Composite Fouling Characteristics on Ni-P-PTFE Nanocomposite Surface in Corrugated Plate Heat Exchanger

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%.

Acknowledgments

The authors are deeply indebted to the Editor-in-Chief and reviewers for their careful editing and valuable comments of improving the quality of the paper. The authors would like to thank the financial support from the National Science Foundation of China (Grant No.52076187 and Grant No. 51976028) and the Jilin Provincial Education Department Project (JJKH20200108KJ).

Additional information

Funding

The authors would like to thank the financial support from the National Science Foundation of China (Grant No.52076187 and Grant No. 51976028) and the Jilin Provincial Education Department Project (Grant no. JJKH20200108KJ).

Notes on contributors

Zuodong Liu

Zuodong Liu received his B.S. from Inner Mongolia University of Technology, then he continued his education at Northeast Electric Power University and North China Electric Power University, where he obtained his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees with Prof. Zhiming Xu in 2012 and 2016, respectively. After graduation, he joined Northeast Electric Power University as a lecturer in 2016. He is working on fouling and countermeasures of heat exchangers, technology and mechanism of surface modification for fouling inhibition.

Zengchao Chen

Zengchao Chen received his B.S. from Zhejiang University in 2017 and his M.S. with Prof. Wei Li. His study is focused on experimental investigation of flow boiling heat transfer characteristics and enhancements in microchannels. He is working on micro/nano-scale modified enhanced heat transfer surface.

Wei Li

Wei Li received his B.S. from Xi’an Jiao Tong University, and after 5 years of engineering practice in Gree Appliances in China, continued his education at Penn State, where he obtained his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees with Prof. Ralph Webb in 1998. After 8 years of engineering practice serving as a director of engineering in the United States, he joined Zhejiang University as a full professor in 2006. His group has been focused on two-phase heat transfer, falling film evaporation, fouling, nanofluids, compact heat exchangers, and supercritical fuels. He is a fellow of the ASME.

Zhikou Ding

Zhikou Ding is presently a master student in Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. He received his B.S. from WuHan University in 2019 and continued his study with Prof. Wei Li. His study is focused on experimental investigation of fouling characteristics and anti-fouling methods. He is working on micro/nano-scale modified heat transfer surface to achieve anti-fouling properties.

Zhiming Xu

Zhiming Xu is a Professor of Thermal Sciences at the Northeast Electric Power University (NEEPU), JinLin, China. He received his M.Sc. degree from the NEEPU and his Ph.D. degree from Xi'an Jiaotong University in 1996. He has been teaching at the NEEPU since 1983 and is now the director of the graduate faculty of the University. His research contributions have been in the field of heat and mass transfer. He is currently working on energy conservation theory and technology of heat exchange equipment fouling and countermeasures.