Study of mineral fouling mitigation on heat exchanger surface

Abstract Investigation on fouling behaviour of calcium carbonate on heat exchanger surfaces as well as mitigation of fouling are presented in this paper. By varying parameters such as concentration of the fouling solution, temperature of the heating surface, type of materials and use of additives, the fouling rate on the test specimens were observed. A set of experiments were performed by using calcium carbonate solution. Fouling rate, fouling resistances and the rate of heat transfers were determined for different heat exchanger material surfaces. Fouling resistance is enhanced by the thermal conductivity and temperature of the heat exchanging surfaces and also by the concentration of the foulant in the solution. The addition of gum arabic additive (benign to the environment) to the solution retarded the rate of deposition. The results of these investigations could be design aid for economic and enhancement of heat exchanger performance.

[1]  N. Andritsos,et al.  Calcium carbonate scaling in a plate heat exchanger in the presence of particles , 2003 .

[2]  Xiao Dong Chen,et al.  Mineral scale formation and mitigation on metals and a polymeric heat exchanger surface , 2010 .

[3]  S. Kazi.  Fouling and Fouling Mitigation on Heat Exchanger Surfaces , 2012 .

[4]  M. Bohnet,et al.  Fouling of heat transfer surfaces , 1987 .

[5]  Z Amjad,et al.  Calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum) scale formation on heat exchanger surfaces: The influence of scale inhibitors , 1988 .

[6]  H. Müller-Steinhagen,et al.  Experimental Investigation of Crystallization Fouling on Grooved Stainless Steel Surfaces During Convective Heat Transfer , 2009 .

[7]  Frank P. Incropera,et al.  Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer , 1981 .

[8]  G. Demopoulos.  Aqueous Precipitation and Crystallization for the Production of Particulate Solids with Desired Properties , 2009 .

[9]  G. H. Nancollas,et al.  Kinetics of growth of calcium sulfate crystals at heated metal surfaces , 1980 .

[10]  N. Al‐Mutairi.  Fouling Studies and Control in Heat Exchangers , 2007 .

[11]  Xiao Dong Chen,et al.  Fouling and fouling mitigation on heated metal surfaces , 2012 .

[12]  Xiao Dong Chen,et al.  Heat transfer in the drag reducing regime of wood pulp fibre suspensions , 1999 .

[13]  C. Rindt,et al.  Experimental Investigation of CaSO4 Crystallization on a Flat Plate , 2006 .

[14]  E. Lindner.  A low surface free energy approach in the control of marine biofouling , 1992 .

[15]  H. Müller-Steinhagen,et al.  Reduction of heat transfer fouling by the addition of wood pulp fibers , 1998 .

[16]  H. Müller-Steinhagen,et al.  Fouling of roughened stainless steel surfaces during convective heat transfer to aqueous solutions , 2008 .

[17]  Hans Müller-Steinhagen,et al.  Heat Exchanger Fouling: Environmental Impacts , 2009 .

[18]  W. L. Adamson,et al.  Scale formation as related to evaporator surface conditions , 1973 .

[19]  Gershon Grossman,et al.  Heat-transfer enhancement by additives. , 1996 .

[20]  M. Fletcher.  The physiological activity of bacteria attached to solid surfaces. , 1991, Advances in microbial physiology.

[21]  X. D. Chen,et al.  Fiber-modified scaling in heat transfer fouling mitigation , 2002 .