Effect of Condensable Species on Particulate Fouling

The flue gases emanating from the combustion of fuels or gasification process invariably comprise particulate matter and many chemical species in vapor form. The temperature of the flue gases gradually reduces when passing through different sections of heat exchanger, such as the superheater, evaporator, and so on. If the temperatures of the heat exchanger tube surface and the gas phase are favorable for condensation, the chemical species in the vapor form will condense on the particles and on the tube surface. The particle deposition behavior under these conditions is drastically different from the one observed in dry particulate fouling. In order to model the particle deposition under such circumstances, it is important to evaluate the criteria for particle adhesion to the surface. Impaction experiments of particles impacting a surface coated with a thin liquid film and particles that are coated with a liquid film impacting over a dry surface are performed to evaluate the limiting parameters under which a particle sticks to the surface without rebounding. The effects of liquid viscosity, liquid film thickness, and interacting material properties are evaluated. The experimental results are compared to the results of existing models and a suitable model for fouling is proposed. Controlled fouling experiments are performed for varying liquid films coated over a deposition tube under various process conditions to mimic the condensation effects on fouling. The results are compared with detailed impaction experiments.