Abstract: A system is disclosed for cleaning the interiors of tubes in heat exchangers such as condensers and other devices having numerous substantially parallel tubes which periodically become fouled, scaled, or otherwise encumbered with deposits. An air-actuated seal resides on the end of a nozzle which is projected into the open end of a condenser tube or other heat exchanger tube to be cleaned. An air cylinder and piston retract the end of the nozzle on actuation of a single trigger valve on a manually operated water gun, which both begins high pressure water flow and operates the piston. On actuation of the trigger valve, the segment of the nozzle which has been inserted is retracted a short distance, crimping a flexible sleeve which surrounds it into a tight seal on the inner surface of the tube, thus preventing backflow or back spray.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for cleaning the interiors of tubes in heat exchangers such as condensers and other devices having numerous substantially parallel tubes which periodically become fouled, scaled, or otherwise encumbered with deposits. An air-actuated seal resides on the end of a nozzle which is projected into the open end of a condenser tube or other heat exchanger tube to be cleaned. An air cylinder and piston retract the end of the nozzle on actuation of a single trigger valve on a manually operated water gun, which both begins high pressure water flow and operates the piston. On actuation of the trigger valve, the segment of the nozzle which has been inserted is retracted a short distance, crimping a flexible sleeve which surrounds it into a tight seal on the inner surface of the tube, thus preventing backflow or back spray.

Abstract: The efficiency of projectile tube cleaning in multitube heat exchangers is greatly enhanced by the use of two or more nozzles for pressurized water or other liquid held by a bracket in parallel orientation a distance apart that equals the distance apart of the tubes. A pneumatic control system enables the simultaneous activation of two or more pressurized water valves so that two or more tubes can be scraped clean at once. Large heat exchangers and condensers having ordered arrays of thousands of parallel tubes can be cleaned by selecting a number of tubes for deposition of cleaning projectiles, repeatedly projecting two or more of the projectiles simultaneously, and immediately moving on to another set of tubes; then repeating the process with another selected number of tubes.