Fouling resistance model for prediction of CaCO₃ scaling in AISI 316 tubes

The term fouling is generally used to describe the deposition of unwanted (initially fluid) particles, which increases both resistance to heat transfer and pressure drop through the heat exchanger. CaCO₃ which is predominantly present in the cooling water, has inverse solubility characteristics i.e., it is less soluble in warm water, resulting in deposition of scales in heat transfer equipment. An experimental program is described in this paper to study the growth of fouling as a function of tube surface temperature, Reynolds number, tube diameter and the time for which the tube has been subjected to the scale forming solution. The data collected from the experiments are used to develop a fouling resistance model. In addition, the results obtained from the present study are also compared with those discussed earlier by several investigators with regard to CaCO₃ fouling.