Validation of a Fouling Measurement Procedure

The combustion of fuels usually involves the emission of particulate matter (PM) and occurrence of fouling and slagging phenomena, which are among the common drawbacks. In the case of fouling, the particles accumulate on the surfaces of certain devices, such as heat exchangers and electrostatic precipitators, leading to a reduction in their efficiencies. Identifying the shape of the layer of such particles can help develop solutions to these problems, such as the realization of an optimal cleaning procedure or the prevention of deposition on the critically affected areas. This study proposes a fouling measurement procedure that can be used to determine the thickness and profile of a particle/ash layer deposited on a surface. The system and methodology are validated by evaluating the accumulation of particles on the inner surface of a chimney during 40 h of operation and an electrostatic precipitator after 10 h of operation. The thickness of the PM layer is below 0.5 mm for the first case and above this value for the electrostatic precipitator. The worst case estimated uncertainty of the procedure is ±2%.