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.     

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.     

TP316L不锈钢管在以中水作为循环水补水的凝汽器中的应用

中水对凝汽器铜管腐蚀性强,导致凝汽器频繁发生泄漏。通过采用TP316L不锈钢管替代铜管,并做好不锈钢管的安装及运行维护工作,解决了中水对凝汽器管的腐蚀问题,保证了凝汽器安全运行。     

Contact angle and sessile drop diameter hysteresis on metal surfaces

The experimental stand to measure the static contact angle and drop diameter is presented in the paper. The results of contact angle and diameter of the drops on aluminium, brass, copper and stainless steel with different roughness are added. The measurements were done for the increasing and decreasing drop volume. As a result the hysteresis of contact angle and magnitude of wetting surface was observed. It was noticed that aluminium and stainless steel lose their hydrophobic properties during the dropping procedure while copper and brass remain the hydrophilic or hydrophobic material.     

Influence of processing conditions of polymer film on dropwise condensation heat transfer

The effect of processing conditions of polymer film on dropwise condensation heat transfer of steam under atmospheric pressure is investigated to find an effective technique to prepare a viable polymer film sustaining long-term dropwise condensation pattern state. The polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) films were coated on the external surfaces of brass tubes, copper tube, stainless steel tube and carbon steel tube by means of the dynamic ion-beam mixed implantation technique, with a variety of surface processing conditions. The experimental results indicated that heat flux is increased by 0.3-4.6 times and condensation heat transfer coefficient by 1.6-28.6 times of film condensation values for the brass tubes treated with various conditions. The surface processing condition is crucial to the adhesion between polymer film and metal substrate, different substrate material requires different optimal processing condition, and leads to different condensation heat transfer characteristic.     

Fouling surface finish evaluation

Fouling of a surface takes place as the result of a series of complex reactions that cause deposits to form on process surfaces. For many conditions, fouling can be reduced but not necessarily eliminated. The materials considered here are: carbon steel, stainless steel, and aluminium with typical finishes.Sample plates were placed vertically in tanks and exposed to untreated lake water for various time periods. Results are presented that compare surface roughness over time, for the materials/surfaces considered. The progressive change in surface appearance with increasing immersion times is also presented.Stainless steel samples showed a relatively small change in surface appearance for most periods of immersion, with a small increase in surface deterioration for increasing immersion times. Brite aluminum, an aluminium alloy with an anodized surface film, performs similar to stainless steels. Cold rolled carbon steel has the largest variation of surface appearance over time.This review includes observations on fouling and process surface materials/finishes. Conclusions and observations regarding the materials that are commonly used in designs when fouling may be a concern are presented here. Photographs of material frontal surfaces and transient surface roughness are given for a variety of surfaces.     

Investigation of adhesion of CaCO3 crystalline fouling on stainless steel surfaces with different roughness

Fouling adhering experiments on AISI 304 stainless steel surfaces with different roughness had been performed in boiling supersaturated calcium bicarbonate solution. The effect of surface roughness on adhesion of fouling is limited, and the adhesion of fouling does not have a simple linear relationship with the surface roughness of samples. The surface with roughness in middle is more easily induced to form “transitional interface” which connects the fouling and matrix surface. It is also found that the crystalline types of fouling are changed in the fouling process due to the variation of metallic ions in reaction solution.     

铜陵电厂凝汽器黄铜管换不锈钢管

经过多方面的调查、试验和研究,铜陵电厂将1号机凝汽器HSn70-1黄铜管全部换成了304不锈钢管,与黄铜管相比,不锈钢管具有较好的耐蚀性能、机械性能、经济性能,,总的传热性能也不差,取得了较好的效果。     

Mitigation of Soot Deposition on Modified Surfaces of Exhaust Gas Recirculation Coolers

Abstract

A common approach for lower emission of NO_x from diesel engines is to use exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) coolers where part of the exhaust gas is returned to the cylinder to reduce the combustion temperature. Nonetheless, the deposition of various species, i.e. soot particles, on surfaces deteriorates the thermal efficiency of EGR coolers. This study investigated the impact of surface treatment on particulate fouling of a rectangular EGR cooler. An experimental setup was assembled through which the uncoated and coated plates were exposed to the flow of exhaust flue gases. The cooler surfaces were coated by ceramic-based materials with resistance to high temperatures by spraying. The results showed that surface modification abated soot deposition to some extent and the deposit layer was easily flaked off with a force of 0.8 N when it was scratched with a nano-intender. Contrariwise, the deposit formed on the uncoated surface did not result in similar propensity and instead it required a larger force of 2.25 N. This implies weaker stickiness of soot deposit on the investigated coatings compared to baseline stainless steel surface. It was also found that the electron donor component of surface energy would determine the tendency of a surface to foul or not.     

Influence of phosphorus on ash fouling deposition of hydrothermal carbonization sewage sludge fuel via drop tube furnace combustion experiments

Phosphorus effect on ash fouling deposition produced during combustion process of sewage sludge solid fuel is a very important factor. Previous studies have only focused on decrease of the ash melting temperature and increase of slagging and sintering by phosphorus content. Therefore, research regarding combustion fouling formation and its effect on temperature reduction of deposit surface by phosphorus content is insufficient. Ash fouling is an important factor, because ash in the combustion boiler process deposits on the surface of heat exchanger and interferes with heat exchange efficiency. In particular, temperature reduction of heat exchanger surface via fouling should be considered together with fouling deposition, because this is related to the heat exchanger efficiency. Synthetic ash, phosphorus vaporization, and drop tube furnace experiments were performed to investigate effect of phosphorus on ash fouling formation and temperature reduction of deposit surface under combustion condition. Phosphorus was highly reactive and reacted with ash minerals to produce mineral phosphate, which promoted ash fouling deposition during the combustion experiments. In contrast, the occurrence of sintering on deposited fouling resulted in formation of a large hollow structure, which alleviated the temperature reduction on the deposit surface. Phosphorus content had a substantial correlation with fouling deposition behavior and influenced reduction in the surface temperature of the heat exchanger, because it led to generating low temperature mineral phases.     

Experimental observation of surface morphology effect on crystallization fouling in plate heat exchangers

In this study, stainless steel test plates with different surface roughness and textures, which are used as the heat transfer surface of a plate heat exchanger, are tested individually in calcium carbonate fouling experiments. The present experimental results clearly indicate a strong correlation between the surface roughness and the amount of crystallization fouling deposit. Through detailed image analysis, four stages of the formation of crystallization fouling are identified, and the impact of the surface morphology on the extent of crystallization fouling is described qualitatively.     

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.     

管壳式冷油器改造思路及其工艺计算软件的开发

文章简单地介绍了管壳式冷油器，指出铜管作为其换热管的缺陷，提出采用不锈钢管代替铜管的改造方案，同时开发了相应的改造工艺计算软件。通过详细论述和计算，证明了该改造方案的可靠性。     

Experimental study of nucleate boiling of halocarbon refrigerants on cylindrical surfaces

The present paper reports the results of an experimental investigation of saturated pool boiling of halocarbon refrigerants on cylindrical surfaces of different materials. Experiments covered a wide range of reduced pressures and heat fluxes, being carried out on copper, brass and stainless steel surfaces with different finishing conditions. The obtained results are discussed with regard to the controlled physical and operational parameters of the investigation. An empirical correlation is proposed in terms of reduced pressures. The performance of the correlation can be deemed adequate, considering that it compares well with experimental results of different authors.     

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.     

两种柱形涡流发生器CaSO_4析晶污垢特性实验研究

为得到涡流发生器污垢规律,采用质量浓度为2 100mg/L的硫酸钙过饱和溶液进行了传热过程中的污垢生成实验,并通过离线称重法得到了装有涡流发生器试片表面单位面积污垢沉积量生长曲线.结果表明：涡流发生器直径和排列间距对壁面污垢沉积量有显著影响.当涡流发生器直径（4mm）一定时,试片表面单位面积污垢沉积量均随着涡流发生器排列间距的增大而增加;在排列间距（10mm）一定时,污垢沉积量随着涡流发生器尺寸的增大而减少.     

Experimental Study of Deposits Removal in Thermal Desalination Plants by the Thermal Shock Technique

Deposition of salts on heat transfer surfaces in thermal desalination plants can lead to operational failure. Scale removal can occur by applying a thermal shock, which is a sudden decrease in the heating process. The difference in thermal expansion between the heat transfer surface and the deposit layer plays a key role in the thermal shock process. The objective of this research is to determine experimentally the minimum temperature of the heating surface in desalination units, such that the thermal shock is still applicable. The minimum heating temperature is important for minimization of heat losses. An experimental setup has been designed and developed, and it consists of an oil tank in which oil is heated by electrical heaters. The heated oil is circulated by a gear pump to the steam generator, which contains the water to be desalinated, that is, a CaSO₄ solution, at atmospheric pressure. The water is heated and converted into steam by the hot oil leaving the salts behind, that is, the fouling layer, on the tubes of the steam generator. A thermal shock is applied when the asymptotic behavior is approached, such that the flow of the hot oil is suddenly stopped for a short period of time before resuming it again. The minimum heating temperature has been determined for two types of tubes: stainless steel and copper, and at a salt concentration of 2 g/L. The minimum heating oil temperature that allows the applicability of the thermal shock is 130°C when using copper tubes, and 140°C for stainless-steel tubes.     

Deposition of gold–titanium and gold–nickel coatings on electropolished 316L stainless steel bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

The effects of electropolishing and coating deposition on electrical resistance and chemical stability were studied for the stainless steel bipolar plates in proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). A series of 316L stainless steel plates, selected as the substrate for a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) bipolar plate, were electropolished with a solution of H₂SO₄ and H₃PO₄ at temperatures ranging from 70 to 110 °C. The surface regions of the two electropolished stainless steel plates were coated with gold and either a titanium or nickel layer using electron beam evaporation. The electropolished stainless steel plates coated in 2-μm thick gold with a 0.1-μm titanium or nickel interlayer showed remarkably smooth and uniform surface morphologies in AFM and FE-SEM images compared to the surfaces of the plates that were coated after mechanical polishing only. The electrical resistance and water contact angle of the deposited stainless steel bipolar plates are strongly dependent on the surface modification treatments (i.e., mechanical polishing versus electropolishing). ICP-MS and XPS results indicate that after electropolishing, the coating layers show excellent chemical stability after exposure to an H₂SO₄ solution of pH 3. Finally, it was concluded that before coating deposition, the surface modification using electropolishing was very suitable for enhancing the electrical property and chemical stability of the stainless steel bipolar plate.     

Enhancement of nucleate boiling on composite surfaces

A composite heating surface composed of materials with different thermal conductivities can be expected to enhance heat transfer in nucleate boiling. This is because the end surface, with higher conductivity, will attain a higher temperature and as a result will serve to provide preferential nucleation sites. To confirm this idea, several composite surfaces were fabricated by uniaxially imbedding thin copper cylinders in the heat flow direction on a stainless steel circular plate 30 mm in diameter and 5 mm thick. The imbedded copper cylinders ranged from 1 mm to 4 mm in diameter and one to 77 in number. The heat transfer performance of these composite surfaces was investigated for pool boiling of saturated water at atmospheric pressure. It was confirmed that the copper cylinder surfaces exposed to water functioned as local hot spots to initiate preferential nucleate boiling, leading to higher boiling heat transfer coefficients than those on a homogeneous stainless steel surface. The measured void fraction above the heating surface verified intensive bubble generation on the surface of the copper cylinders. This situation continued up to a certain heat flux level and was then followed by nucleation on the mother surface of stainless steel around the copper cylinders. A numerical analysis of heat conduction within a composite wall simulated the temperature distribution within the wall and the variation in surface heat flux at the time of boiling incipience. © 1998 Scripta Technica, Heat Trans Jpn Res, 27(3): 216–228, 1998