Core technology
Pneumatic acoustic cleaner
Also known as pneumatically driven acoustic cleaner, compressed-air sonic horn.
A pneumatic acoustic cleaner is an industrial sonic horn driven by compressed plant air rather than by an electrical, hydraulic or steam source. The pneumatic design dominates the industrial acoustic-cleaning market because it places no electrical parts inside the gas path, tolerates dirty utility air, and matches naturally to the ATEX Zone 20/21/22 dust environments where most cleaning targets sit.
Why pneumatic, not electric
Industrial cleaning duty is dominated by three constraints that favour compressed air:
- Hazardous-area classification. Most cleaning targets — coal bunkers, fly-ash hoppers, biomass silos, cement preheater cyclones, recovery boilers — are classified for combustible dust. A pneumatic driver removes electrical ignition risk entirely from the horn body.
- Utility availability. Every industrial site already runs an instrument-air or plant-air network sized for sootblowers, pneumatic vibrators, control valves and tools. Adding sonic horns rarely requires a new utility.
- Tolerance. Compressed industrial air contains water, oil mist and particulate; a metal diaphragm horn tolerates this far better than any electromechanical sound source of comparable output.
Typical utility requirements
| Specification | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Supply pressure | 4–7 bar (60–100 psi) |
| Consumption per horn (10-second burst) | 8–14 Nm³/min |
| Air quality | Dried instrument air preferred; plant air acceptable with adequate filtration |
| Connection | DN25–DN50 thread or flange |
What "pneumatic" implies for procurement
Specifiers writing an RFQ for a pneumatic acoustic cleaner should also size the compressed-air receiver, the regulator and the pilot solenoid valves for the simultaneous-firing case. A common engineering error is to under-size the air receiver, leaving the horn unable to sustain its rated SPL during multi-horn cycles.
Related terms
Related terms
- Acoustic cleanerAn acoustic cleaner is any device that uses high-intensity sound waves to dislodge particulate fouling from inside industrial process equipment such as boilers, ESPs, baghouses and silos.
- Sonic hornA sonic horn is a pneumatically-driven low-frequency sound emitter (typically 60–400 Hz at 140–180 dB SPL) used to dislodge particulate fouling from boilers, ESPs, baghouses and process vessels.
- Compressed air (industrial)Compressed air at 4–7 bar from plant or instrument-air systems drives industrial sonic horns. Consumption typically 8–14 Nm³/min during a firing burst.
- Solenoid valve (sonic horn)A solenoid valve admits compressed air to a sonic horn on command from the cycle controller. ATEX-certified for hazardous-area duty; the most-replaced wear part on the horn periphery.
- Cycle controller and sequencerA cycle controller programmes the firing pattern of one or more sonic horns — duration, interval, sequence, zone grouping. Either a dedicated standalone unit or a PLC subroutine.