Effect of microfouling on heat-transfer efficiency

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:6551519

Little, B; Berger, L R

Field experiments, performed at Keahole Point, Hawaii and in the Gulf of Mexico, were designed to determine the relationship between decreased heat transfer efficiency and the accumulation of corrosion and/or biofouling films on heat exchanger surfaces. The sample tubes were maintained under conditions simulating those of an Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) system and data from the two sites have been compared. Seawater flowed through 2.54 (internal diameter) metal tubes at approximately 1.8m sec/sup -1/. Four types of tubes were used: 5052 Aluminum (A1), Grade 2 titanium (Ti), 90-10 copper-nickel (Cu-Ni) and Allegheny-Ludlum 6X stainless ssteel (SS). All surfaces were colonized by microorganisms, though colonization of the Cu-Ni surface was initially retarded. Total film weight was greatest for the Al and Cu-Ni surfaces which were characterized by corrosion as well as microbial fouling. The total organic carbon: total nitrogen ratios of the fouling films from Ti, Al, SS and Cu-Ni, 4.2, 4.0, 4.8 and 7.9 respectively, remained constant throughout the experiment. The degradation of heat transfer efficiency due to the formation of fouling layers on Ti and SS is neither linear nor a simple exponential function. A microfouling model is proposed for corrosion-resistant surfaces that is consistent with field observations.

• Research Organization: Naval Ocean Research and Development Activity, Bay Saint Louis, MS (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AI02-79CH10030
• OSTI ID: 6551519
• Report Number(s): DOE/CH/10030-1; CONF-8005157-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140800* -- Solar Energy-- Ocean Energy Systems
ALLOYS
ALUMINIUM
ATLANTIC OCEAN
BIOLOGICAL FOULING
CARBON
CARIBBEAN SEA
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CONVERSION
COPPER ALLOYS
CORROSION
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
DATA
EFFICIENCY
ELEMENTS
ENERGY CONVERSION
ENERGY TRANSFER
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FIELD TESTS
FILMS
FOULING
GRAPHS
GULF OF MEXICO
HAWAII
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT TRANSFER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
METALS
NICKEL ALLOYS
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION
OFFSHORE SITES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SEAS
SEAWATER
SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSION
STAINLESS STEELS
STEELS
SURFACE WATERS
TABLES
TESTING
THEORETICAL DATA
TITANIUM
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TUBES
USA
WATER
WEIGHT
WESTERN REGION