APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR REMOVING AND PREVENTING DEPOSITS

摘要

An apparatus comprises an elongate pipe (1) for use in the transfer of fluids susceptible to form deposits on cooling such as wax deposits in oil, and a container (12) comprising a reusable heat source comprising a supercooled solution, e.g. of aqueous sodium acetate said container (12) being in heat conducting contact with a surface of said pipe (1), preferably on at least one surface of said container. The deposit may be removed from inside the pipe (1) by locating in heat conducting relation to said pipe a reusable heat source comprising a supercooled solution, and activating crystallization in said solution liberating heat which causes at least some of the deposit to melt and/or dissolve.