Experimental investigation of fouling characteristics of diesel oil

Abstract

This study investigated the fouling characteristics of diesel oil using hot-wire test equipment. The diesel oil was electrically preheated to a desired fluid temperature using a heating coil. The fluid entered the test section and swept through a nichrome wire which was supplied with the electrical current corresponding to the desired wire temperature. Fluid temperature of 46 ^oC for wire temperatures of 200 ^oC, 250 ^oC and 300 ^oC as well as fluid temperature of 63 ^oC for wire temperatures of 250 ^oC and 200 ^oC were the operating conditions for the investigation. The heat transfer coefficients between the diesel oil and the heating coil were used to obtain the fouling resistance as a function of time. Fouling rates were later estimated for all the operating conditions. The result obtained showed that diesel oil fouled heavily and this fouling decreased with increasing fluid and wire temperature. Fouling was very severe for wire temperature of 200 ^oC and fluid temperature of 46 ^oC. The main mechanism of fouling of diesel oil was chemical reaction-polymerisation super-imposed with other fouling mechanisms.

Keywords: Fouling, Diesel Oil, Hot-wire Test