Particulate fouling in waste incinerators as influenced by the critical sticking velocity and layer porosity

Fouling of heat transfer surfaces introduces a major uncertainty into the design and operation of heat exchange equipment. Fouling layers as observed on the tube bundles of the economizer in a Dutch waste incinerator were thin and powdery. The fouling layer showed an asymptotic growth rate with a levelling off increase of the thickness. In this study, the influence of the critical sticking velocity on the growth rate of particulate fouling layers is described. The critical sticking velocity of an incident particle hitting a powdery layer is defined as the maximum impact speed at which the particle will stick to the layer. Since the critical sticking velocity is a key parameter in the deposition mechanism, a well-defined experimental set-up has been built to assign it. Experimental results showed that the critical sticking velocity increases with the porosity of the fouling layer. Literature shows that the porosity of a thin sintered powdery layer changes with the layer thickness. Based on the experimental results and the variation of porosity with thickness for a thin sintered powdery fouling layers, a correlation is developed which shows that the sticking velocity decreases exponentially as the fouling layer thickness increases. Therefore, fewer particles are likely to stick as the fouling layer builds up and consequently the deposition rate decreases. The change in the critical sticking velocity as the fouling layer builds up contributes to the explanation of the asymptotic growth of particulate fouling layers on the tube bundle of waste incinerators.     

Removal of gas-side particulate fouling layers by foreign particles as a function of flow direction

Removal of particulate fouling layers by externally injected particles as a function of flow direction with respect to gravity is investigated experimentally. Three orientations of flow have been investigated, horizontal flow, upward flow and a downward flow. It is found that fouling starts at the point of stagnation irrespective of the flow direction, and also starts at the top point of the heat exchanger tubes. Particulate fouling grows from these two points except for the downward flow, were the flow stagnation point coincides with the top point of the heat exchanger tubes and the growth of the fouling layer starts only from one point. It was not possible to remove the fouling layer in case of a horizontal and an upward flow by the externally injected particles, however in case of a downward flow most of the fouling layers were removed by the external particles. It can be concluded that the downward flow is the best flow orientation to linger particulate fouling and for removal of fouling layers by externally injected particles.     

三维变形管管内积灰特性数值模拟研究

烟气中的高灰分、高黏度、高腐蚀性成分不可避免地造成换热器烟气侧换热面积灰结垢的问题,如何有效解决这些问题一直是烟气换热器研究的焦点之一.三维变形管内的螺旋流增强了管内流体的湍动程度从而实现强化传热,基于其内部灰尘受气流携带而处于湍动便不易沉积的特点,本文通过数值模拟的方法探讨了三维变形管几何参数、粒径、气体流速对灰尘颗...     

Design of a novel, intensified heat exchanger for reduced fouling rates

This paper describes an integrated approach into the design and evaluation of a novel tube bundle heat exchanger that achieves higher heat transfer levels at lower levels of pressure drop, while remaining less susceptible to gas-side fouling. The approach combines laboratory scale experiments with industrial observations and numerical simulations of full-scale heat exchangers to study the thermal, hydraulic and fouling characteristics of tube bundle heat exchangers. Three arrangements are compared and the advantages of the proposed novel arrangement are demonstrated. Enhanced heat transfer rates are combined with reduced pressure drop and gas-side fouling rates through careful design of the shape of the tube cross-section and reduced transverse spacing.     

Effect of contact number on heat extraction of particle material for hydrogen production

Hydrogen production by steam thermal reforming with waste heat of industrial particle material is of good prospects. But the insufficient research on the heat extraction traits of particulate matter has set up obstacles to its application. This paper focused on the effect of contact number, as it has not yet been fully studied. A series of steady-state numerical models based on a face-centered cubic packing was established to simulate the effect of contact number by removing selected particles. The results show that the contact number has a marked influence on the thermal resistance. As the contact number decreases by 12, the thermal resistance increases by 13.9∼31.9%. The removal of particles causes redistribution of heat transfer in different heat transfer modes. The heat transfer from the solid layer to the next layer decreases by 57.8% at most, and the radiation heat transfer between them is strengthened (36% at most). The effect of heat redistribution due to the removal of particles is significantly weakened after the heat flows through the first particle layer without removal operation. With these results, a better interpret of particulate matter heat extraction may be established.     

Particulate Fouling and Challenges of Metal Foam Heat Exchangers

ABSTRACT

In recent years, open-cell metal foam has gained attention for utilization for exhaust gas recirculation coolers due to its large surface area and porous structure. Theoretically, the porous foam structure would have better transfer heat through conduction and convection processes. However, the exhaust gases that enter the cooler would carry particulate matter, which may deposit within the foam structure. The existing fouling studies cannot explain the underlying mechanisms of particulate deposition thoroughly within the foam structure. This study reviews the particulate fouling of heat exchangers, particularly in the exhaust gas recirculation system. Some past approaches to investigate fouling, particle transport, and deposition in the metal foam heat exchangers for many different applications are also included. In addition, this study also includes the challenges that lie ahead in implementing the metal foam heat exchangers in the industries.     

Fouling Reduction Characteristics of a No-Distributor-Fluidized-Bed Heat Exchanger for Flue Gas Heat Recovery

Heat exchangers and heat exchanger networks are extensively used for the purpose of recovering energy. In conventional flue gas heat recovery systems, the fouling by fly ashes and the related problems such as corrosion and cleaning are known to be major drawbacks. To overcome these problems, a single-riser no-distributor-fluidized-bed heat exchanger is devised and studied. Fouling and cleaning tests are performed for a uniquely designed fluidized bed-type heat exchanger to demonstrate the effect of particles on the fouling reduction and heat transfer enhancement. The tested heat exchanger model (1 m high and 54 mm internal diameter) is a gas-to-water type and composed of a main vertical tube and four auxiliary tubes through which particles circulate and transfer heat. Through the present study, the fouling on the heat transfer surface could successfully be simulated by controlling air-to-fuel ratios rather than introducing particles through an external feeder, which produced soft deposit layers with 1 to 1.5 mm thickness on the inside pipe wall. Flue gas temperature at the inlet of heat exchanger was maintained at 450°C at the gas volume rate of 0.738 to 0.768 CMM (0.0123 to 0.0128 m³/sec). From the analyses of the measured data, heat transfer performances of the heat exchanger before and after fouling and with and without particles were evaluated. Results showed that soft deposits were easily removed by introducing glass bead particles, and also heat transfer performance increased two times by the particle circulation. In addition, it was found that this type of heat exchanger had high potential to recover heat of waste gases from furnaces, boilers, and incinerators effectively and to reduce fouling related problems.     

Development of a Predictive CFD Fouling Model for Diesel Engine Exhaust Gas Systems

This article presents a numerical simulation procedure for studying soot particle deposition in diesel exhaust systems, with a particular focus on fouling layer thickness evolution. In the proposed algorithm, particle transport toward the wall, adhesion, and reentrainment of particles from the surface have been modeled, including Brownian motion and turbulent diffusion, thermophoresis, adhesion, and removal. This model has been implemented in ANSYS Fluent, which makes the inclusion of local effects possible. A cross-flow device, with a tube positioned transverse to the flow, has been simulated and tested. A comparison of the predicted fouling layer at several angular positions with the experimental observation shows acceptable agreement. This model makes it possible to predict the real depth of the fouling layer and its effects on the hydrodynamics of the flow. This model represents a valuable tool for the prediction of the main aspects of the performance of heat exchangers exposed to fouling.     

Evaluation of heat exchanger surface coatings

Compact heat exchangers are very popular due to their effectiveness, small footprint and low cost. In order to protect heat exchangers in dirty applications, coatings can be applied to the heat transfer surfaces to extend effectiveness and minimize fouling. Coating selection is extremely important since the wrong coating can decrease unit effectiveness, cause more fouling, and/or erode the surface.An experimental investigation of coating effectiveness in compact plate heat exchangers is presented. New, cleaned and coated plate heat exchangers are considered in this study. Heat exchangers have been exposed to untreated lake water for various time periods. Transient effectiveness results compare the rate of fouling for coated and uncoated heat exchangers. Additional results compare deposit weight gain at the end of the test period and transient observations of heat transfer surface appearance. All heat exchanger combinations showed some deposit accumulation for the period considered.Results indicate that the thermal performance of the unit decreases with time, resulting in an undersized heat exchanger. For the conditions considered here, uncoated plates accumulate deposits up to 50% faster than coated plates and show a decrease in performance of up to 40%. Surface coating, exposure time, fluid velocity and concentration of particles can affect fouling.     

Influence of gas velocity on particulate fouling of exhaust gas recirculation coolers

The objective of this research is to study the influence of gas flow velocity on particulate fouling of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) coolers. An experimental setup has been designed and constructed to simulate particulate fouling in EGR coolers in diesel engines. The setup consists of soot generator, gas/particle flow heater, testing section for EGR coolers and finally an exhaust system. Two sets of fouling experiments have been performed with and without water injection, and the gas velocity in each set has varied between 30, 70 and 120 m/s. The concentration of soot particles in the gas flow is 100 mg/m³, and the average diameter of the particles is 130 nm with a standard deviation of 55 nm. It has been found that the thermal resistance and thickness of the fouling layer and the fouling rate decrease as the gas velocity in the EGR cooler increases. If EGR coolers are operated with a gas velocity, which is just lower than the critical flow velocity for the largest particle in the flow, quick deterioration of the thermal performance of the heat exchanger will nevertheless occur. This strongly indicates that the gas velocity should exceed a certain critical flow velocity in order to prevent particulate fouling. In addition, the presence of water vapour in the gas flow improves the thermal performance of the cooler and decreases the fouling rate, and its influence decreases as the gas velocity increases.     

Optimization of Flow Direction to Minimize Particulate Fouling of Heat Exchangers

The influence of flow direction with respect to gravity on particulate fouling of heat exchangers is investigated experimentally to determine the optimal flow direction to minimize fouling. Four orientations of flow have been investigated: horizontal flow, upward flow, downward flow, and a flow under an angle of 45°. It is observed that fouling starts at the point of stagnation irrespective of the flow direction, and also at the top of the heat exchanger tubes. Particulate fouling grows from these two points till they meet and the fouling layer covers the whole surface of the heat exchanger tube. Fouling at the upper half of the tubes is much faster than the lower half of the tubes, and the fouling rate is faster at the bottom tubes of the heat exchanger section than at the upper tubes. The best orientation for lingering particulate fouling is the downward flow, where the flow stagnation point coincides with the top point of the heat exchanger tubes and the growth of the fouling layer only starts from one point.     

Use of C-factor for monitoring of fouling in a shell and tube heat exchanger

Heat exchangers operating in process industries are fouled during operations and results in decrease in the thermal efficiency of a heat exchanger. Once the thermal efficiency decreases to a minimum acceptable level, cleaning of the equipment becomes necessary to restore the performance. This paper uses C-factor as a tool for investigation of the performance of a heat exchanger due to fouling which consequently gives information regarding the extent of fouling developed on the heat transfer surfaces. The fouling parameters are predicted by measurements of flow rate and pressure drop. In contrast to most conventional methods, the extent of fouling can be detected considering the flow rate and pressure drop when the heat exchanger operates in transient states. The C-Factor is first calculated through out cleaning period and then compared with the clean and the design value. The results show that the proposed tool is very effective in detecting the fouling developed and the corresponding degradation in heat transfer efficiency of a heat exchanger. Hence the results of this work can find applications in predicting the reduction in heat transfer efficiency due to fouling in heat exchangers that are in operation and assist the exchanger operators to plan cleaning schedules.     

Exhaust Gas Recirculation Cooler Fouling in Diesel Applications: Fundamental Studies of Deposit Properties and Microstructure

This article reports on the results of experimental efforts aimed at improving the understanding of the mechanisms and conditions at play in the fouling of exhaust gas recirculation coolers. An experimental apparatus was constructed to utilize simplified surrogate heat exchanger tubes in lieu of full-size heat exchangers. The use of these surrogate tubes allowed removal of the tubes after exposure to engine exhaust for study of the deposit layer and its properties. The exhaust used for fouling the surrogate tubes was produced using a modern medium-duty diesel engine fueled with both ultra-low-sulfur diesel and biodiesel blends. At long exposure times, no significant difference in the fouling rate was observed between fuel types and hydrocarbons levels. Surface coatings for the tubes were also evaluated to determine their impact on deposit growth. No surface treatment or coating produced a reduction in the fouling rate or any evidence of deposit removal. In addition, microstructural analysis of the fouling layers was performed using optical and electron microscopy in order to better understand the deposition mechanism. The experimental results are consistent with thermophoretic deposition for deposit formation, and van der Waals attraction between the deposit surface and exhaust-borne particulate.     

Influences of bubble formation on different types of heat exchanger fouling

In this paper, a systematic comparison is performed to investigate fouling of suspended particles under forced convective and subcooled flow boiling heat transfer. For this purpose, two different types of fouling are separately considered: crystallization fouling of dissolved CaSO₄ particles in water and particulate fouling of suspended Al₂O₃ particles in n–heptane. The effect of hydraulic parameters such as fluid velocity and also bubble generation under subcooled flow boiling are studied. Results of the experiments demonstrate that creation of boiling condition in the heat exchanger has opposite influence in these two types of fouling. It means that bubble generation on the heat transfer surface promotes scale formation under crystallization fouling. This is due to the fact that increased bubble generation creates higher supersaturation beneath the vapor bubble, therefore, increasing the crystal concentration in the boundary layer. On the other hand, boiling condition inhibits the scale formation under particulate fouling because the suspended particles are repelled from the boundary layer by the strong turbulences created by the swarm of bubbles.     

Mitigation of ice crystallization fouling in stationary and circulating liquid–solid fluidized bed heat exchangers

Liquid–solid fluidized bed heat exchangers are attractive ice crystallizers since they are able to mitigate ice crystallization fouling and exhibit high heat transfer coefficients. Experiments show that the fouling removal ability of stationary fluidized beds increases with decreasing bed voidage (95–80%) and increasing particle size (2–4 mm). The removal of ice crystallization fouling appears to be more effective in circulating fluidized beds, especially at high circulation rates. Fouling removal is realized by both particle–wall collisions and pressure fronts induced by particle–particle collisions. A comparison between ice crystallization experiments and impact characteristics shows that the removal rate is proportional to the impulse exerted on the wall. A model based on these phenomena is discussed and predicts the transition temperature difference for ice crystallization fouling in both stationary and circulating fluidized beds with an average absolute error of 9.2%.     

Influence of the Apex Angle of Cone-Shaped Tubes on Particulate Fouling of Heat Exchangers

A two-dimensional (2D) cone shape has been added to the normal circular tubes of heat exchangers to minimize the area of stagnation and to streamline the air flow around the heat exchanger tubes. An experimental setup has been developed to study the influence of the apex angle of the cone-shaped tubes on particulate fouling of heat exchangers. Fouling experiments have been performed in which calcium carbonate particles are injected during the experiments and the deposition of particles on the tubes of the heat exchanger is monitored. Four sets of experiments have been performed, in which normal cylindrical tubes and coned tubes with an apex angle of 60°, 90°, and 120° are examined. It was found that particulate fouling ceased if the apex angle of the cone-shaped tubes is smaller than 90°. The attached cones enhance the flow around the tubes of the heat exchanger, by minimizing the stagnation area and keeping the flow attached to the tubes starting from the tip of the attached cone until separation, such that particles that deposit on the top of the tubes of the heat exchanger can be removed by the air flow.     

Analysis of Fouling in Six-Start Spirally Corrugated Tubes

Abstract

Fouling on heat exchanger surfaces can weaken the heat-transfer capability, increase the energy consumption, and even cause the failure of the whole system. In coaxial heat exchangers, spirally corrugated tubes perform better than smooth ones concerning heat transfer and antifouling. In this article, a parametric study on the antifouling performance of a six-start spirally corrugated tube is carried out with a solid–liquid two-phase model. First, comparisons between a smooth tube and a specific sample six-start spirally corrugated tube on the solid particle volume fraction distributions are carried out. Then, the effects of solid particle diameter, the main geometric parameters, including pitch and the corrugation depth, are investigated. Analyzing the solid particle volume fraction with different geometries, solid particle diameters and Reynolds number, the roles played by the centrifugal force, drag force, and gravity of solid particles on fouling performance in six-start spirally corrugated tubes are obtained. In addition, the corrugation depth affects the volume fraction range more while the pitch affects more on the steady range of particle volume fraction. This work is of significance for further design of spirally corrugated tubes and analysis of fouling problems in heat exchangers.     

Numerical investigation of fouling on cross-flow heat exchanger tubes with conjugated heat transfer approach

Although fouling on heat exchanger tubes is extensively investigated, due to the lack of energy resources, the effects of fouling on heat exchangers is still an important area of study and gaining more and more attention every day. In this study we investigated the effects of fouling on heat transfer and flow structures numerically for cross-flow heat exchanger tube geometry. The distributions of temperature, heat transfer coefficient and heat flux at the surface of fouling were obtained for single and double layer fouling cases. In the analysis, Reynolds number and the blockage ratio were fixed to 100 and 0.1 respectively. We used ANSYS software in our analyses and compared some of our results with the literature.     

Effect of Geometry and Flow Conditions on Particulate Fouling in Plate Heat Exchangers

This article describes particulate fouling experiments performed on small-scale and full-scale plate heat exchangers for three different corrugation angles (30 deg, 45 deg and 60 deg). The velocity effect has been studied as well as the particle type and concentration effects. The test duration ranges between 20 and 1,500 h in order to reach asymptotic behavior. The results clearly indicate that the corrugation angle has a major influence on the asymptotic fouling resistance. Increasing the corrugation angle leads to lower values for the fouling resistance. Furthermore, for a given corrugation angle, the asymptotic fouling resistance is inversely proportional to the velocity squared. Finally, the asymptotic fouling resistance is proportional to the particle concentration. Fouling mitigation can be obtained by taking into account at the design stage the heat exchanger geometry and fluid velocity.     

Perfluoropolyethers Coatings Design for Fouling Reduction on Heat Transfer Stainless-Steel Surfaces

The scope of this research is to obtain a film coating on stainless-steel surfaces in order to reduce the interaction between the metal surface and the precipitates, so as to mitigate fouling in heat exchangers. Perfuoropolyethers were used to obtain nano-range fluorinated layers in order to make hydrophobic the stainless-steel surfaces. A pilot plant with two identical heat exchangers was built to investigate the ability of the hydrophobic coating of preventing fouling. The heat exchangers, installed in parallel, operated at the same temperature and pressure conditions, namely, laminar flow regime and inlet flow temperatures of 291–293 K for cold streams and 313–333 K for hot streams. We compared the heat transfer performance of the two heat exchangers. After a 5-month operation, the decrease in the heat transferred was 56% for the coated heat exchanger and 62% for the uncoated heat exchanger. Moreover, the increase of heat transfer resistance due to scale on the uncoated heat exchanger, with respect to the coated one, was three times higher.