HEAT EXCHANGER TUBE CLEANING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF REMOVING A BLOCKAGE FROM A TUBE

摘要

A cleaning apparatus for removing a blockage from a heat exchanger tube of a steam generator, or the like, having a plurality of tubes extending between a pair of tube sheets. Anchor plate fasteners, which are expandable inside tubes adjacent to the blocked tube, are used to mount an anchor plate to one of the tube sheets. The anchor plate has an opening for aligning in registry with the condenser tube having the blockage and provides a solid platform for mounting either a mechanical device or a fluid pressure device for providing a force against the blockage for removal of the blockage. The cleaning apparatus enables a force to be applied which is significantly greater than that which can be applied with known hand-held devices for removing blockages.