ABSTRACT
The commercial viability of enhanced heat transfer surfaces is dependent on their long-term fouling characteristics. The problem of heat transfer surface fouling is of concern for both plain and enhanced surfaces. Although fouling is generally regarded as a more serious problem for liquids than for gases, gas-side fouling can be important in certain situations. Section 2.7 describes the importance of fouling in heat exchanger design and explains why fouling is an important concern for enhanced surfaces. A primary concern for enhanced surfaces is their fouling rate, relative to a plain surface, when operated at the same velocity. At present, the state of the art does not allow quantitative prediction of the fouling resistance that will occur on smooth or enhanced surfaces in actual field installations. However, recent and ongoing research is advancing our quantitative understanding of fouling phenomena. Readers interested in general information describing the state of the art on fouling are referred to books by Somerscales and Knudsen [1979], Garrett-Price et al. [1985], Melo et al. [1987], and Bott [1995]. Watkinson [1990, 1991] and Bergles and Sommerscales [1995] provide review articles of fouling on enhanced heat transfer surfaces.
