Biofouling Monitors for Noncylindrical OTEC Heat Exchanger Tubes

Abstract

Heat-transfer monitors (HTMs) have been used since 1976 to measure the reduction in the seawater heat-transfer coefficient due to buildup of biofouling and corrosion products inside circular tubes of shell-and-tube heat exchangers being developed for ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) plants. For OTEC heat exchangers (HXs) with other tube geometries, special, modified HTMs, which we call STMs, are being sought. The analytical approaches and calibration results to date are summarized for STMs of two types: (i) an STM simulating a rectangular seawater passage in a compact, aluminum, plate-fin HX, and (ii) an STM for a helical stainless-steel tube. The development of type 1 has been successful. A software change is needed for type 2.