Parameters optimization of gas-water pulsed flow for cleaning plate heat exchanger

Abstract

With the development of industry and the increase of energy consumption, plate heat exchangers have been widely used across various sectors due to their efficient heat exchange performance.  Focusing on the application of gas-water pulse jet in plate heat exchanger cleaning, this paper focuses on the process parameter optimization of the gas-water mixer. The test results show that when the gas-water pulse jet flows into the plate heat exchanger, the airflow diffuses into a large number of small bubbles and bubble clusters, and forms a counterclockwise vortex under the outlet. As the ventilation time of the gas-water pulse jet increases, the initial pressure also rises. Longer gas stoppage times lead to higher internal pressures within the heat exchanger, resulting in improved cleaning effectiveness. The optimal operating frequency is 3 s of ventilation followed by 5 s of gas suspension.