EFFECTS OF SCALING / FOULING ON

ABSORPTION CHILLER CONDENSER

AND ABSORBER TUBES & IT’S
REMOVAL

ANALYSIS REPORT

BY

ABDUL HASEEB BUTT MOHAMMAD ASEM

RAWALPINDI INSTITUTE OF CARDIOLOGY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2
​ CALING/FOULING……………………………………………………………… 2
S
EFFECTS…………………………………………………………………………… 2
IDENTIFYING SOURCE………………………………………………………….. 3

PREVENTION & REMOVAL-------------------------------------------------------- 3

​ REVENTIVE MEASURE……………………………………………………….... 3
P
STEPS TAKEN FOR DESCALING @ RIC……………………………………….. 4
SULFAMIC ACID FOR DESCALING (INDUSTRIAL REFERENCE).................. 5

DESCALING OPERATION OVERVIEW-----------------------------------------​6-7

REFERENCES--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8

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INTRODUCTION

Scaling / Fouling:

Fouling is the deposition and accumulation of unwanted materials such as scale, algae,
biofilm, mussels, organic matter and insoluble salts on the internal surfaces of heat
exchangers.

Fouling can cause up to 20% of efficiency loss in compression, and ​70% efficiency loss in
absorption chillers​. The result in both cases is increased cost of operation.

Effects:

In studies made by Carrier​TM​ it was determined that a scale of 0.15 mm thickness in a

condenser would require an increase of 40% in the heat exchange area in order to provide the
same heat exchange rate. In other words, a 0.15mm scale reduces the heat exchange
efficiency by about 40%.

Table: 1

When cooling systems operate, water with fouling factors flow through the system: Hard
water causes scaling, whereas seawater can cause biofilm, or growth of micro and macro
species. Soft at first, fouling becomes hard if not treated and prevents the proper operation of
the system. As fouling increases, two things occur: First, the volume of water that can flow
through the heat exchanger is reduced. Second, the deposited matter adds as an isolation layer
reducing the efficiency of the heat exchange.

2
Identifying Source:

Chiller units — open loop or closed loop — naturally experience performance degradations
over time. To limit the impact of condenser fouling you need to identify the source. If you’re
running an open loop system, the biggest problem comes from the water source itself —
minerals and other particulate matter can quickly cause scale to build up if water isn’t
properly treated before being transferred to the chiller. In closed loop systems, the cooling
tower itself becomes the key source of contaminants, which in turn make their way into
condensers and drive the growth of scale build-up.

PREVENTION & REMOVAL

Preventive Measures:

1. Increased Chill Water Temperature — ​Even increasing the chill water temperature a
degree offers a 2 to 4 percent energy efficiency increase​[1]​.
2. Treat Water Aggressively — ​combining an aggressive biocide plan with scale and
corrosion protection practices to limit scale production.
3. Ensure a Leak-Free Unit — ​Leaks in condenser and chiller units introduce air into the
system which significantly lowers efficiency and can also cause interior rust build-up.
In high-pressure units, leaks can release hazardous gasses into the nearby atmosphere.
4. Keep Daily Logs — ​Keeping track of day-to-day condenser performance allows you
to conduct regular data comparison and ensure you’re meeting efficiency targets.

3
Steps taken for Descaling of Condenser / Absorber tubes (@RIC):

● A supply tank containing freshwater is connected with a water pump to the inlet and
outlet marked on the figure below, (this is done by completely removing the cooling
tower circuit), effectively bypassing the cooling tower together with connected valves
and accessories :

Fig: 1

● This forms a circuit and freshwater in the supply tank is run through. If heavy fouling
is present the outlet into the same tank is observed to have aggressive high and low
pressure cycle, i.e, the outlet is not with constant pressure.
● Sulfamic Acid​[2]​ is then added in powdered form into the supply tank, till the pH of
the outlet is measured in between 1-2.5pH (acidic).
● Addition of Potassium Chromate to the sulfamic acid solution is carried out. And pH
of the outlet solution is maintained acidic by further addition of sulfamic acid and
potassium chromate as required.
● pH is regularly checked with intervals of 30mins. - 1 hr.
● The circulation is then carried out for approximately 12-24 hours, till outlet pressure
is constant and the outlet solution no longer carries visible fouling indicating clean
tubes.
● Addition of Soda Ash is carried out into the supply tank to neutralize the acidic
solution and bring up the pH levels to 6-7pH (alkaline).
● Flush system with clean water.

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SULFAMIC ACID FOR DESCALING ​(​Reference)​:

For descaling equipment use a 10% solution. Sulfamic acid is safe for steel, iron, glass and
wood equipment, and may be used with caution on copper, aluminium, and galvanized metal
surfaces. Clean in a soak tank or by circulation. For surfaces, apply to surface using a cloth or
brush and allow to work for a few minutes. Agitate with brush if necessary and rinse
thoroughly with clean water.
For Boiler systems & Cooling Towers use a circulation treatment of a 10% to 15% solution
depending on how bad the system is. Before applying flush out system and refill with clean
water. Determine the volume of water and mix in the sulfamic acid at a rate of 100g to 150g
per litre of water.​ It may be necessary to add a corrosion inhibitor (preferably
molybdate-based, commonly used in most all closed loops, because of its superior
corrosion protection properties.) to help protect mild steel, brass, copper and stainless
steel from acid attack.​ Circulate the solution at room temperature or heated to a maximum
of 60C for heavier cleaning for several hours until desired results are achieved.

Note​:​ Do not use at boiling point or product will undergo hydrolysis and will not work. Do
not use on galvanised materials, zinc or aluminium. Sulphamic acid will not remove silica or
calcium phosphate scales. After cleaning rinse thoroughly and check system. Neutralise with
1 to 2% sodium carbonate solution (soda ash) with a target pH of 6 to 8 or whatever
discharge pH range applies.

Repeat applications may be necessary for heavily soiled systems.

After cleaning Periodic flushing of the system to remove loosened scale and contaminants
will be necessary.
For rust removal use a solution of 10%-20%.

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REFERENCES:

[1]:​ Most commercial systems are designed with a chilled water supply temperature in the
range of 40 deg F to 45 deg F. This generally allows for proper dehumidification and an
acceptable supply air temperature for occupant spaces during peak times. However, these
peak weather and load conditions are rarely seen.
Implementing supply air temperature reset control can save energy in several ways. First,
when cold supply air temperatures are not required (acceptable humidity levels and no zones
at peak load), raising supply temperatures can help prevent over-dehumidification of spaces
and unneeded latent cooling. More importantly, higher supply air setpoints can allow chilled
water supply temperature to be increased, substantially improving chiller efficiency. In
general, chiller efficiencies improve approximately 2 percent for every degree that chilled
water supply temperature is increased.

[2]: ​Sulphamic acid in descaling

Sulfamic Acid is super efficient descaling agent and is used for cleaning a variety of
industrial equipment and domestic appliances. It is used for cleaning boilers, heat exchangers,
condensers, jackets and coils, descaling toilets, removing excess grout on tiles, efflorescence
and other mineral deposits etc ​(See below for details on how to use)​. It helps remove hard
water scale, protein deposits, beer and milk stone, light rust and copper corrosion