Cleaning severely fouled enhanced heat exchanger tubes

The project

A leading Belgian research and innovation center in nano-electronics and digital technologies approached Goodway Benelux regarding the cleaning of multiple of their water-cooled chillers. As they produce and test high-tech components, they rely on a stable and efficient cooling system. However, they were experiencing significant calcium carbonate (scale) buildup inside their chiller condenser tubes, reducing reliability.

The challenge

A chiller is an industrial cooling system that removes heat from processes by circulating chilled water. It plays a critical role in maintaining stable operating temperatures for sensitive equipment, making it crucial in environments where precision and reliability are a priority. To meet specific cooling demands, some chillers are equipped with enhanced tubes. These tubes feature internal grooves that increase turbulence and surface area, significantly improving heat transfer efficiency. However, this design also makes them more prone to fouling and more challenging to clean effectively.

In this case, the customer had relied on various ineffective cleaning methods for years. Over time, this led to severe fouling within the chiller systems – particularly in the enhanced tubes, which are inherently more susceptible to fouling buildup. As a result, the chillers experienced reduced thermal efficiency, increased energy consumption, and more frequent maintenance cycles. A more effective and reliable cleaning solution was clearly needed.

The solution

Goodway Benelux supplied the customer with their RAM-PRO tube cleaner, flexible shafts, and specially designed dual-diameter brushes. These brushes (ESGB) are specifically designed with dual bristle lengths, allowing them to clean both the tube surface and the grooves effectively. As a result, ESGB’s deliver significantly better cleaning performance than conventional brushes for internally grooved heat exchanger tubes.

The supply of equipment was combined with an on-site test and training to ensure an optimized cleaning process. Goodway Benelux productexperts tested different tools and brushes and inspected the tubes with an endoscope to guarantee the client received the most effective cleaning solution.

Summary

• Restoring severely fouled enhanced heat exchanger tubes to optimal efficiency
• Specially designed dual diameter brushes were used to safely and effectively remove severe fouling from enhanced heat exchanger tubes
• On-site product training and proces optimilization by Goodway Benelux