Home » Products & Solutions » Energy Products » ATCS
ATCS - Automatic Tube Cleaning System
ATCS is an automated solution to mitigate the fouling problem in the condensers and heat exchangers. It operates periodically (automatically) at pre-defined intervals, keeping the inner walls of tubes always clean by using cleaning sponge balls.
“Fouling” is an undesirable piled deposit formed inside a condenser, sometimes described as a thermal resistant on the heat path in the condenser. The thermal resistance is proportional to the thickness of the deposit, and is in inverse proportion to the thermal conductivity of this deposit.
The recurrent problem of micro-fouling and scaling in heat exchangers & condenser tubes
reduces plant output, performance and service life.
Sectors like Refineries, Power Plants & most Industrial & Commercial Buildings with central air conditioning systems installed are major consumers of heat exchanger, thus involving long shutdowns, harmful chemicals and ongoing operating expenses within a conventional system.
THE INNOVATIVE SYSTEM
A simple system in which recycled cleansing balls are flushed through the cooling system via a natural water flow, ensuring that unwanted deposits and residue are cleaned before fouling occurs.The ATCS is fully automatic (PLC controlled) and works continuously while the chiller is operational,eliminating the need for inconvenient shutdowns or costly maintenance.
-
Energy savings of up to 30%
-
Elimination of costly downtime
-
Extended of capital Equipment life-cycle
-
Optimized heat transfer performance
the process
ATCS maintains heat exchangers, keeping them clean without time-consuming intervention. Sponge balls, slightly larger in diameter than the tubes, are injected at set intervals into the system. These rub the tubes clean and are then trapped on the outlet of the heatexchanger where they are collected for the next cleaning cycle.The ATCS cycle is fully automatic and controlled by a PLC controller as follows:
-
The balls start out in a collector that’s connected to the heat exchanger or condenser through the main line of the system. A window in the collector enables seamless monitoring of both the condition and number of balls inside. -
The ATCS includes a PLC controlled pump which forces water through the pipes. Once the water enters the collector, the system periodically injects all of the balls into the inlet pipe. -
The balls proceed from the main line to the condenser, where they are randomly distributed across the condenser tubes. -
The balls then flow through the tubes at normal system flow velocity. As the balls are pushed though the pipes by the water, the balls clean off residue, deposits and buildup before any fouling results. -
As the balls exit the condenser, they are collected in a ball trap with no moving parts, and no possibility for the balls to escape. -
Once the balls are in the trap, the controller opens the drain valve and the balls are carried back to the collector. At this point, they are rinsed clean by circulating system water which is directed through the collector.
ATCS – Annual Potential Energy Savings
| Description | Unit | Constant Approach of 2° F with ATCS | Avg Approach of 7° F without ATCS | Justification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiller Plant Capacity | TR | 800 | 800 | 800 TR Water Cooled Chiller |
| No. of Chillers | Nos. | 2 | 2 | Maximum 2 Chillers are Optional throughout the season. |
| Power Consumptions of Chillers | kW/TR | 0.6 | 0.65 | Power Consumption with & w/o ATCS (Considering 7° F Avg Approach as max). 1 F increases power Consumption by 1.5%. |
| % Loading of Chillers | % | 80 | 80 | Chillers assumed to run at 80% avg Loading.For 5 months 2 Chillers run continuously;For 4 months 1 runs continuously & 2nd runs for 20 hrs a day.For 3 months only 1 runs continuously. |
| Annual operating HRS/day | hrs | 6000 | 6000 | After installation of ATCS we assume that this chiller will run continuously.(20 hrs a day,30 days a month,10 month a year.) |
| Average Tariff Rate | Rs. | 7.5 | 7.5 | Including Base charges + service taxes & including electricity units produced by the DG. |
| Amount spent(towards Input Energy) | Rs. | 34,560,000 | 37,362,162 | |
| Net Potential Saving | Rs. | 2,802,162 | Saving Per Year |
payback period
| Description | Unit | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Supply of ATCS for 800 TR Chiller | Rs. | 3,500,000 |
| Installation,Testing, Commissioning | Rs. | 500,000 |
| Saving Per Year | Rs. | 2,802,162 |
| Payback Period | Years | 1.43 |