Experimental Study of Particulate Fouling in an Industrial Plate Heat Exchanger

Abstract

An experimental study on particulate fouling in an industrial plate heat exchanger has been carried out on a specially adapted test facility on a semi-industrial experimental platform at GRETh. The presented results show the evidence of an asymptotic fouling resistance behaviour. The particle size distribution measurements carried out during the tests have allowed to check the limit of a diffusion controlled particle deposition. A first attempt to account for the influence of the flow maldistribution between the heat exchangers channel has been proposed.