Improving Efficiencies with Fouling Prevention, TAPPICon24

The accumulation of an undesirable layer of deposits or fouling on within liquid carrying process or heat-transfer surfaces causes significant and expensive issues for both operation and maintenance crews. Traditionally, biofilm and chemical fouling are cleaned by either opening the pipe and blasting it with high-pressure water jets or circulating environmentally unfriendly chemicals around the closed system—both require production to be stopped. Instead, ultrasound applied to the outside of the process (see figure 1) has lead to preventing unnecessary production interruptions and maintenance stops, negates the risk of chemical residue, and keeps different types of pipes free of fouling.

On low power levels (below the cavitation threshold), ultrasonic energy that radiates from the metal walls into the liquid detaches fouling on the walls. On inner structures the most effective way to remove fouling inside an industrial vessel is to produce a pressure field close to the foulant. This field produces microscopic bubbles in the process liquid that implode and create a highly localized pressure wave that detaches foulants (see figures 2 and 3). Ultrasound power levels are typically lower for fouling prevention over removal. Knowing what type of fouling is present, flow rate, process temp, application geometry, and other specifications are required to better understand the affect ultrasound will have in various cases.

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