Anti-fouling system for plate heat exchangers
The FoulingCure system is a systematic high-speed rinsing system that is built into the exchanger (independent of make) and during operation prevents the impurities from growing on the heat exchanger plates.
FoulingCure is a Business Startup based on a newly developed Pat.Pending anti-fouling concept for plate heat exchangers. The system ensures anti-fouling during operation/full-load of the plate heat exchangers. This maintains a high heat efficiency and eliminates the need for shutdowns and annual renovation and service.
Fouling is sediment, biofilm or particles that accumulates on the plates and prevents the transfer of energy. Fouling increases the fuel and electrical consumption for the production of heat or cooling.
The FoulingCure system is a systematic high-speed rinsing system that is built into the exchanger (independent of make) and during operation prevents the impurities from growing on the heat exchanger plates.
On biofuel plants, fouling occurs after 3-6 weeks of operation from renovated exchangers and reduces the thermal efficiency from the flue gas condensate system gradually by >15% during a season with major economic and energy consequences for the production, the consumer and the environment.
During the heating season, a coating accumulates on the exchanger plates for the flue gas condensate system at the CHP plant VERDO in Randers. The coating - also called fouling - reduces the thermal conductivity and efficiency of energy recovery.
FoulingCure ApS has developed and patented a new anti-fouling system for plate heat exchangers. The system is installed as a full-scale demonstration, at VERDO which has 4 plate heat exchangers for energy recovery by flue gas condensation.
The project is supported with DKK 500,000 from ELFORSK Special Grant Pool 2019.
The energy potential is 10,160 MWh/year if condensate plate heat exchangers can be kept clean.
A plate heat exchanger cleans itself due to the geometry of the plates which are designed to create turbulence when water passes over the plates. This is called the self-cleaning effect. The self-cleaning effect increases with the flow velocity exponentially, so when doubling the flow, the self-cleaning effect is increased by 400%, and when tripling the flow, the self-cleaning effect is increased by 900%. Using an external pump and the FoulingCure system the plate heat exchanger is cleaned every 2 hours. This is done while the plate heat exchanger is running undisturbed.
Using FoulingCure in combination with, once every 6 weeks chlorine disinfection, to remove bacterial growth, showed that the plate heat exchangers are kept clean, and fouling is eliminated. This resulted in 8.2% more energy was recovered from the flue gas condensate, equivalent to 10,160 MWh/year and total operating savings of 2,600,000, - DKK/year. CO2 emissions are reduced by approx. 2.000 tons/Year.
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Participants
| Partner | Subsidy | Auto financing |
|---|---|---|
| VERDO Produktion A/S |
