Composite Fouling Characteristics on Ni-P-PTFE Nanocomposite Surface in Corrugated Plate Heat Exchanger. Issue 22 (23rd September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Zuodong; Chen, Zengchao; Li, Wei; Ding, Zhikou; Xu, Zhiming
• Is Part Of: Heat transfer engineering. Volume 42:Issue 22(2021)
• Page Start: 1877
• Page End: 1888
• Publication Date: 2021-09-23
• Subjects: Heat -- Transmission -- Periodicals; 621.4022
• DOI: 10.1080/01457632.2020.1834202
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0145-7632

Abstract

Abstract: Plate heat exchanger (PHE) has been widely used in energy transport fields for its high efficiency and compact structure. However, fouling is an intractable issue which reduces heat transfer efficiency and increases pressure drop. In this study, an experimental investigation on composite fouling characteristics of Ni-P-PTFE nanocomposite coating in corrugated PHE was conducted to evaluate the anti-fouling performance of this modified surface. The nanocomposite coating was prepared based on the stainless steel 304 plates through the electroless composite plating method. Clean tests and accelerated composite fouling tests were carried out, and the heat transfer and pressure drop performance of both the uncoated and coated plates was analyzed. Moreover, micro-structure of the surfaces and fouling deposits was mapped by scanning electron microscope. Compared to uncoated plates, the Ni-P-PTFE coated plates showed lower pressure drop by up to 15.8% and lower heat transfer performance by up to 17.6% at clean state. The smooth coating decreased the friction loss of the flow, while slightly increased the heat conduction resistance. The Ni-P-PTFE coated plates showed a significant anti-fouling performance, which decreased the fouling's weight by 20.4% and the asymptotic fouling resistance by 28.2%, meanwhile reduced the pressure drop increment by 44.8%.