Heat Exchanger and tube cleaning
GAPESCO leads the field in heat exchanger cleaning. Due to our turnkey solutions, we can provide the complete solution for industry when it comes to heat exchanger cleaning.
Innovative technology
Our high-pressure water jetting equipment will clean heat exchangers to the highest standards. All bundles and plant need to be cleaned regularly. With GAPESCO’s technology cleaning is executed safely, fast, efficiently, cost effectively and environmentally friendly.
Our equipment is suitable for the following applications.
◉ Wash bay cleaning
◉ In-site cleanings
◉ Horizontal and vertical exchangers
◉ Pipe work
◉ Fin fan tubes and fins
◉ Shells
◉ Components
◉ Vessels and columns
◉ Every type of contamination
GAPESCO offers the complete range of semi-automatic and automatic industrial cleaning methods .
GAPESCO has solutions for every situation and if there is no solution yet, we will find one. Continuous innovation has made Gapesco the front runner in safety and efficiency in industrial cleaning.
Safety
Safety is paramount to us and to all of our partners. The automated system removes the operator from the work face and reduces the risk to everyone involved when compared to traditional methods. All our technicians are trained to the highest standards, are members of the Water Jetting Association, and are experienced within the Petrochemical and Refining Industry.
Benefits to industry
◉ The multi lance jetting system is capable of cleaning multiple tubes in one pass
◉ Each tube can be cleaned to IRIS inspection standard in just 7 seconds
◉ Can use water pressure up to 1500 bar / 21700 psi
◉ Excellent cleaning results by means of front and back cleaning
◉ The speed of the jetting nozzle can be varied depending upon the level of contamination
◉ Can be used with hot water
◉ Ten times more water can be utilized compared to using manual methods. Our high pressures are pumps capable of producing high flows of up to 250L per minute.
◉ Jetting nozzles can be remotely and hydraulically rotated up to 180 degrees horizontally and vertically to enable deeper cleaning in-front and behind tubes
◉ Faster, more efficient cleaning means exchangers are out of service for shorter periods making cleaning more cost effective.
◉ The bundle is rolled hydraulically to enable external cleaning, resulting in no damage to plant as opposed to traditional methods.
PRODUCTION MAINTENANCE CLEANING SERVICES
GAPESCO Environmental Services provides a comprehensive range of tank and vessel cleaning services both onshore and offshore. We offer conventional cleaning services as well as on-line cleaning through the use of our innovative VICTA system (Vessel In-Service Cleaning Tool Assembly).
◎ Maintenance
◉ NORM Survey of Equipment and Product Tubing
◉ Above Ground Storage Tanks
◉ Offshore and Onshore Conventional Tank and Vessel Maintenance Cleaning and Degassing
for Refurbishment.
◉ Flex Lancing Facility Deck Drains and Tank and Vessel Inner-connected Production Process Piping
◉ VICTA system — In-Service Production Vessel Cleaning
◉ Amine System Cleaning and Rehabilitation
◉ Glycol System Sampling, Cleaning and Rehabilitation
◉ Particle Filtering for Sensitive New Fabrication
◉ Hot Oil Filter for Compressor Lubrication Oil Systems and Hydraulic Systems
◉ Chemical Cleaning, Pickling and Passivation of New and Existing Heat Exchanger Piping
◉ Platform Wash down and Drain Maintenance
◉ ULTRASONIC CLEANING
◎ What is Ultrasonic Cleaning
The sound waves generated at high & low-pressure phases in the liquid, will create microscopic vacuum bubbles that implode when the sound waves moves, and the zones changes from +Ve to -Ve pressure. This process is called "cavitations”. Enormous, localized pressures & temperature will be exerted, and this will loosen the contaminants and scrubs the work piece.
During low pressure phase, the liquid molecules extend beyond its natural physical force, generating vacuum nuclei that continue to grow to a maximum size proportional to the applied sonic frequency. Then at high pressure phase of the next half cycle, the vacuum bubble implodes thus inducing all the energy to focus inward the energy releases from the cavitations implosion, collides or disintegrates the contaminants allowing the cleaning detergent/ solvent to displace it very fast, simultaneously this implosion also creates dynamic pressure to carry away contaminants from the substrate surface.
Cumulative effect of millions of continuous tiny implosions in a liquid medium, provides the necessary mechanical energy to break up the physically & chemically bonded contaminants.
◎ Benefits of Ultrasonic Cleaning
Industries that use large equipment arts must constantly clean clogs that come with the territory: Organic elements such as salt and limestone as well as thick fuel residues such as oils and tars.
Cleaning clogged parts slows down or shuts down production, which can cause millions of dollars in lost revenues each year.
For decades, power washing has been the best method available for cleaning large industrial parts. Today, however, Gapesco introduces a new cleaning method that promises many benefits beyond the reach of power washing.
◎ Cleaning efficiency
By the time water and detergents reaches the far end of tubing within long equipment parts, a power washer’s spray force can decrease by as much as 80%. This weakened spray cannot dislodge stubborn clogs at the far inner ends of the parts.
During ultrasonic cleaning, the part is entirely submerged in a tank filled with the liquid, soup to 90% of ultrasonic cleaning energy reaches all inner and outer surfaces.
The superior cleaning efficiency of ultra-sonic increases a facility’s up time, because while power washing returns parts with contaminants than will soon create new blockages and clogs, ultra-sonic delivers parts that are microscopically clean back to the production line.
Power washing blasts liquid at 30,000-40,000 PSI, with a nozzle-point speed equivalent to hundreds of miles per hour. A misdirected hose or unexpected splash-back can maim or even decapitate workers.
Ultrasonic cleaning eliminates these dangers by using a gentle, contained bath environment to surround—rather than splash—parts.
◎ Elimination of damaged parts
When the jet force of power washing hits blockages inside a part’s tubing or sensitive components anywhere on the part, it creates a violent explosion that can bursts hole in the tube or bend the component, such force-caused damage cannot occur during ultrasonic cleaning.
◎ Environmental friendliness
Power washing can require 12, 000 gallons of liquid or more per part washed. Each wash also requires treatment of liquid waste and extensive spray-area cleanups.
Ultrasonic tanks require only around 9,000 gallons of liquid—about 90% water and 10%detergent. And unlike power washing, the liquid in an ultrasonic tank is reusable between six and fifteen times. The system contains all waste, automatically collecting at the tank bottom or inside connected totes for easy haul-away.
◎ Saves time.
Power washing of some large parts, such as heat exchangers for oil and gas production, can typically require nine hours per part, between cleaning time and the time required to clean up the area after washing.
Ultrasonic cleaning of a similar part typically requires four to six hours, with more time required only when the heat exchanger needs two separate baths targeting different contaminants.
More up time, less cleaning time, no parts damage, less risk, and other benefits—when you consider all these advantages, it is easy to see that ultrasonic cleaning is a far superior solution to messy, force-based methods such as power washing. And that a Gapesco ultrasonic cleaning system can pay for itself very quickly in the field.