Apparatus for measuring fouling on the inside of a heat-exchanger tube

Abstract

The apparatus comprises a test tube having substantially the same composition as the heat-exchanger tube suspected as fouling internally. A pressure chamber encloses this test tube and forms a space around the test tube and isolated from external influences. This pressure chamber has means for filling the space around the test tube with a vapor that condenses to liquid on the outside of the test tube, the pressure in the pressure chamber being dependent on whether or not or the degree the vapor condenses to liquid on the test tube. Means are provided for measuring the fluid pressure on the inside of the pressure chamber, this means providing a measure of the heat exchange between the vapor and any medium flowing inside of the test tube. Therefore, by connecting this apparatus so that the medium flowing through the heat-exchanger tube is shunted, in part, through the test tube of this apparatus, the apparatus provides a measure of fouling occurring inside of the heat-exchanger tube because substantially the same fouling occurs inside of the test tube of this apparatus, the degree of which can be continuously monitored by observation or automatic recording of the fluid pressure in the pressure chamber of the apparatus.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.