Academic literature on the topic 'Crystallisation fouling'

Membrane distillation (MD) could be applicable in zero liquid discharge applications. This is due to the fact that MD is applicable at high salinity ranges which are generally outside the scope of reverse osmosis (RO) applications, although this requires proper management of precipitating salts to avoid membrane fouling. One way of managing these salts is with MD crystallisation (MDC). This paper focuses on the applicability of MDC for the treatment of mining wastewater by thermodynamically modelling the aqueous chemistry of the process at different temperatures. The paper is based on the typical brine generated from an RO process in the South African coal mining industry and investigates the effect water recovery and operating temperature have on the salts that are predicted to crystallise out, the sequence in which they will crystallise out and purities as a function of the water recovery. The study confirmed the efficacy of using thermodynamic modelling as a tool for investigating and predicting the crystallisation aspects of the MDC process. The key finding from this work was that, for an MDC process, a purer product can be obtained at higher operating temperatures and recoveries because of the inverse solubility of calcium sulphate.

AbstractCombustion experiments up to 1400°C were carried out with subbituminous coals from the Teruel power station, the Teruel Mining District, the Santa Eulalia coal deposit and with lignite from the As Pontes power station in Spain. The characterisations of the occurrence and distribution of inorganic matter and its transformation during combustion of these coals were carried out by means of X-ray diffraction and optical and electron microscopy. The combustion experiments show that the incorgainc transformations during the combustion of all the coals studied vary depending on the sulphur and calcium contents. The sulphur, iron and calcium contents govern the quality of anhydrite crystallisation (which takes place between 600 and 900°C Furthermore, the high calcium oxide content produces the fouling of the combustion wastes at relatively low temperatures (1200°C), prevents the occurrence of mullite and magnetite in the ashes and leads to the crystallistation of anorthite and esseneite during the colling. The comparison of the inorganic phases of fly ashes and slags from the Teruel power station with those of the experimental wastes shows that the inorganic transformations during coal combustion in the power station can be predicted by means of laboratory furnace experiments provided that the residence time in the flame and the effect of the cooling and evacuation controls of gases and particles from the power station are taken in consideration.

The main purpose of this investigation was to study the mechanisms of mixed salt crystallisation fouling on heat transfer surfaces during convective heat transfer and sub-cooled flow boiling conditions. To-date no investigations on the effects of operating parameters on the deposition of mixtures of calcium sulphate and calcium carbonate, which are the most common constituents of scales formed on heat transfer surfaces, have been reported. As part of this research project, a substantial number of experiments were performed to determine the mechanisms controlling deposition. Fluid velocity, heat flux, surface and bulk temperatures, concentration of the solution, ionic strength, pressure and heat transfer surface material were varied systematically. After clarification of the effect of these parameters on the deposition process, the results of these experiments were used to develop a mechanistic model for prediction of fouling resistances, caused by crystallisation of mixed salts, under convective heat transfer and subcooled flow boiling conditions. It was assumed that the deposition process of calcium sulphate and calcium carbonate takes place in two successive events. These events are the combined effects related to transport phenomena and chemical kinetics. The effect of the extra deposition created on the heat transfer surface due to sub-cooled flow boiling was considered by inclusion of an enhancement factor. The newly developed model takes into account the effects of all important parameters on scaling phenomena and also considers the simultaneous precipitation and competition of various minerals in the scale formation process. Model predictions were compared with the measured experimental data when calcium sulphate and calcium carbonate form and deposit on the heat transfer surface simultaneously. While deviations ranging from 6% to 25% between model predictions and measured experimental data can be considered good in the context of such a complex process, fouling morphology is clearly a factor to be considered in more detail. This is particularly problematic in the context of more complex fouling solutions encountered in industry. Furthermore, the crystalline samples were analysed using Scanning Electron Microscopy, X- Ray Diffraction and Ion Chromatography techniques. Fractal analysis performed on Scanning Electron Microscopy photographs of the deposits was used to quantify deposit characteristics by introducing a new quantity called the fractal dimension.

Fouling involves the unwanted deposition and build-up of solid material on surfaces within a process. This problem is widely encountered in multiphase and solid phase processing in many industries including oil and gas, pharmaceutical and fine chemical manufacturing sectors. Although it is acknowledged to impact both batch and continuous processing methods it poses a particular challenge to the controlled operation of continuous crystallisation processes where extended operation under non-equilibrium conditions is required. Whilst the factors impacting on fouling have been proposed, there have been only a relatively limited number of studies into fouling mechanisms to date. With increased interest in deploying continuous crystallisation processes for pharmaceutical manufacturing, the motivation for this work was to develop an improved understanding of the influence of material properties and process conditions on fouling processes. In this work, a number of studies were conducted in which key materials and process parameters were investigated. These have included different materials of construction (MOCs), process conditions (flow, supersaturation, temperature gradients (ΔT)) and crystallising solutions (solute and solvent). Primary fouling studies were conducted using a small scale batch crystallisation setup to explore the influence on MOCs, supersaturation and agitation rate upon both bulk crystal nucleation and surface fouling of paracetamol. The prominent fouling mechanism was found to be particle deposition which was influenced by supersaturation, agitation rate, different MOCs and exposure time. Fouling is known to occur on heat exchange interfaces due to the localised supersaturation that can be generated e.g. in a plug flow continuous cooling crystalliser. A novel surface induced continuous crystallisation fouling assessment platform (C-FAP) was developed in conjunction with Cambridge Reactor Design (CRD). The C-FAP was evaluated as an assessment tool by exploring different MOCs and process conditions upon fouling and fouling mechanisms via in situ imaging and temperature measurement. The platform was characterised and used to explore surface induction mechanisms in which initiation and growth was strongly influenced by different MOCs, with stainless steel showing a greater tendency than PTFE, in addition to the degree of supersaturation. The temperature difference across the MOC interface (ΔTMOC) was demonstrated to influence nucleation and growth to varying extents. An ideal scenario would be to be able to predict or rule out unfavourable combinations of solute, solvent and MOC properties early in process design to avoid late stage problems. A screen was carried out to assess the potential to develop a multivariate predictive model for fouling propensity and fouling behaviour. The models provide insight into the most influential parameters comprising MOC, solute, solvent and process descriptors to steer subsequent experiments. The importance of MOC properties and process conditions was highlighted for all models. A variety of assessment tools were demonstrated within this work in which recommendations for fouling evaluation were provided in addition to methods to further develop fouling understanding.

Heat exchanger fouling is the deposition of material onto the heat transfer surface causing a reduction in thermal efficiency. A study using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was conducted to increase understanding of key aspects of fouling in desalination processes. Fouling is a complex phenomenon and therefore this numerical model was developed in stages. Each stage required a critical assessment of each fouling process in order to design physical models to describe the process???s intricate kinetic and thermodynamic behaviour. The completed physical models were incorporated into the simulations through employing extra transport equations, and coding additional subroutines depicting the behaviour of the aqueous phase involved in the fouling phenomena prominent in crystalline streams. The research objectives of creating a CFD model to predict fouling behaviour and assess the influence of key operating parameters were achieved. The completed model of the key crystallisation fouling processes monitors the temporal variation of the fouling resistance. The fouling rates predicted from these results revealed that the numerical model satisfactorily reproduced the phenomenon observed experimentally. Inspection of the CFD results at a local level indicated that the interface temperature was the most influential operating parameter. The research also examined the likelihood that the crystallisation and particulate fouling mechanisms coexist. It was found that the distribution of velocity increased the likelihood of the particulate phase forming within the boundary layer, thus emphasizing the importance of differentiating between behaviour within the bulk and the boundary layer. These numerical results also implied that the probability of this composite fouling was greater in turbulent flow. Finally, supersaturation was confirmed as the key parameter when precipitation occurred within the bulk/boundary layer. This investigation demonstrated the advantages of using CFD to assess heat exchanger fouling. It produced additional physical models which when incorporated into the CFD code adequately modeled key aspects of the crystallisation and particulate fouling mechanisms. These innovative modelling ideas should encourage extensive use of CFD in future fouling investigations. It is recommended that further work include detailed experimental data to assist in defining the key kinetic and thermodynamic parameters to extend the scope of the required physical models.

Membrane technologies are considered a promising solution for water scarcity in arid regions. However, fouling is a major challenge facing the application of membrane technologies. Fouling limits the economic viability and reduces the overall efficiency of membrane processes. Therefore, fouling mitigation is a crucial factor in spreading the use of membrane technologies for new applications. The first step in fouling mitigation is to predict the propensity of fouling. Unfortunately, there are immense limitations in current industrial practises for fouling propensity prediction. These limitations come from using outdated and inapplicable approaches, in which crucial assumptions are made. For example, in the case of crystallisation fouling or “scaling” one of the major simplifications is the use of pure scaling salt data to predict the propensity of scaling when, in reality, co-precipitation is present. This research work aims to introduce a new approach to systematic assessment of the fouling problem under real and complex conditions and to enhance understanding of the importance of including interactive effects and co-precipitation in the prediction of scaling propensity. In this research work a novel procedure accounting for the local variation of thermodynamic properties along a long membrane channel is proposed. A new approach considering ion interaction and process hydrodynamics for the prediction of the scaling propensity is then introduced. This new approach provides for the first time a completely theoretical assessment for pure salt scaling propensity along a full scale filtration channel without the use of any empirical constants. A new procedure for including the effect of co-precipitation on scaling propensity prediction is developed. The effect of process pressure on solubility products is included theoretically for the first time to enhance the accuracy of scaling propensity prediction during the full scale RO process. This research work helps to produce more reliable and accurate prediction of the onset of scaling which will help strategies to mitigate scaling and increase the overall efficiency of RO/NF processes. The new approach can be applied in practical situations and could be developed to a user-friendly programme able to give an accurate prediction of the fouling propensity in full scale processes allowing the optimisation of membrane processes accordingly. Moreover, comprehensive experimental work has been carried out during this PhD research work to enhance understanding of crystallisation fouling and coprecipitation. The effect of salinity and dissolved organics (DO) in CaSO4 and SrSO4 precipitation and co-precipitation are studied and discussed. Quantitative and qualitative thermodynamic and kinetic analyses combined with structural analyses of deposits are carried out to investigate the effect of salinity, DO presence and coprecipitation on SrSO4 and CaSO4 precipitation. The observations in this experimental study are very important for a deeper understanding of the effect of scaling salts’ coexistence, salinity and DO presence on the behaviour of the scaling salts. This is crucial to reaching a reliable prediction of the scaling propensity within RO/NF processes. Finally, the new developed approaches in this thesis have been validated using set of hydrodynamic tests. This set of tests has been carried out using a newly installed laboratory membrane rig. Moreover, a new technique to simulate full scale membrane processes is proposed using a laboratory membrane rig combined with the programs previously developed in this thesis. This new technique can be used to study the effect of process hydrodynamics on scaling and process performance of full scale membrane processes using a laboratory membrane rig. The outcomes of this research work can be used to investigate the optimal operating conditions and to guide design criteria for different RO/NF practical scenarios.