Influência de incrustações na eficiência de trocadores de calor: o caso da perda de produtividade em hidrelétricas

Abstract

Heat exchangers are devices widely used in industrial processes, and various applications, in some situations to heat a fluid other cooling fluid, but that regardless of where it is applied usually the heat exchanger has a great responsibility. The heat exchangers are also used in power plants, because plants have hydraulic power generation systems that perform work, therefore generate energy as heat and this must be controlled so as not to raise the temperature of operation of the system to levels that impede the operation, in this context is the use of heat exchangers for the most part, hydraulic power plants use water as cooling fluid, which is collected directly from the reservoir, this mode of operation is advantageous, when we look only to the degree of complexity, because in most cases the cooling systems of power plants are open-ended, is, water is captured from the reservoir feeds the heat exchanger is then discarded into the river, but when we analyze the productivity item, we open system in which we have a disadvantage, as the volume of water is high it is difficult to appropriate treatment for use in industrial heat exchangers, such as this occur the problems of corrosion and fouling also, causing losses of efficiency in heat exchangers and therefore in the process to which it is inserted, reaching even to stop the process entirely. This work will be assessed if the application of an automated mechanical cleaning process to eliminate or minimize the loss of efficiency of heat exchangers of the cooling system water generator.