Abstract: The ends of the tubes of a heat exchanger condenser are provided with cage-like basket assemblies including tube cleaning brushes or the like. A distributor arm is disposed to move across the tube ends and cause a counter-flow of fluid to move the brushes through the tubes. The tubes are compartmentalized to form bundles. The compartmentalization of the tubes for fluid counter-flow is accomplished by the baskets themselves. Each basket of the assemblies arrayed to form the boundaries of a desired compartment is formed with an outwardly extending lip, with the lips of adjacent baskets joined to form an elongated contact surface for sealing engagement with the distributor arm. The lips of the adjacent baskets forming the respective compartments are generally arcuate, and the distributor arm portions adapted to engage the elongated contact surface are at least as wide as the arcuate extent of each basket lip. The radius of the lip arc is greater than that of the basket.

Abstract: In a cleaning system for heat exchanger tubes each tube has a chamber at its end for capturing a tube cleaning element such as a brush that is subject to being propelled in opposite directions through the tube by reversing the direction of fluid flow therein. Novel means are provided for enabling access to the tube through the chamber for such purposes as replacing brushes and admitting a flaw detector to the tube.

Abstract: A fluid flow diverter or reverser comprises a housing having a transverse separator wall dividing it into first and second axially adjacent chambers. The first chamber has a diametrally extending separator wall dividing it into subchambers. Each subchamber has an inlet or outlet, respectively, to which a conduit, that may serve as the feed or return of a process loop circuit or the feed or return of a fluid supply circuit, is connected. The transverse wall has a pair of openings which communicate the respective subchambers with the second chamber. The second chamber has inlet and outlet openings, respectively, which can connect to a fluid supply and return circuit or a process loop circuit. A diverter blade in the second chamber is reversibly rotatable for changing direction of fluid flow between the inlets and outlets and, hence, in the loop circuit.