The ABC Of Sonic Horn Cleaning

At school we all learn the alphabet. It's something that we use all the time and so stays with us all our lives. In the English language we call it our ABC of course and these three letters have become widely used to explain more complex subjects in detail. Here is an example ... Nuclear Science.

Nuclear science is not exactly an everyday subject but if someone is interested in understanding the basics, where do they start? Well, the Berkeley Lab has taken the idea on board using the ABC idea. Founded in 1931 Berkeley Lab is a member of the national laboratory system supported by the US Dept Of Energy. Over the years it has developed associations with no less than 13 Nobel Prize winners and 57 of its lab scientists are currently members of the US National Academy Of Sciences.  So we can safely say that they are in prime position to offer good information on nuclear science.

The Lab offers free, detailed information for teachers and students on the subject of Nuclear Science but they recognise the need to simplify the introduction by talking first about the ABC ... for them it's Antimatter, Beta rays and Cosmic connection.

On our side of science - the science of acoustics - we recognise the need to introduce the often complex detail behind our technology and its benefits in a way that people unfamiliar with the subject can understand. That is why I wrote a special section on our website called The Irishman's Guide To Sonic Horns where I explain many aspects of sonic horn technology and the science behind it. Using analogies of marching bands and the acoustic properties of drums and flutes I explain about the importance of sound frequencies and how it's applied in sonic horn cleaning. When it comes to the shape of a sonic horn, entirely different analogies are drawn - eg. the Liberty Bell and Big Ben in Westminster, London. Hopefully, by relating to tangible, real-life things people will find the subject easier to understand and, subsequently, and all the more interesting.

Here are some good starting points when it comes to the ABC of sonic horn cleaning.

A = Alternative - Our sonic horns are the proven, preferred alternative to other industrial cleaning methods such as soot blowers, mechanical rappers and aeration. Why? Because they are non-intrusive and do not cause corrosion and damage as can occur with the other methods.

B = Boilers - Boiler efficiency is one of the most crucial concerns for operators of power plants, etc. Material build up in boiler tube bundles can cause slagging which in turn reduces boiler efficiency. With sonic horns installed the material is not allowed to build up. Again, they are preferred to soot blowers for this application as the latter can cause erosion and corrosion inside the boiler.

C = Cement - The cement industry is one of the biggest sources of business for us. Our Prima Whip solves the problems of silos that have already suffered sidewall build-up or blockage and the installation of our horns can prevent silo bridging and ratholing from occurring in the first place. Click here to read about how our technology is helping to prevent pre-heater fan build-up for a cement plant in Malaysia. When it comes to sonic horn science, we know our ABC :)

Explosive Cleaning - The Sonic Alternative

Sonic horns have in recent years become established as the preferred alternative to soot blowers. This mechanical engineering forum page offers an insight into why this is.

However, the soot blower is not the only method of industrial cleaning to find itself rivalled, indeed overtaken, by sonic horn technology. There's a method called 'Explosive Cleaning', favored by power plants and waste to energy plants for boiler cleaning in particular, whereby an explosive gas is ignited within the boiler, producing shock waves which dislodge material build up. Explosive cleaning can also be used to dislodge ash build up in areas of plant such as superheaters, economizers and coal silos. Note: If you are involved with silo storage, you can read more about silo cleaning with audiosonic technology.

Whilst explosive cleaning can be effective, it carries with it some distinct disadvantages when compared to sonic horns.  The main ones are:

• Explosive cleaning of a boiler means the boiler has to be shut down. Downtime costs money.
• Explosive cleaning can be too slow for a plant's needs. 
• Explosive cleaning needs greater advance planning before being introduced. 

Photo: Sonic horn installed for boiler cleaning

Our involvement with many industrial plants around the world has taught us many things over the years and one of the most important is that minimal downtime is crucial. For that one reason alone, explosive cleaning just cannot compete with sonic horn cleaning.