Exam Question
(a) How does fouling affect the performance of a heat exchanger? (4)
(b) Describe the types of plugs used to plug the ends of a leaky heat exchanger tubes. (6)
(c) What is a differential pressure gauge? Where is it used? (6)
Class 4 (4th Engineer)
MEKG
📅 Jun 2025
Reference Answer
### (a) Effects of Fouling on Heat Exchanger Performance
Fouling is the accumulation and formation of unwanted deposits on the heat transfer surfaces of a heat exchanger. These deposits act as an insulating layer, severely degrading the thermal and hydraulic performance of the unit. The primary effects are:
1. **Reduced Heat Transfer Efficiency:**
* **Mechanism:** Fouling layers (e.g., scale, sediment, biological growth, corrosion products) have very low thermal conductivity compared to the tube metal. This layer introduces an additional thermal resistance to the heat flow path between the two fluids.
Fouling is the accumulation and formation of unwanted deposits on the heat transfer surfaces of a heat exchanger. These deposits act as an insulating layer, severely degrading the thermal and hydraulic performance of the unit. The primary effects are:
1. **Reduced Heat Transfer Efficiency:**
* **Mechanism:** Fouling layers (e.g., scale, sediment, biological growth, corrosion products) have very low thermal conductivity compared to the tube metal. This layer introduces an additional thermal resistance to the heat flow path between the two fluids.
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