Digitalization enables systematic cleaning of heat exchangers

Polluted heat transfer surfaces can cause significant production declines even if the heat transfer equipment is cleaned twice a year. In examined plants, the pollution-related losses corresponded to approx. 3-5% of the annual production. These losses, which occur almost exclusively in the warm months of the year, were almost completely prevented by the installation and operation of an automatic cleaning system.

Together with the University of Applied Sciences Hamburg, mycon has developed a monitoring system the “ControlMaster” as part of a BAFA-funded project that works on the basis of parameters for the cleanliness of the surfaces.

mycon has defined a parameter that is useful for assessing the aerial contamination of air-cooled heat exchangers, because it takes into account the effects of pollution on the air mass flow. It can also calculate the influence of contaminants on the system in which the heat transfer apparatus is integrated. The calculation model can be extended to all types of heat transfer systems. Using this parameter, the ControlMaster can determine at any time which efficiency losses due to soiling, e.g. a heat exchanger arise or have arisen in recent years. Taking into account the costs of cleaning, the parameter determines the optimal time of their execution. This is possible for both manual and automatic cleaning. Also, the costs that occurs by switching off the fans for cleaning can be considered. In combination with an automatic cleaning system, the ControlMaster can start the cleaning process independently. mycon offers the JetMaster AS cleaning machine for cleaning in the area of air-cooled heat transfer systems. JetMaster AS works with several jet nozzles in the low pressure range of e.g. 6bar and requires only compressed air, and usually only a total of max. 4l of water per minute. ControlMaster can also calculate the savings made by performing the clean-up by determining how the parameter would have behaved without the cleanings. Based on this, ControlMaster calculates which power production and, for the area of waste incineration plant, which amount would have been set up without cleaning.

The digitization of pollution enables targeted implementation of measures and operation in the energy optimum.

Future advantages for the customer in the areas of energy saving, increase of energy production, increase of combustion mass in the area of incineration plants can be calculated relatively accurately on the basis of the data of past years. It is essential that the future basic data does not differ significantly from the basic data of the past years. This allows mycon to offer customers complete automated cleaning systems based solely on future savings or profits over the next three years – including installation of the equipment and service for those three years. The customer already has profits from the first year on, as the one to three years, annual cleaning is eliminated. After three years, the customer can then take over the plant for a smaller payment.