| abstract |
Method and apparatus for producing and recovering solvent vapor for cleaning the interior surfaces of substantially sealed vessels and the exterior surfaces of structures contained therein]. In the illustrated embodiment, a transportable vessel cleaning system is disclosed. The system comprises a plurality of solvent vapor producing chambers, each having a solvent vapor outflow port and a solvent vapor inflow port coaxially arranged along a vapor flow axis extending through each chamber along flow channels associated with the solvent vapor outflow and inflow ports. When operationally configured with a substantially sealed vessel, each solvent vapor producing chamber of the present invention produces a solvent vapor stream which is recirculated through the vapor delivery tube, vessel interior, vapor recovery tube and the solvent vapor producing chamber along the direction of its vapor flow axis. Each recirculating solvent vapor stream facilitates heat and solvent vapor fluxes between the solvent vapor producing chamber and the vessel interior which are sufficient to maintain saturated solvent vapor in the vessel at very high temperatures during cleaning operations. |