Before the tank was cleaned
The Problem
Hydroblast was recently contacted by a large polymer and resin manufacturer who had a big problem with one of their mixing/reactor tanks. The ratio of substances wasn’t quite right in one of their tanks and this had resulted in the entire mixture going solid, blocking the tank and leaving it both unusable and unsafe. The consistency of the blockage made it impossible to clean up using regular tank cleaning methods, and so when faced with this problem the company decided to call Hydroblast. With our years of experience in talk cleaning with water jets, we were the right people to complete the job in an efficient and environmentally-friendly way.
To begin with, we completed the routine inspection. It was a 30-tonne reactor tank that had an internal heater coil and a central mixer paddle. This meant that there was only a small entry hole and no one would be able to enter the tank safely. Instead, the tank needed to be cleaned using remote tank cleaning methods.
The Hydroblast Method
After analysing the size of the tank and the consistency of the solidified resin at the bottom, we decided to use a 3D tank cleaning nozzle. This nozzle is designed to rotate 360 degrees and clean every surface it hits with a jet of high pressured water. From our power pack pump, we were delivering 1000bar at 260 litres per minute. The nozzle then rotated at a slow speed and delivered high pressured jets of water all over the inside of the tank. The water being exerted is extremely dangerous at these high pressures, and so we always make sure that all of our team are trained to an extremely high standard. Though, as this was a no man-entry tank, the danger was far less than a man-entry tank clean.
The Outcome
The time taken to complete the job ended up being less than 15 hours and the client was extremely pleased with the result. By the time Hydroblast were done with the tank, every bit of the stubborn substance had been removed from it and all water was removed, leaving a clean, dry tank that was ready to use immediately.
The Site Manager said, “your brilliant team have just completed our vessel clean. I could eat my dinner off it, it’s that clean!”. He thanked us for a fantastic job and even asked us to come back the following week to clean another tank.
After Hydroblast’s tank cleaning
Hydroblast are experts at tank cleaning and a whole host of other jobs with stubborn materials. The way high pressured water is manipulated means we are able complete industrial cleaning jobs quickly and efficiently without damaging the environment through the use of chemicals. Hydroblast can complete form-work cleaning, pipe cleaning, concrete removal and accurately cut through concrete with Hydrodemolition techniques. If you have any questions or would like to enquire about our services please call us on 01677 424 542!