Study on the Scaling Behavior of Spray on the Surface of Aluminum Plate Heat Exchanger

Abstract

In recent years, closed circulating water systems in heat exchangers have been developing continuously. During the high-temperature heat exchange process in summer, the external spray system can easily cause scaling and corrosion of the heat exchanger. In order to study the factors affecting the scaling and corrosion of the heat exchanger under different pH and spray conditions of the spray working solution, the experimental methods such as immersion experiments and interval titration methods were designed to simulate the actual working environment. Moreover, the scaling mechanism of the heat exchanger was further clarified through characterization methods such as sample microsurface morphology, mass changes, and electrochemical performance tests. Results showed that under the short-cycle heating titration experiment, the simulated solution with pH=5 was prone to react in a dynamic environment and was prone to scaling in the flat tube. Under the immersion experiment and the long-cycle heating titration experiment, the simulated solution was in the relatively static condition, and the experimental samples were not easy to be scaled. In general, this work enriched the related research on plate heat exchanger fouling and provided a strong basis for future plate heat exchanger fouling and corrosion protection.

Keywords

• heat exchanger|fouling|spraying|performance characterization