Heat Exchanger Fouling - Prediction, Measurement and Mitigation

Conference · Tue Sep 12 04:00:00 EDT 1989

OSTI ID:6517535

Peterson, G. R. ^[1]

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1. Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

The US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Industrial Programs (OIP) sponsors the development of innovative heat exchange systems. Fouling is a major and persistent cost associated with most industrial heat exchangers and nationally wastes an estimated 2.9 Quads per year. To predict and control fouling, three OIP projects are currently exploring heat exchanger fouling in specific industrial applications. A fouling probe has been developed to determine empirically the fouling potential of an industrial gas stream and to derive the fouling thermal resistance. The probe is a hollow metal cylinder capable of measuring the average heat flux along the length of the tube. The local heat flux is also measured by a heat flux meter embedded in the probe wall. The fouling probe has been successfully tested in the laboratory at flue gas temperatures up to 2200 F and a local heat flux up to 41,000 BTU/hr-ft². The probe has been field tested at a coal-fired boiler plant. Future tests at a municipal waste incinerator are planned. Two other projects study enhanced heat exchanger tubes, specifically the effect of enhanced surface geometries on the tube bundle performance. Both projects include fouling in a liquid heat transfer fluid. Identifying and quantifying the factors affecting fouling in these enhanced heat transfer tubes will lead to techniques to mitigate fouling.

• Research Organization: EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Conservation & Renewable Energy (CE)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-76ID01570
• OSTI ID: 6517535
• Report Number(s): EGG-M-89226; CONF-8909106--1; ON: DE91001997
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320303 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Industrial & Agricultural Processes-- Equipment & Processes
42 ENGINEERING
420400* -- Engineering-- Heat Transfer & Fluid Flow
BOILERS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CORROSION
COST
ENERGY CONSERVATION
ENERGY RECOVERY
FIELD TESTS
FLUE GAS
FLUIDS
FOULING
FREEZING
GASEOUS WASTES
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT FLUX
HEAT RECOVERY
HEAT TRANSFER FLUIDS
INDUSTRY
MASS TRANSFER
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
PROBES
RECOVERY
SEALS
TESTING
TUBES
VERY HIGH TEMPERATURE
WASTES