Abstract
We investigate calcium carbonate scale formation at high Reynolds numbers in a large pipe rig facility. The calcium carbonate solution is produced from the injection, at a T-joint inlet, of pH-stabilized sodium carbonate and calcium chloride aqueous solutions. A scanning electron microscopy analysis of the deposited mass along the pipe indicates that after an initial transient regime of ion-by-ion crystal growth, calcium carbonate scale is dominated by particulate deposition. While limescale formation in regions that are closer to the pipe’s entrance can be described as the heterogeneous surface nucleation of calcium and carbonate ions driven by turbulent diffusion, we rely upon turbophoresis phenomenology to devise a peculiarly simple kinetic model of deposition at farther downstream regions. Letting Φ and R be the flow rate and the pipe’s radius, respectively, the mass deposition rates per unit time and unit area are predicted to scale as Φα/Rβ (for certain modeled values of the α and β parameters) with suggestive support from our experiments.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
