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
📅 Dec 2024
Reference Answer
### (a) How does fouling affect the performance of a heat exchanger? (4 marks)
Fouling is the accumulation of unwanted material on the heat transfer surfaces of a heat exchanger. This accumulation forms an insulating layer that significantly degrades the heat exchanger's performance in several critical ways:
* **Reduced Heat Transfer Efficiency:**
* The primary effect of fouling is the creation of an additional thermal resistance layer, which significantly reduces the overall heat transfer coefficient (U) of the heat exchanger. The relationship is often expressed as:
Fouling is the accumulation of unwanted material on the heat transfer surfaces of a heat exchanger. This accumulation forms an insulating layer that significantly degrades the heat exchanger's performance in several critical ways:
* **Reduced Heat Transfer Efficiency:**
* The primary effect of fouling is the creation of an additional thermal resistance layer, which significantly reduces the overall heat transfer coefficient (U) of the heat exchanger. The relationship is often expressed as:
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