Technology

Why BallTech?

Since the introduction of commercial heat exchangers, engineers have faced a common problem – The accumulation of fouling on heat transfer surfaces. It’s the greatest single factor that adversely affects the Coefficient of Performance (C.O.P.) of heat exchangers –Causing increased energy consumption in commercial chillers and resulting in production losses in industrial heat exchangers.

Manufacturers’ specifications for heat exchangers typically quote reductions in efficiency (a “Fouling Factor”) of greater than 4%. Practical field tests and a prolong case study, however, indicate astonishing figures greater than 15%.

With today’s critical need for more efficient energy and water use, online cleaning offers the greatest potential advantages for plant owners. Successful adoption of online cleaning methods results in savings on energy, water, chemicals and maintenance costs.

The BallTech® system is the only maintenance-free, online cleaning system with proven success since 1996 through thousands of installations worldwide and in Australia.

How does it work?

Using hydro-mechanical principles, the BallTech® system circulates sponge balls through the condenser tubes at pre-set intervals. Balls are injected into the condensing water, upstream of the heat exchanger and collected downstream in a special trap. The balls are 1 mm larger than the tubes’ internal diameter therefore they continually polish the tubes’ internal surfaces and prevent any fouling accumulation. The specially designed balls insure perfect performance without damaging the tubes.

Once all the balls are captured in the trap, they are then returned to the injector via a bypass ready for the next cycle. The cycles are performed automatically every 30 minutes by the pre-programmed PLC and set of actuate and check valves. The BallTech system is designed to be maintenance–free, where the only requirement is replacing the sponge balls every 1000 hours of operation.