes on opposite sides of a flow slot at the same time and for balancing any thrust received by the arm. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1  further including means for changing the pitch orientation of said nozzles. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1  further including means for rotating said arm to spray fluid about tubes proximate an adjacent flow slot. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 3  in which said cleaning head means includes means for directing fluid between the tubes from in between the tubes. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 7  in which said means for directing fluid from between the tubes includes a lance extendable between the tubes, said lance having a number of nozzles for spraying fluid about the tubes from between the tubes. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8  in which said lance is rotatable from a position about said support device to a position between the tubes. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 1  further including means for releasably supporting said cleaning head means about a flow slot. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10  in which said means for releasably supporting includes rotatable fingers engagable with a side wall of a flow slot in a tube sheet support plate. 
     
     
       12. An upper bundle nuclear power plant steam generator cleaning system for cleaning the generator from the top down thereby flushing deposits downward during the cleaning process, the system comprising: 
       a cleaning head deployment and support device including means for positioning a cleaning head at a flow slot about the upper bundles of a steam generator;  
       a bulk cleaning head affixable to said support device including an arm extendable along the direction of a flow slot for directing a fluid between the tubes from the flow slot, said arm having a plurality of nozzles alienable with spaces between the tubes proximate the flow slot, said nozzles opposed to each other for cleaning tubes on opposite sides of the flow slot at the same time and balancing any thrust received by the arm; and  
       a cleaning head lance affixable to said support device including means for directing fluid between the tubes from in between the tubes.  
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12  further including means for changing the pitch orientation of said nozzles. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 12  further including means for rotating said arm to spray fluid about tubes proximate an adjacent flow slot. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 12  in which said lance is extendable to a position between the tubes, said lance having a number of nozzles for spraying fluid about the tubes from in between the tubes. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15  in which said lance is rotatable from a position about the support device for deployment of the lance to a position between the tubes for cleaning. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 12  further including means for supporting said cleaning heads about a tube sheet of the steam generator. 
     
     
       18. A method of cleaning a steam generator from the top down, the method comprising: 
       inserting a cleaning head device through a hand hole of the steam generator and deploying the cleaning head upwards to a position about a flow slot of the upper tube bundles of the steam generator;  
       directing fluid about the upper tube bundles proximate the cleaning head device including spraying the tubes from a cleaning head located about a flow slot; and  
       successively lowering the cleaning head and repositioning it proximate the next lower flow slot; and  
       again directing fluid about the tube bundles proximate the cleaning head device thereby flushing deposits downward during the cleaning process.  
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18  in which directing fluid about the tube bundles includes positioning the cleaning head to clean tubes proximate said flow slot; moving said cleaning head to a position proximate an adjacent flow slot for cleaning tubes proximate that flow slot; and moving said cleaning head to a position proximate another adjacent flow slot for cleaning tubes proximate that adjacent flow slot thereby achieving full cleaning coverage without retracting the cleaning head device. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 18  in which directing fluid about the tube bundles includes spraying water first on one side of a tube gap and then on the other side of a tube gap. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 18  in which directing fluid about the tube bundles includes inserting a cleaning head in between the rows of tubes. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 18  further including filling the steam generator with water and lowering the level of water therein as the cleaning head is lowered to allow additional agitation and cleaning as the directed fluid strikes the water surface. 
     
     
       23. The system of  claim 1  in which said cleaning head means further includes a cleaning head lance affixable to said support device including means for directing fluid between the tubes from between the tubes. 
     
     
       24. An upper bundle steam generator cleaning system comprising: 
       a cleaning head deployment and support device receivable within the steam generator and including means to raise and position a cleaning head about the upper bundles of the steam generator; and  
       a cleaning head lance affixable to said support device including means for directing fluid between the tubes from between the tubes.  
     
     
       25. The system of  claim 24  further comprising a bulk cleaning head affixable to said support device including an arm extendable along the direction of the flow slot, said arm having a plurality of nozzles alignable with spaces between the tubes proximate the flow slot for directing fluid between the tubes from the flow slot. 
     
     
       26. An upper bundle steam generator cleaning system comprising: 
       a cleaning head means deployment and support device receivable within the steam generator and including means to raise and position a cleaning head means about the upper bundles of the steam generator; and  
       cleaning head means mounted with said support device; said cleaning head means including means for directing fluid about the tubes of the upper bundles of the steam generator said means for directing fluid including an arm extendable along the direction of a flow slot, said arm having a plurality of nozzles alignable with spaces between the tubes said nozzles opposed to each other for cleaning tubes on opposite sides of a flow slot at the same time and for balancing any thrust received by the arm.  
     
     
       27. The system of  claim 26  further including means for change the pitch orientation of said nozzles. 
     
     
       28. An upper bundle steam generator cleaning system comprising: 
       a cleaning head means deployment and support device receivable within the steam generator and including means to raise and position a cleaning head means about the upper bundles of the steam generator;  
       cleaning head means mounted with said support device; said cleaning head means including means for directing fluid about the tubes of the upper bundles of the steam generator; and  
       means for releasably supporting said cleaning head means about the tubes of the upper bundles of the generator.  
     
     
       29. The system of  claim 28  in which said means for releasably supporting includes rotatable fingers engagable with a side wall of a flow slot or adjacent tubes in a tube support plate. 
     
     
       30. An upper bundle nuclear power plant steam generator cleaning system for cleaning the generator from the top down thereby flushing deposits downward during the cleaning process, the system comprising: 
       a cleaning head deployment and support device including means for positioning a cleaning head within a flow slot about the upper bundles of a steam generator;  
       a bulk cleaning head affixable to said support device including means for directing fluid between the tubes from the flow slot;  
       a cleaning head lance affixable to said support device including means for directing fluid between the tubes from in between the tubes; and  
       means for supporting said cleaning heads about a tube support plate of the steam generator.  
     
     
       31. A method of cleaning a steam generator from the top down, the method comprising: 
       inserting a cleaning head device through a hand hole of the steam generator and deploying the cleaning head upwards to a position about a flow slot of the upper tube bundles of the steam generator;  
       inserting a cleaning head between the rows of tubes and directing fluid about the upper tube bundles proximate the cleaning head device; and  
       successively lowering the cleaning head and repositioning it proximate the next lower flow slot; and  
       again directing fluid about the tube bundles proximate the cleaning head device thereby flushing deposits downward during the cleaning process.  
     
     
       32. A method of cleaning a steam generator from the top down, the method comprising: 
       inserting a cleaning head device through a hand bole of the steam generator and deploying the cleaning head upwards to a positioning about a flow slot of the upper tube bundles of the steam generator;  
       directing fluid about the upper tube bundles proximate the cleaning head device;  
       successively lowering the cleaning head and repositioning it proximate the next lower flow slot;  
       again directing fluid about the tube bundles proximate the cleaning head device thereby flushing deposits downward during the cleaning process; and  
       filling the steam generator with water and lowering the level of water therein as the cleaning head is lowered to allow additional agitation and cleaning as the directed fluid strikes the water surface.  
     
     
       33. An upper bundle steam generator cleaning system comprising: 
       a cleaning head means deployment and support device receivable within the steam generator and including means to raise and position a cleaning head means about the upper bundles of the steam generator;  
       cleaning head means mounted with said support device; said cleaning head means including means for directing fluid about the tubes of the upper bundles of the steam generator; and  
       means for registering said cleaning head means about the upper bundles of the steam generator during cleaning.  
     
     
       34. An upper bundle steam generator cleaning system comprising: 
       
         a cleaning head deployment and support device receivable within the steam generator and including means to raise and position a cleaning head about the upper bundles of the steam generator, said cleaning head deployment and support device including a translation rail extending between a band hole of said steam generator and a center tie rod along a blow down line; and  
       
       
         a cleaning head mounted on said support device; said cleaning head including an arm extendable along a direction of a flow slot, said arm having a plurality of nozzles alignable with spaces between tubes for directing fluid about the tubes of the upper bundles of the steam generator for cleaning the generator from the top down, thereby flushing deposits downward during the cleaning process.  
       
     
     
       35. The system of  claim 34  in which said support device further includes a rotation stage including a number of vertically extendable cylinders pivotably mounted on said translation rail.  
     
     
       36. The system of  claim 34  in which said cleaning head includes means for directing fluid between the tubes from a flow slot.  
     
     
       37. The system of  claim 34  in which a number of said nozzles are opposed to each other for cleaning tubes on opposite sides of said flow slot at the same time and for balancing any thrust received by the arm.  
     
     
       38. The system of  claim 34  further including means for changing pitch orientation of said nozzles.  
     
     
       39. The system of  claim 34  further including means for rotating said arm to spray fluid about tubes proximate an adjacent flow slot.  
     
     
       40. The system of  claim 34  in which said cleaning head includes means for directing fluid between the tubes when said cleaning head means is located between the tubes.  
     
     
       41. The system of  claim 40  in which said means for directing fluid from between the tubes includes a lance extendable between the tubes, said lance having a number of nozzles for spraying fluid about the tubes when said lance is located between the tubes.  
     
     
       42. The system of  claim 41  in which said lance is rotatable from a position about said support device to a position between the tubes.  
     
     
       43. The system of  claim 34  further including means for releasably supporting said cleaning head about said flow slot.  
     
     
       44. The system of  claim 43  in which said means for releasably supporting includes rotatable fingers engageable with a side wall of said flow slot in a tube sheet support plate.  
     
     
       45. An upper bundle nuclear power plant steam generator cleaning system for cleaning a generator having tubes from the top down thereby flushing deposits downward during the cleaning process, the system comprising: 
       
         a cleaning head deployment and support device including means for positioning a cleaning head at a flow slot about the upper bundle of a steam generator;  
       
       
         a bulk cleaning head affixable to said support device including an arm extendable along the direction of said flow slot for directing a fluid between the tubes from the flow slot, said arm having a plurality of nozzles alignable with spaces between the tubes proximate the flow slot, said nozzles opposed to each other for cleaning the tubes on opposite sides of the flow slot at the same time and balancing any thrust received by the arm; and  
       
       
         a cleaning head lance affixable to said support device including means for directing fluid between the tubes when said lance is located between the tubes.  
       
     
     
       46. The system of  claim 45  further including means for changing pitch orientation of said nozzles.  
     
     
       47. The system of  claim 45  further including means for rotating said arm to spray fluid about tubes proximate an adjacent flow slot.  
     
     
       48. The system of  claim 45  in which said lance is extendable to a position between the tubes, said lance having a number of nozzles for spraying fluid about the tubes when said lance is located between the tubes.  
     
     
       49. The system of  claim 48  in which said lance is rotatable from a position about said support device for deployment of said lance to a position between the tubes for cleaning.  
     
     
       50. The system of  claim 45  further including means for supporting said cleaning head about a tube sheet of the steam generator.  
     
     
       51. A method of cleaning a steam generator having tubes from the top down, the method comprising: 
       
         inserting a cleaning head device through a hand hole of the steam generator and deploying the cleaning head upwards to a position about a flow slot of an upper tube bundle of the steam generator;  
       
       
         directing fluid about the upper tube bundles proximate the cleaning head device including spraying the tubes from a cleaning head located about said flow slot; and  
       
       
         successively lowering the cleaning head and repositioning it proximate the next lower flow slot; and  
       
       
         again directing fluid about the tube bundles proximate the cleaning head device thereby flushing deposits downward during the cleaning process.  
       
     
     
       52. The method of  claim 51  in which directing fluid about the tube bundles include positioning the cleaning head to clean tubes proximate said flow slot; moving said cleaning head to a position proximate an adjacent flow slot for cleaning tubes proximate that flow slot; and moving said cleaning head to a position proximate another adjacent flow slot for cleaning tubes proximate that adjacent flow slot, thereby achieving full cleaning coverage without retracting the cleaning head device.  
     
     
       53. The method of  claim 51  in which directing fluid about the tube bundles includes spraying water first on one side of a tube gap and then on the other side of a tube gap.  
     
     
       54. The method of  claim 51  in which directing fluid about the tube bundles includes inserting a cleaning head in between a rows of tubes.  
     
     
       55. The method of  claim 51  further including filling the steam generator with water and lowering the level of water therein as the cleaning head is lowered to allow additional agitation and cleaning as the directed fluid strikes the water surface.  
     
     
       56. An upper bundle steam generator, cleaning system comprising: 
       
         a cleaning head deployment and support device receivable within the steam generator and including means to raise and position a cleaning head about the upper bundles of the steam generator; and  
       
       
         a cleaning head lance affixable to said support device and extendable between the tubes, said lance including a plurality of nozzles for directing fluid between the tubes when said lance is located between the tubes.  
       
     
     
       57. The system of  claim 56  further comprising a bulk cleaning head affixable to said support device including an arm extendable along a direction of a flow slot, said arm having a plurality of nozzles alignable with spaces between the tubes proximate the flow slot for directing fluid between the tubes from the flow slot.  
     
     
       58. An upper bundle steam generator cleaning system comprising: 
       
         a cleaning head means deployment and support device receivable within the steam generator and including means to raise and position a cleaning head means about the upper bundles of the steam generator; and  
       
       
         cleaning head means mounted with said support device; and cleaning head means including means for directing fluid about tubes of the upper bundles of the steam generator, said means for directing fluid including an arm extendable along a direction of a flow slot, said arm having a plurality of nozzles alignable with spaces between the tubes, said nozzles opposed to each other for cleaning tubes on opposite sides of a flow slot at the same time and for balancing any thrust received by the arm.  
       
     
     
       59. The system of  claim 58  further including means for changing pitch orientation of said nozzles.  
     
     
       60. An upper bundle steam generator cleaning system comprising: 
       
         a cleaning head deployment and support device receivable within the steam generator and including means to raise and position a cleaning head means about the upper bundles of the steam generator;  
       
       
         cleaning head means mounted with said support device; and cleaning head means including means for directing fluid about tubes of the upper bundles of the steam generator; and  
       
       
         means for releasably supporting said cleaning head means about the tubes of the upper bundles of the generator.  
       
     
     
       61. The system of  claim 60  in which said means for releasably supporting includes rotatable fingers engageable with a side wall of a flow slot or adjacent tubes in a tube support plate.  
     
     
       62. An upper bundle nuclear power plant steam generator cleaning system for cleaning the generator from the top down thereby flushing deposits downward during the cleaning process, the system comprising: 
       
         a cleaning head deployment and support device including means for positioning a cleaning head within a flow slot about the upper bundles of a steam generator;  
       
       
         a bulk cleaning head affixable to said support device and extendable between the tubes, said lance including a plurality of nozzles for directing fluid between tubes from the flow slot;  
       
       
         a cleaning head lance affixable to said support device including means for directing fluid between the tubes when said lance is located between the tubes; and  
       
       
         means for supporting said cleaning heads about a tube support plate of the steam generator.  
       
     
     
       63. A method of cleaning a steam generator having tubes from the top down, the method comprising: 
       
         inserting a cleaning head device through a hand hole of the steam generator and deploying the cleaning head upwards to a position about a flow slot of an upper tube bundle of the steam generator;  
       
       
         inserting a cleaning head between the tows of tubes and directing fluid about the upper tube bundle proximate the cleaning head device;  
       
       
         successively lowering the cleaning head and repositioning it proximate a next lower flow slot; and  
       
       
         again directing fluid about the upper tube bundle proximate the cleaning head device thereby flushing deposits downward during the cleaning process.  
       
     
     
       64. A method of cleaning a steam generator from the top down, the method comprising: 
       
         inserting a cleaning head device through a hand hole of the steam generator and deploying the cleaning head device upwards to a position about a flow slot of an upper tube bundle of the steam generator;  
       
       
         directing fluid about the upper tube bundle proximate the cleaning head device;  
       
       
         successively lowering and cleaning head device and repositioning it proximate a next lower flow slot;  
       
       
         again directing fluid about the upper tube bundle proximate the cleaning head device thereby flushing deposits downward during the cleaning process; and  
       
       
         filling the steam generator with water and lowering the level of water thereby as the cleaning head device is lowered to allow additional agitation and cleaning as the directed fluid strikes the water surface.  
       
     
     
       65. An upper bundle steam generator cleaning system comprising: 
       
         a cleaning head means deployment and support deice receivable within the steam generator and including means to raise and position a cleaning head means about an upper tube bundle of the steam generator;  
       
       
         said cleaning head means mounted with said cleaning head means deployment and support device; said cleaning head means including means for directing fluid about the tubes of the upper tube bundles of the steam generator; and  
       
       
         means for registering said cleaning head means about the upper bundle of the steam generator during cleaning.  
       
     
     
       66. An upper bundle steam generator cleaning system comprising: 
       
         a cleaning head deployment and support device receivable within the steam generator including means to raise and position a bulk cleaning head about the upper bundles of the steam generator, said bulk cleaning head affixable to said support device and including an arm extendable along a direction of a flow slot, said arm having a plurality of nozzles alignable with spaces between the tubes proximate the flow slot for directing fluid between the tubes from the flow slot; and  
       
       
         a cleaning head lance affixable to said support device including means for directing fluid between the tubes when said lance is located between the tubes.