A direct simulation procedure for chemical reaction fouling in heat exchangers

Abstract

A numerical procedure based on the method of characteristics is presented for the simulation of the average overall heat transfer behaviour of a heat exchanger which is subjected to chemical reaction fouling. The constitutive heat exchanger equations are directly integrated together with an equation which describes the local fouling rate at a point on the heat transfer surface. The procedure is demonstrated for fouling of tubular heat exchangers by skimmed milk employing an experimentally determined local fouling rate model. A performance calculation for four different exchangers is presented to illustrate aspects of fouling behaviour.