Ultrasonic Cleaning of Valves in Mining 'CleanMine'

We aim to provide mine operators with a rapid method of detecting and removing calcium and similar deposits from in service check valves without stopping production, thus extending the life of expensive components, reducing the cost of maintenance by 50%pa and downtime by 5%pa. In the case of cyanidation, exposure of maintenance operatives to cyanide will be reduced to zero for certain tasks, presenting obvious health benefits. The system will reduce the risk of contamination from back-flow, and could be applied to other industries where check valves (or similar) are used, eg petrochem, nuclear or hydropower generation. A novel ultrasonic cleaning method will be developed: the components themselves act as a cleaning bath so are not removed from service. A device consisting of a wave generator, amplifiers and high power ultrasonic transducers will be clamped to accessible surfaces of the valve to remove well adhered debris effectively without chemicals.