Air cannon manifold

Abstract

An apparatus for cleaning deposits from the interior surfaces of an industrial vessel, such as a kiln. The apparatus utilizes an air cannon manifold for selectively directing and venting a high volume of pressurized fluid to any one or more of a plurality of access ports defined in the vessel whereby the pressurized fluid is directed at the deposits to prevent them from adhering and accumulating on the walls of the vessel. A controller is provided to permit selection of a desired exhaust port for directing the pressurized fluid to the access ports and for sequencing an inlet valve in cooperation with a desired exhaust port.

1 . An air cannon manifold comprising a housing defining a plenum therein, an inlet port defined in a wall of said housing, said inlet port receiving a pressurized fluid source in communication with said inlet port, an inlet valve selectively positionable to open and close said inlet port, a plurality of exhaust ports defined in said wall of said housing, and a plurality of exhaust valves selectively positionable to open and close said exhaust ports, whereby said pressurized fluid may be communicated via said exhaust ports and exhausted to a selected access port in a vessel to be cleaned of deposits.  
   
   
       2 . The air cannon manifold of  claim 1  wherein said housing is substantially boxlike.  
   
   
       3 . The air cannon manifold of  claim 1 , wherein said housing is substantially spherical.  
   
   
       4 . The air cannon manifold of  claim 1  wherein said inlet valve further comprises an inlet valve actuator attached to said housing, said inlet valve actuator having an extensible inlet actuator shaft, and an inlet valve seal attached to a distal end of said actuator shaft, wherein said inlet actuator shaft urges said inlet valve seal in sealing engagement with said inlet port.  
   
   
       5 . The air cannon manifold of  claim 4  wherein said inlet valve actuator is attached to an external wall of said housing, and said inlet actuator shaft is extensible through an inlet actuator bore defined in said housing.  
   
   
       6 . The air cannon manifold of  claim 4 , wherein said inlet valve seal further comprises a disk portion, extending from and coaxial with a chamfered disk portion, said disk portion having a diameter smaller than said chamfered disk portion.  
   
   
       7 . The air cannon manifold of  claim 6 , wherein said disk portion has a diameter les than an inner diameter of said inlet port.  
   
   
       8 . The air cannon manifold of  claim 7 , wherein an outer surface of said chamfered disk portion is comprised of a resilient material.  
   
   
       9 . The air cannon manifold of  claim 1  wherein said exhaust valve further comprises an exhaust valve actuator attached to said housing, said exhaust valve actuator having an extensible exhaust actuator shaft, and an exhaust valve seal attached to a distal end of said actuator shaft, wherein said exhaust actuator shaft urges said exhaust valve seal in sealing engagement with said exhaust port.  
   
   
       10 . The air cannon manifold of  claim 9  wherein said exhaust valve actuator is attached to an external wall of said housing, and said exhaust actuator shaft is extensible through an exhaust actuator bore defined in said housing.  
   
   
       11 . The air cannon manifold of  claim 9 , wherein said exhaust valve seal further comprises a disk portion, extending from and coaxial with a chamfered disk portion, said disk portion having a diameter smaller than said chamfered disk portion.  
   
   
       12 . The air cannon manifold of  claim 11 , wherein said disk portion has a diameter less than an inner diameter of said exhaust port.  
   
   
       13 . The air cannon manifold of  claim 11 , wherein an outer surface of said chamfered disk portion is comprised of a resilient material.  
   
   
       14 . The air cannon manifold of  claim 1  further comprising a controller, wherein said controller provides a signal to said inlet valve and said exhaust valve and said inlet valve and exhaust valve are selectively positionable responsive to said signals.  
   
   
       15 . The air cannon manifold of  claim 14 , wherein said controller provides said signal at timed intervals.  
   
   
       16 . The air cannon manifold of  claim 14 , wherein said controller provides said signal responsive to a process variable.  
   
   
       17 . A method of controlling an air cannon manifold associated with a kiln, said air cannon manifold comprising a housing defining a plenum therein, an inlet port defined in a wall of said housing, said inlet port receiving a high volume pressurized fluid from a reservoir communicating with said inlet port, an inlet valve selectively positionable to open and close said inlet port, a plurality of exhaust ports defined in said wall of said housing, and a plurality of exhaust valves selectively positionable to open and close said exhaust ports, said method comprising the steps of: 
 a. closing said inlet valve to seal said inlet port,    b. charging said reservoir with a high volume of pressurized fluid,    c. opening an exhaust valve of a selected exhaust port,    d. opening said inlet valve to vent a portion of said high volume pressurized fluid from said reservoir through said air cannon manifold.    
   
   
       18 . The process of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of interrupting fluid flow to said reservoir while closing said inlet valve.  
   
   
       19 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein the step of closing said inlet valve further comprises signaling said inlet valve to maintain said seal for a specified time.  
   
   
       20 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein the step of opening an exhaust valve, further comprises signaling said exhaust valve to remain open for a specified time.  
   
   
       21 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein the step of opening said inlet valve further comprises signaling said inlet valve to close after a specified time.  
   
   
       22 . A method of controlling an air cannon manifold associated with an industrial apparatus having a plurality of access ports for cleaning said apparatus by use of pressurized fluid, said air cannon manifold comprising a housing defining a plenum therein, an inlet port defined in a wall of said housing, said inlet port receiving a high volume pressurized fluid from a reservoir communicating with said inlet port, an inlet valve selectively positionable to open and close said inlet port, a plurality of exhaust ports defined in said wall of said housing in fluid communication with said access ports, and a plurality of exhaust valves mounted to said manifold and selectively positionable to open and close said exhaust ports, said method comprising the steps of: 
 a. closing said inlet valve to seal said inlet port,    b. charging said reservoir with a high volume of pressurized fluid,    c. opening an exhaust valve of a selected one of said plurality of exhaust ports,    d. opening said inlet valve to vent a portion of said high volume pressurized fluid from said reservoir through said air cannon manifold, and,    e. iteratively repeating said sequence to vent said pressurized fluid through additional selected ones of said plurality of exhaust ports.    
   
   
       23 . The method as defined in  claim 22  wherein said plurality of exhaust ports are normally closed during charging of said reservoir.  
   
   
       24 . The method as defined in  claim 22  wherein said each of said plurality of exhaust ports are sequentially individually opened during subsequent iterations to provide cleaning to different regions of said industrial apparatus.  
   
   
       25 . The method as defined in claims  22  wherein said industrial apparatus is monitored for conditions indicating desirability of fluid cleaning and said monitoring is used to selectively open said exhaust ports.