Abstract: A self-cleaning filter installed in a cylindrical conduit for a liquid to be cleaned, such as cooling water for an industrial power plant, comprises a sieve spanning the conduit and undulating between an upstream and a downstream transverse plane. The interior of the conduit is divided into two or more sectoral compartments which are bounded by corresponding sieve segments on the downstream side and are provided with respective peripheral outlets leading to a drain, these outlets being normally closed by associated shutoff valves. To clean any sieve segment bounding a particular compartment, the upstream entrance to that compartment is obstructed by a flap valve while the corresponding shutoff valve is opened to generate a reverse flow across that sieve segment.

Abstract: A tube-type heat exchanger having inlet and output conduits and tubes connected therebetween, and a return conduit extending from the output to the inlet conduit is, as is known, traversed by a coolant liquid from the intake to the output conduit through the tubes. Balls are released into the intake conduit from the return conduit and pass with the coolant through the tubes to clean same. These balls are trapped in the output conduit and introduced back into the return conduit where each ball's momentum is measured and outputs corresponding thereto are generated. These outputs are compared with a set-point signal corresponding to minimum acceptable ball momentum and all of the balls from the conduits are withdrawn and replaced with fresh balls when in a predetermined period of time a predetermined number of the outputs fall below the set-point signal.

Abstract: A tube-type heat exchanger having inlet and output conduits and tubes connected therebetween, and a return conduit extending from the output to the inlet conduit is traversed by a coolant liquid from the intake to the output conduit through the tubes. Balls are released into the intake conduit from the return conduit and pass with the coolant through the tubes to clean same. These balls are trapped in the output conduit and introduced back into the return conduit where each ball's momentum is measured and an output corresponding thereto is generated. This output is compared with a set-point signal corresponding to minimum acceptable ball momentum, and any ball whose momentum is below the minimum momentum is withdrawn from the return conduit and replaced in the conduits with a fresh ball.

Abstract: Cleaning member for cleaning the interior of heat exchanger tubes by rotating, including a sponge rubber element being adapted to suit the diameter of the heat exchanger tube, and abrasive elements connected to the sponge rubber body, the abrasive elements being in the form of bristles each having a bristle shaft, and a bristle base molded into the sponge rubber ball anchoring the bristles.

Abstract: Cleaning member for cleaning the interior of heat exchanger tubes by rotating, including a sponge rubber body having a given diameter, an adhesive film disposed on the sponge rubber body, and an abrasive layer formed of granular abrasive elements being fastened on the sponge rubber body by the adhesive film, the granular abrasive elements having an average linear dimension being smaller than the given diameter of the sponge rubber body, and the granular abrasive elements being disposed in a loose packing causing the abrasive layer to be deformable together with the sponge rubber body.

Abstract: A filter for separating solid bodies such as fish from a liquid stream such as flowing water to be used as a coolant for a power-generating plant comprises a cylindrical housing, an inlet conduit attached to a cylindrical wall of the housing substantially radially thereto, a first outlet conduit connected to a bottom end of the housing for drawing off filtrate, a second outlet conduit connected to the cylindrical housing wall opposite the inlet conduit for channeling away fish-laden effluent, a wedge disposed at the junction of the inlet conduit and the housing for dividing an incoming fluid stream into two equal portions, a filter sieve eccentrically disposed in the housing for forming therewith an annular filter chamber including tapered chamber halves of decreasing width in the direction of fluid flow, and a pair of independently actuatable gate flaps swingably mounted on the wedge for pivoting between respective closed positions engaging the housing and respective fully open positions engaging the sieve.

Abstract: A filter for separating solid bodies such as fish from a stream of water utilizable as a coolant for a power-generating plant comprises a cylindrical housing, an inlet conduit attached to a cylindrical wall of the housing substantially radially thereto, a first outlet conduit connected to a bottom end of the housing for drawing off filtrate, a second outlet conduit attached to the cylindrical housing wall opposite the inlet conduit for channeling away fish-laden effluent, a filter sieve eccentrically disposed in the housing to form therewith an annular filter chamber including tapered chamber halves extending from the inlet to the second outlet conduit, and an elongate wedge-shaped fluid-guide body extending parallel to the housing symmetry axis and shiftably disposed at the junction of the housing and the inlet conduit for selectively moving into a primary position for dividing an incoming fluid stream into substantially equal portions flowing into respective chamber halves and at least into one secondary po