Characteristics of cooling water fouling in a heat exchange system

Abstract

This study investigated the efficiency of the physical water treatment method in preventing and controlling fouling accumulation on heat transfer surfaces in a laboratory heat exchange system with tap and artificial water. To investigate the fouling characteristics, an experimental test facility with a plate type heat exchange system was newly built, where cooling and hot water moved in opposite directions forming a counter-flow heat exchanger. The obtained fouling resistances were used to analyze the effects of the physical water treatment on fouling mitigation. Furthermore, the surface , the surface tension and pH values of water were also measured. This study compared the fouling characteristics of cooling water in the heat exchange system with and without the mitigation methods for various inlet velocities. In the presence of the electrode devices with a velocity of 0.5m/s, the fouling resistance was reduced by 79% compared to that in the absence of electrode devices.