A mathematical model for predicting crystallization fouling in narrow rectangle channel incorporating crystal growth effect

Crystallization fouling is an ongoing concern for many heat transfer systems, and simulating fouling formation under various flow and heat transfer conditions is crucial for predicting fouling resistance and improving energy efficiency. This paper proposes a mesoscopic model for predicting crystallization fouling in narrow rectangle channels accounting for the realistic crystal growth. A hybrid lattice Boltzmann and finite difference model is established to predict the coupled process of fluid flow, heat transfer, concentration diffusion and crystallization fouling. The second-order mass deposition rate is solved and transformed to the surface-reaction boundary condition in lattice Boltzmann (LB) scheme, and the volume of pixel (VOP) method is employed to simulate the dynamic crystal growth. The scheme and the sub-models are verified systematically by the analytical solution of a linear diffusion-reaction problem, the semi-theoretical fouling models, and the experimental data. The results indicate that the present model can effectively predict the crystallization fouling controlled by either surface integration or mass transfer, and show its capability to simulate the non-uniform fouling growth process in heat transfer channels, providing insight towards full understanding and mitigation design of crystallization fouling.