Research PaperCaSO4 fouling characteristics on the rectangular channel with half-cylinder vortex generators

•A numerical simulation method was used to study the fouling characteristics.•The crystallization fouling of CaSO4 was analyzed in the rectangular channel with half-cylinder vortex generators.•The effects of different operating conditions and structures on the fouling resistance were investigated.•The simulated results were validated based on the experimental dates.

In order to study the fouling characteristics on the rectangular channel with half-cylinder vortex generators, the deposition process of CaSO4 fouling were studied by numerical simulation method. The fouling characteristics under different operation conditions and structures such as the concentration of CaSO4, the wall temperature, the inlet velocity, the length, the radius and the spacing of the half-cylinder vortex generators were investigated. The results show that the asymptotic value of fouling resistance increases with the increase of the surface temperature and the concentration, and decreases with the increase of the inlet velocity. The value of fouling resistance first decreases and then increases with the increase of the length. The value of fouling resistance reaches the minimum when the length was 4/8 H. The value of fouling resistance increases with the increase of the spacing. The value of fouling resistance reaches the maximum when the spacing was more than 55 mm, and the fouling characteristics tends to be similar as the situation without the vortex generators. The value of fouling resistance decreases with the increase of the radius.