APPARATUS FOR REMOVAL OF ALKALINE EARTH METAL SALT SCALE AND METHOD

摘要

A method to remove an alkaline earth metal salt scale deposits from a pipe comprises introducing a laser head (4) into a pipe (1), isolating a pipe section to be cleaned (8) adjacent to a scale deposit (2) on an interior wall of a pipe using a packer (6), filling the section of the pipe to be cleaned (8) with gas to displace laser-obstructing materials, activating a laser element in the laser head (4) to heat a surface layer of the scale deposit (2) above a thermal decomposition temperature, and washing the thermally decomposed scale deposit (2) with water. The thermally decomposed scale deposit (2) becomes at least partially soluble and removable as a result of being heated.

主权项

1. A method to remove an alkaline earth metal salt scale deposit from an interior wall of a pipe, comprising:
providing a laser head having an expandable packer member, one or more laser emitting elements, a gas port and a liquid port within a bore of the pipe and proximal to the scale deposit; deploying the expandable packer member to isolate a first portion of the pipe containing the scale deposit from a second portion of the pipe; introducing a volume of non-laser obstructing gas through the gas port and into the second portion of the pipe adjacent to the scale deposit to displace laser-obstructing materials from a laser light path intermediate the laser head and the scale deposit; activating the one or more laser emitting elements in the laser head to transmit laser light across the laser light path and to impinge laser light onto the scale deposit; irradiating the surface layer of the scale deposit to heat at least a portion of the scale deposit to a thermal decomposition temperature; and introducing, a flow of water through the liquid port and onto the thermally decomposed scale deposit; wherein one or more components of the thermally decomposed scale deposit become at least partially soluble as a result of being, heated by irradiation with the laser light; and wherein one or more components of the thermally decomposed scale deposit become less cohesive as a result of thermal decomposition.