Effects of Operating Conditions on Calcium Carbonate Fouling in a Plate Heat Exchanger
The aim of this work is to investigate on the internalflow
patterns in a plate heat exchanger channel, which affect the
rate of sedimentation fouling on the heat transfer surface of the
plate heat exchanger. The research methodologies were the
computer simulation using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
and the experimental works. COMSOL MULTIPHYSICS™
Version 3.3 was used to simulate the velocity flow fields to verify
the low and high flow regions. The results from the CFD technique
were then compared with the images obtained from the
experiments in which the fouling test rig was set up with a singlechannel
plate heat exchanger to monitor the fouling of calcium
carbonate. Two parameters were varied i.e., the crossing angle of
the two plate: 55/55, 10/10, and 55/10 degree, and the fluid flow
rate at the inlet: 0.0566, 0.1132 and 0.1698 m/s. The type of plate
“GX-12" (the surface area 0.12 m2, the depth 2.9 mm, the width of
fluid flow 215 mm and the thickness of stainless plate of 0.5 mm)
was used in this study. The results indicated that the velocity
distribution for the case of 55/55 degree seems to be very well
organized when compared with the others. Also, an increase in the
inlet velocity resulted in the reduction of fouling rate on the surface
of plate heat exchangers.
[1] M. C. Georgiadis, and S. Macchietto, "Dynamic modeling and
simulation of plate heat exchangers under milk fouling," Chemical
Engineering Science. Vol. 55, pp. 1605-1619, 2000.
[2] J. C. Cowan, and D.J. Weintritt, Water- Formed Scale Deposits.
Houston, TX: Gulf Publ. Co., 1976.
[3] S.H. Lee, and J.G. Knudsen, "Scaling characteristics of cooling tower
water," ASHRAE Trans. 85 (Part 1). pp. 281-302, 1989.
[4] A. P. Watkinson, "Water quality effect on fouling from hard waters," J.
Taborek et al. (Eds.), Heat exchangers Theory and Practice. Washington,
WA: Hemisphere Publ. Co., 1983, pp. 853-861.
[5] A. Cooper, J.W. Suitor, and J.D. Usher, "Cooling water fouling in plate
heat exchangers," Heat Transfer Eng. Vol. 1(3), pp. 50-55, 1980.
[6] B. Bansal, and H. M. Muller-Steinhagen, "Crystallisation fouling in
plate heat exchangers," ASME J. Heat Transfer. Vol. 115, pp. 584-591,
1993.
[7] J. A. W. Gut, R. Fernandes, J. M. Pinto, and C. C. Tadini, "Thermal
model validation of plate heat exchangers with generalized
configurations," Chemical Engineering Science. Vol. 59, pp. 4589-4598,
2004.
[8] C. C. Lakshmanan, and O. E. Potter, "Dynamic simulation of plate heat
exchangers," International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer. Vol.
33(5), pp. 995-1002, 1990.
[9] X. Luo, X. Guan, M. Li, and W. Roetzel, "Dynamic behavior of onedimensional
flow multistream heat exchanger and their networks,"
International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer. Vol. 46, pp. 705-715,
2003.
[10] B. P. Rao, P. K. Kumar, and S. K. Das, "Effect of flow distribution to
the channels on the thermal performance of a plate heat exchanger,"
Chemical Engineering and Processing. Vol. 41, pp. 49-58, 2002.
[11] C. P. Ribeiro, and M. H. C. Andrade, "An algorithm for steady-state
simulation of plate heat exchangers," Journal of Food Engineering. Vol.
53, pp. 59-66, 2002.
[12] S. Jun, V. M. Puri, and R. F. Roberts, "A dynamic model for thermal
performance of plate heat exchangers," Transactions of the ASAE. Vol.
47(1), pp. 213-222, 2003.
[13] K. Grijspeerdi, B. Hazarika, and D. Vucinic, "Application of
computational fluid dynamic to mode the hydrodynamic of plate heat
exchanger for milk processing," Journal of food engineering. Vol. 57,
pp. 237-242, 2003.
[1] M. C. Georgiadis, and S. Macchietto, "Dynamic modeling and
simulation of plate heat exchangers under milk fouling," Chemical
Engineering Science. Vol. 55, pp. 1605-1619, 2000.
[2] J. C. Cowan, and D.J. Weintritt, Water- Formed Scale Deposits.
Houston, TX: Gulf Publ. Co., 1976.
[3] S.H. Lee, and J.G. Knudsen, "Scaling characteristics of cooling tower
water," ASHRAE Trans. 85 (Part 1). pp. 281-302, 1989.
[4] A. P. Watkinson, "Water quality effect on fouling from hard waters," J.
Taborek et al. (Eds.), Heat exchangers Theory and Practice. Washington,
WA: Hemisphere Publ. Co., 1983, pp. 853-861.
[5] A. Cooper, J.W. Suitor, and J.D. Usher, "Cooling water fouling in plate
heat exchangers," Heat Transfer Eng. Vol. 1(3), pp. 50-55, 1980.
[6] B. Bansal, and H. M. Muller-Steinhagen, "Crystallisation fouling in
plate heat exchangers," ASME J. Heat Transfer. Vol. 115, pp. 584-591,
1993.
[7] J. A. W. Gut, R. Fernandes, J. M. Pinto, and C. C. Tadini, "Thermal
model validation of plate heat exchangers with generalized
configurations," Chemical Engineering Science. Vol. 59, pp. 4589-4598,
2004.
[8] C. C. Lakshmanan, and O. E. Potter, "Dynamic simulation of plate heat
exchangers," International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer. Vol.
33(5), pp. 995-1002, 1990.
[9] X. Luo, X. Guan, M. Li, and W. Roetzel, "Dynamic behavior of onedimensional
flow multistream heat exchanger and their networks,"
International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer. Vol. 46, pp. 705-715,
2003.
[10] B. P. Rao, P. K. Kumar, and S. K. Das, "Effect of flow distribution to
the channels on the thermal performance of a plate heat exchanger,"
Chemical Engineering and Processing. Vol. 41, pp. 49-58, 2002.
[11] C. P. Ribeiro, and M. H. C. Andrade, "An algorithm for steady-state
simulation of plate heat exchangers," Journal of Food Engineering. Vol.
53, pp. 59-66, 2002.
[12] S. Jun, V. M. Puri, and R. F. Roberts, "A dynamic model for thermal
performance of plate heat exchangers," Transactions of the ASAE. Vol.
47(1), pp. 213-222, 2003.
[13] K. Grijspeerdi, B. Hazarika, and D. Vucinic, "Application of
computational fluid dynamic to mode the hydrodynamic of plate heat
exchanger for milk processing," Journal of food engineering. Vol. 57,
pp. 237-242, 2003.
@article{"International Journal of Chemical, Materials and Biomolecular Sciences:50233", author = "K. Pana-Suppamassadu and P. Jeimrittiwong and P. Narataruksa and S. Tungkamani", title = "Effects of Operating Conditions on Calcium Carbonate Fouling in a Plate Heat Exchanger", abstract = "The aim of this work is to investigate on the internalflow
patterns in a plate heat exchanger channel, which affect the
rate of sedimentation fouling on the heat transfer surface of the
plate heat exchanger. The research methodologies were the
computer simulation using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
and the experimental works. COMSOL MULTIPHYSICS™
Version 3.3 was used to simulate the velocity flow fields to verify
the low and high flow regions. The results from the CFD technique
were then compared with the images obtained from the
experiments in which the fouling test rig was set up with a singlechannel
plate heat exchanger to monitor the fouling of calcium
carbonate. Two parameters were varied i.e., the crossing angle of
the two plate: 55/55, 10/10, and 55/10 degree, and the fluid flow
rate at the inlet: 0.0566, 0.1132 and 0.1698 m/s. The type of plate
“GX-12" (the surface area 0.12 m2, the depth 2.9 mm, the width of
fluid flow 215 mm and the thickness of stainless plate of 0.5 mm)
was used in this study. The results indicated that the velocity
distribution for the case of 55/55 degree seems to be very well
organized when compared with the others. Also, an increase in the
inlet velocity resulted in the reduction of fouling rate on the surface
of plate heat exchangers.", keywords = "Computational fluid dynamics, crossing angles,
finite element method, plate heat exchanger.", volume = "3", number = "5", pages = "228-12", }