FOULING OF TUBE SURFACES - MODELING OF REMOVAL KINETICS

Fouling of tube surfaces from flowing solutions or suspensions is exam ined. A new approach to the removal aspects of this process is present ed linking removal to the morphological and mechanical characteristics of deposit microstructure. A simplified description of deposit micros tructure is employed, involving a collection of geometrically similar roughness elements. A dynamic situation is envisioned whereby these el ements grow due to deposition and suffer breakage under the action of hydrodynamic forces. A mathematical model for the macroscopic fouling behavior based on the techniques of population balances is obtained an d numerically analyzed. The behavior found is in agreement with experi mental evidence.