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2018

Fouling prevention treatment for heat exchangers

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After the heat exchanger has been in operation for a certain period, a layer of white scale adheres to the inner and outer walls of the heat exchanger. The main reason for the formation of scale is the presence of calcium and magnesium salts in the water, which have low solubility. These salts share a common characteristic: their solubility decreases as the water temperature increases, leading to the formation of insoluble salts. The presence of these salts can have the following consequences for the heat exchanger: 1. The thermal conductivity of scale is very poor, being 30 to 50 times less than that of steel. The presence of scale will deteriorate the heat transfer on the heated surface, preventing the heat transfer surface from reaching the ideal temperature drop. According to relevant data, experiments have shown that the formation of 1mm thick scale in the heat exchanger...

　　After the heat exchanger has been in operation for a certain period, a layer of white scale adheres to the inner and outer walls of the heat exchanger. The main reason for scale formation is the presence of calcium and magnesium salts with low solubility in water. These salts share a common characteristic: their solubility decreases as the water temperature rises, turning into insoluble salts. The presence of these salts can lead to the following consequences for the heat exchanger:

　　1. Scale has poor thermal conductivity, being 30 to 50 times less conductive than steel. The presence of scale deteriorates the heat transfer on the heated surface, preventing it from reaching the ideal temperature drop. According to relevant data, experiments show that a 1mm thick layer of scale can reduce the efficiency of the heat exchanger by about 10%.

　　2. Scale adheres to the heat transfer surface, making it difficult to remove, which increases maintenance costs. It not only consumes manpower and material resources but also damages the heated surface, reducing the lifespan of the heat exchanger.

　　3. After scale forms, it reduces the flow cross-section of the internal and external circulation of the heat transfer surface, increasing the flow resistance of the circulating water. In severe cases, the flow cross-section can become very small or even completely blocked, preventing the heat exchanger from operating normally.

To prevent the above consequences, design or operating units often use methods such as chemical softening treatment, magnetization, ion rod scale prevention treatment, and sodium ion exchange treatment. To help everyone further understand these softening treatment methods, the principles, formulations, and operating methods of these treatments will be introduced below.

1. Chemical Softening Treatment

　　Chemical softening treatment is characterized by its simplicity, high efficiency, good economy, and the lack of need for specialized water treatment equipment, making it a highly practical scale prevention method. Depending on the method of chemical addition, it can be divided into corrective agent treatment and scale prevention treatment.

2. Magnetization Scale Prevention Treatment

　　The principle of magnetization scale prevention treatment utilizes the polarity of water molecules, which are covalently bonded. Individual water molecules, due to polarity and hydrogen bonding, aggregate into dimeric (H2O)2 or polymeric (H2O)n associations. When water flows through a high-intensity magnetic field, the polymeric associations and ions interact with the magnetic field, breaking apart the originally dispersed multi-ion associations into single or short-chain associations. They cut through the external magnetic field lines at a certain speed, generating induced currents. Therefore, each ion establishes a new magnetic field in the same direction as the external magnetic field, and adjacent polar ions orderly compress and attract each other, leading to changes in crystallization conditions. The resulting crystals are loose, have poor compressive and tensile strength, and are brittle, with weak adhesion and attachment, making them less likely to adhere to the heated surface and form scale.

3. Ion Rod Scale Prevention Water Treatment

　　Ion rod scale prevention water treatment is an emerging and advanced water treatment device. It is a patented product from the United States since 1987, introduced by Changsha York Water Treatment Company. It has achieved satisfactory scale prevention effects in hot water circulation systems, central air conditioning systems, and circulating cooling water systems, making it a promising new type of water treatment equipment, especially effective when applied to heat exchangers.

4. Sodium Ion Exchange Softening Treatment.

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Chongqing Southwest Saiwell Heat Exchange Equipment Co., Ltd.

Specializing in the research, development, production and sales, equipment consulting, maintenance, and accessory services of heat exchange technology, equipment, and systems, and undertaking the design and installation of thermal system engineering, energy conservation and emission reduction, and energy conservation and emission reduction system engineering.

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