影响换热面结垢诱导期的表面特性研究

换热面结垢是一个普遍存在的问题,而结垢诱导期的长短对污垢形成过程具有重要的影响,即使在相同实验条件下,不同材料换热面的结垢诱导期仍相差较大.因此本文通过对附着在换热面上的半球形污垢晶核进行受力分析,发现污垢晶核与换热面之间的附着力对其结垢诱导期长短起决定性作用,然后根据颗粒与平板间附着力模型,计算了污垢晶核与具有不同表面能的换热面间附着力,并与相应的结垢诱导期进行对比.结果表明:结垢诱导期的长短与换热面的表面能、污垢晶核与换热面间的附着力及表面粗糙度尺度有关.     

Influence of Injected Projectiles on the Induction Period of Crystallization Fouling

Projectiles of various shapes and hardness are increasingly used in process industries to mitigate fouling in tubular heat exchangers. It is a common practice to inject the projectiles at the early stage of fouling, though laboratory results are quite scarce in the open literature to assess whether this is an appropriate operating procedure. The present work aims at investigating the influence of injected projectiles on the induction period of CaSO₄ crystallization fouling. Fouling experiments have been performed in a plain heated tube. The projectiles were of spherical shape with diameter of 20.2 mm, that is, 1% bigger than the inner diameter of the heated tube, and were injected at various intervals. It has been observed that overall the attempted projectile reduced the induction period and thus expedited the fouling process. The asymptotic behavior of crystallization fouling is also approached more quickly but much less so than that of no injection. The induction period increased linearly with the flow velocity in case of no injection, while it was independent of the flow velocity when the projectile was injected as long as the injection rate was kept constant. Increasing the injection rate decreased the induction period and started the fouling process earlier. This is because the propulsion of projectiles induces air bubbles into the heat exchanger tube, which would in turn promote fouling to occur more quickly, and thus shorter induction periods are expected. Therefore, it is highly recommended to inject projectiles only after the induction period, to make use of the fouling-free operation during the induction period.     

Initiation of CASO4 Scale Formation on Heat Transfer Surfaces under Pool Boiling Conditions

The success of innovative fouling mitigation techniques such as ion implantation depends upon the early stage of scale formation on the heat transfer surface. This is because the first crystalline nuclei that appear on the surface during the initial period dictate how fouling would develop in latter stages. In this study, the initial period of deposition of calcium sulfate on heat transfer surfaces has been investigated under pool boiling conditions. The independent variables were heat flux and calcium sulfate concentration. The experimental results show that the time until the heat transfer coefficient reaches its intermediate maximum decreases with an increasing concentration and heat flux, and is also significantly affected by the surface finish. Neural network architectures were utilized to correlate the experimental results during the initial deposition period. A satisfactory agreement between predicted and measured heat transfer coefficients has been achieved with an average error of 8.7%.     

Extending the Induction Period of Crystallization Fouling Through Surface Coating

To minimize the negative effects of scale formation in heat exchangers, new anti-fouling strategies are focusing on the modification of heat transfer surfaces. These modifications should lead to tailor-made surfaces for different technical applications. The aim of this surface modification is the extension of the induction period to minimize the negative effects of fouling and maximize the endurance of the heat exchanger. To achieve this, different surface coatings on stainless steel were investigated with respect to fouling tendency. The effects of flow velocity with respect to Reynolds number on the induction time of CaSO₄ crystallization fouling were tested in different test units. Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings extend the induction time at every measured flow velocity. At higher Reynolds numbers, the effect of different surface crystallization due to energetic modification is reduced because of the dominating effect of the low adhesive surface. Thus the induction time can be extended by the factor of 2 for low fluid velocities (DLC or SICON®) and by more than 14 for higher Reynolds numbers (DLC and SICON®). The combination of limited nucleation spots due to electro-chemical treatment of the substrate before coating can give a tailor-made surface with maximum induction time for crystallization fouling.     

Experimental fouling investigation with electroless Ni–P coatings

Advanced fouling mitigation techniques include approaches to increase the duration of the induction period and/or to decrease the fouling rate during the deposition process. One such technique is to generate heat transfer surfaces with high repulsive forces to make them less attractive to the deposition of dissolved or suspended matter. The present work investigates and compares different electroless Ni–P coatings with or without boron-nitride (BN). The incorporation of boron-nitride into Ni–P coatings increases the electron donor component of surface energy which in turn reduces the propensity of the coating to fouling. A systematic set of fouling runs has been conducted to investigate the influence of these coatings on the interaction energies between CaSO₄ deposits and modified surfaces. The results show that the Ni–P coatings with Boron-nitride exhibit excellent anti-fouling behaviour compared to pure Ni–P coatings or untreated stainless steel surfaces. Surfaces having a higher electron donor component in case of Ni–P–BN produce a higher repulsive energy which causes the adhesion force between the surface and deposits to decrease. A simultaneous set of reproducibility and cleanability experiments, however, reveals that the observed surface properties of the investigated coatings are prone to significant aging after each fouling run, leading to poor abrasion resistance.     

Calcium Sulfate Fouling-Precipitation or Particulate: A Proposed Composite Model

Though it is of great importance, the majority of predictive models tend not to incorporate water chemistry in their formulations. The ionic diffusion model which was developed for CaCO₃, is based purely on crystallization, and is one of the few models that incorporates water chemistry. This model does not provide satisfactory predictions for CaSO₄ fouling. In this article, a new model is proposed for CaSO₄ fouling which takes into account the effect of both crystallization and particulate fouling and is capable of predicting the fouling resistance during the cleaning cycle as well as the fouling cycle. A removal term is incorporated into the model, as the occurrence of particulate fouling for CaSO₄ tends to weaken its crystalline structure and makes it more prone than CaCO₃ to removal. Properties of the electrolyte were evaluated using MINTEQA2 computer code, which is approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In this model, particulate fouling is estimated using the physical mechanism for particle transport and adherence, crystallization is estimated by ionic diffusion, and the removal term is approximated using hydrodynamics of flow and deposit properties. The inclusion of both crystallization and removal terms incorporates the effects of both water chemistry and hydrodynamics of the flow and provides a relationship which not only can predict fouling but also can predict dissolution, by change of water quality and/or stopping the operation, or removal by shear stress. The proposed model was assessed using published experimental data. The results indicate that this model provides good predictions: the slope of predicted rates as a function of the experimental rates is 1.05. The experimental results, though limited in number, suggest that crystallization is not the main or only mechanism contributing to CaSO₄ fouling. Particulate fouling seems to be a major contributor. Further experimentation is in process to confirm the degree of particulate fouling and to substantiate or to modify the model accordingly.     

Experimental Investigation of Crystallization Fouling on Grooved Stainless Steel Surfaces During Convective Heat Transfer

The beneficial aspects of enhanced or extended heat transfer surfaces may be offset if operated under fouling conditions. In this article, preliminary experimental results for crystallization fouling of CaSO₄ solutions onto surfaces with different structures are reported. Flat stainless steel plates (50 mm × 59 mm) with “V”-shaped grooves on the side of fluid flow were used as heat transfer surfaces. Experiments were carried out under both clean and fouling conditions to discern how the same surface structures perform under such circumstances. In addition, the impact of both the direction of grooves with respect to fluid flow (crossed, longitudinal, and mixed flow grooves) and the groove dimensions has also been investigated. Fouling trends are discussed in terms of induction time and fouling rate. Significant differences have been found for the various flow conditions.     

Impact of Nonuniform Fouling on Operating Temperatures in Heat Exchanger Networks

ABSTRACT

Investigations of fouling in heat exchangers are mainly focused on two factors: commercial impact due to energy losses, and environmental impact manifested through higher CO₂ emissions. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a third factor relating to safety in operations. This paper presents two case studies, one for a hydroprocessing unit with feed/effluent heat exchangers and another for preheat train exchangers installed upstream of the atmospheric furnace in a refinery crude unit. Due to a wide range of process temperatures examined in both case studies, the heat exchangers in the network are subject to various fouling mechanisms. As illustrated in the pictures of actual tube bundles, some of the exchangers within the network are heavily fouled, while the other exchangers operate in nearly clean conditions. Detailed simulations indicate that nonuniform fouling results in heat exchanger operating temperatures that are significantly higher than those predicted by conventional analyses using uniform fouling. Higher than anticipated process fluid temperatures may result in exceeding the threshold limits for certain corrosion mechanisms and/or significantly higher than expected rates of corrosion.     

Characterization of Crude Oils and Their Fouling Deposits Using a Batch Stirred Cell System

A small (1 L) batch stirred cell system has been developed to study crude oil fouling at surface temperatures up to 400°C and pressures up to 30 bar. Fouling resistance–time data are obtained from experiments in which the principal operating variables are surface shear stress, surface temperature, heat flux, and crude oil type. The oils and deposits are characterized and correlated with the experimental heat transfer fouling data to understand better the effects of process conditions such as surface temperature and surface shear stress on the fouling process. Deposits are subjected to a range of qualitative and quantitative analyses in order to gain a better insight into the crude oil fouling phenomenon. Thermal data that can be obtained relatively quickly from the batch cell provide fouling rates, Arrhenius plots, and apparent activation energies as a function of process variables. The experimental system, supported by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies, allows fouling threshold conditions of surface temperature and shear stress to be identified relatively quickly in the laboratory. The data also contribute to existing knowledge about the compensation plot.     

Impact of Tube Surface Properties on Crystallization Fouling in Falling Film Evaporators for Seawater Desalination

ABSTRACT

Crystallization fouling on heat transfer surfaces is a severe problem and a complex phenomenon in multiple-effect distillation plants with horizontal tube falling film evaporators for seawater desalination. The choice of tube material affects the wettability, the adhesion forces between surface and deposit, and the induction time of crystallization fouling. The effects of surface properties on crystallization fouling from seawater have been investigated in a horizontal tube falling film evaporator in pilot plant scale. Experiments were performed with artificial seawater and various tube materials. The tube surfaces were characterized by measuring surface roughness and contact angles and by determining surface free energies. The tube materials show qualitative and quantitative differences with respect to scale formation. The interfacial defect model was applied to the system. Spreading coefficients of CaCO₃ scale on the aluminum alloys 5052 and 6060 and stainless steel grade 1.4565 were calculated to be higher than those on copper–nickel 90/10 and aluminum brass, but the quantities of CaCO₃ scale measured on the tube surfaces were much lower compared to CuNi 90/10 and aluminum brass. The application of advanced approaches such as the interfacial defect model depends on the precise knowledge of interfacial free energies, which are very difficult to find. However, results suggest that more similar values of the interfacial free energies of heat transfer surface and deposit lead to increased scale formation.     

An Evaluation of Heat Transfer Surface Materials Used in Fouling Applications

Fouling is a very important and complex problem that extends into many fields, including natural, chemical, medical, and industrial processes. Fouling of a surface takes place as a result of the complex reactions that cause deposits to form on process surfaces. A number of parameters influence fouling development, including flow velocity, surface temperature, surface material/finish, surface geometry and fluid properties. Fouling is a transient process that begins with a clean process surface and progresses until the surface no longer can be used effectively. The event sequence of the fouling process appears in general to be universal, beginning when fluid comes into contact with a process surface. During the induction period, the conditioning film forms with heat transfer efficiencies not changing significantly. Conditioning film development is followed by a rapid accumulation of deposit growth. It is during this growth phase that the heat transfer across the process surface starts to dramatically change. Finally, a pseudo steady-state period takes place when accumulation is almost constant. Deposit accumulation causes efficiencies to significantly decrease, and a complete surface cleaning may be required. Conclusions and observations regarding the materials/surfaces that are commonly used in designs where fouling may be a concern are presented here. Comparisons of fouling rate and deposit thickness are given for several materials.     

The impact of fouling on performance evaluation of evaporative coolers and condensers

Fouling of evaporative cooler and condenser tubes is one of the most important factors affecting their thermal performance, which reduces effectiveness and heat transfer capability with time. In this paper, the experimental data on fouling reported in the literature are used to develop a fouling model for this class of heat exchangers. The model predicts the decrease in heat transfer rate with the growth of fouling. A detailed model of evaporative coolers and condensers, in conjunction with the fouling model, is used to study the effect of fouling on the thermal performance of these heat exchangers at different air inlet wet bulb temperatures. The results demonstrate that fouling of tubes reduces gains in performance resulting from decreasing values of air inlet wet bulb temperature. It is found that the maximum decrease in effectiveness due to fouling is about 55 and 78% for the evaporative coolers and condensers, respectively, investigated in this study. For the evaporative cooler, the value of process fluid outlet temperature T_p,out varies by 0.66% only at the clean condition for the ambient wet bulb temperatures considered. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于污水换热器污垢不同生长阶段的除垢试验研究

为了提高污水换热器的除垢效果,文章以管壳式污水换热器为研究对象,以沙粒作为除垢粒子,以污垢热阻变化率表征除垢效果,在利用烘干灼烧失重法、能谱分析法和微观结构分析法分析污垢成分的基础上,运用污垢热阻法进行除垢试验研究。通过试验研究了在污垢生长的诱导期、生长期和渐近期3个阶段除垢对污垢热阻值的影响。试验结果表明:管壳式污水换热器管内污垢的主要成分为含水量较高的有机物;结垢工况下,污垢热阻渐近值为0.74×10^-3(m^2·K)/W;在污垢生长的诱导期、生长期和渐近期进行除垢后,污垢热阻渐近值分别为0.4×10^-3,0.42×10^-3,0.6×10^-3(m^2·K)/W,与结垢工况相比,污垢热阻渐近值分别降低了45.9%,43.2%,18.9%,除垢工况下污垢热阻增长速率较结垢工况明显减缓。     

Composite Fouling on Heat Exchange Surface in Australian Sugar Mill Evaporator

Composite scale of amorphous silica and calcium oxalate is very intractable; it imposes a significant fraction of scale management cost in sugar mill evaporators. This work evaluates silica and calcium oxalate composite fouling using dynamic fouling-loop experiments under different operating conditions with and without sugar. A novel closed-loop setup simulating in a single run the effect of feed concentration in successive stages of evaporation cycle was used. Experiments under constant composition and varying thermal hydraulic effect were conducted. Results indicated synergistic effects for initial silica and calcium oxalate supersaturation values of 2.6 and 1.7. Sugar effects became significant for concentrations in the third effect and above. The fouling mechanism was particulate deposition of silica and calcium oxalate colloidal species strengthened by consolidation; fouling rate increased with decreasing interfacial energy barrier between the surface and foulant, assessed by zeta-potential analysis. Deposit characteristics and deposition rates were concentration and thermal hydraulics dependent. Results confirmed the need that the 5 × 5 (types × stages of fouling) matrix of Epstein needs to be expanded to a 6 × 6 matrix to include composite fouling as a type of fouling. In this study the composite fouling was a surface-controlled process for which the activation energy was similar to typical chemical bond strengths, explaining the role of consolidation in composite fouling. The results contribute to advancement of fundamental understanding of heat exchanger fouling and to development of scale control strategies for composite fouling minimization in sugar mill evaporators.     

Quantifying Implications of Deposit Aging from Crude Refinery Preheat Train Data

Abstract

Heat exchanger fouling has been studied for some time in the petroleum industry. As understanding of fouling dynamics and mitigation methods improves, refinery fouling mitigation strategies are changing. The implications of deposit aging in refinery units have not been addressed in detail: aging refers to where the deposit undergoes physical and chemical conversion over time. In the 2009 Heat Exchanger Fouling and Cleaning conference, Wilson et al. [Ageing: Looking back and looking forward] presented a simple framework illustrating how deposit aging impacts heat exchanger thermal and hydraulic performance. This paper presents insights into deposit aging gained from analysis of refinery monitoring data. Two case studies are presented: (i) one from the Preem refinery in Sweden where stream temperature, flow and gauge pressure measurements indicated a higher deposit thermal conductivity in exchangers located in the hotter section of the preheat train. (ii) US refinery stream temperature, flow and plant cleaning log data, showing an increased resistance to cleaning when deposits are exposed to high temperature for a prolonged period. The use of deposit aging analysis to improve exchanger operation is discussed.     

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.     

Experimental research and theoretical analysis of anti-fouling characteristics on the surface of Ni-based implanted tube

The surface fouling of different tubes in boiling conditions are studied through experiments, which include Carbon steel tube, stainless steel tube, brass tube, and Ni-based implanted tube. Their anti-fouling characteristics and induction period are analyzed by the theory of surface energy. The experiments show that the boiling time is asymptotic regarding to fouling mass in unit area to Ni-based implanted tube, while it is linear in terms of fouling mass in unit area to other three tubes. Furthermore, the induction period of Ni-based implanted tube is two times of the others'. It is concluded that Ni-based implanted tube has better anti-fouling characteristic and longer induction period, which makes it good surface for anti-fouling purpose.     

An inverse problem based on genetic algorithm to estimate thermophysical properties of fouling

In the past few decades, the study on how to apply genetic algorithms to problems in the industrial engineering world has aroused a great deal of curiosity of many researchers in the area of management science, industrial operations and engineering systems. This paper shows an experimental process of thermophysical properties estimation of fouling deposited on internal surface of a heat exchanger tube using genetic algorithms. In brief, the deposits on heat exchanger tubes are caused by the presence of inorganic salts, of small quantities of organic materials and products of corrosion in the water. From thermophysical point of view, the deposited fouling has harmful effects on the heat exchanger efficiency. For these reasons the determination of its thermophysical properties became very important.The experimental bench using a photothermal method with a finite width pulse heat excitation is used. The genetic algorithm is used to minimize an objective function containing a calculated and a measured temperature. This last is measured on the rear face of a bi-layer system composed of a section of a heat exchanger and the fouling deposited on during and after a finite width pulse heat excitation on its front face. The calculated temperature, that is a function of the unknown thermophysical properties of the bi-layer system, is calculated by the resolution of the one-dimensional linear inverse conduction problem, and by the use of the thermal quadrupoles formalism. The motivation in using genetic algorithms was their potential to overcome the restriction to the estimation of non-correlated parameters of gradient-based methods, and their powerful ability to work well for many complex problems which are very difficult to solve by conventional techniques. The results of the estimation procedure show on the one hand the efficiency and the stability of the developed genetic algorithm to estimate the thermophysical properties of fouling and the high accuracy of the obtained results on the other hand.