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Current state of technological processesfor high-performance cleaning of fouled heat exchangers: prospects and research directions

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Parent Category: 2026

Category: Content №1 2026

Created on 27 February 2026

Last Updated on 27 February 2026

Published on 30 November -0001

Written by O. D. Nikolayev, Yu. O. Zhulay, A. Yu. Lysenko

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Authors:

O. D. Nikolayev*, orcid.org/0000-0003-0163-0891, Institute of Technical Mechanics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the State Space Agency of Ukraine, Dnipro, Ukraine, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Yu. O. Zhulay, orcid.org/0000-0001-7477-2028, Institute of Transport Systems and Technologies of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Dnipro, Ukraine, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

A. Yu. Lysenko, orcid.org/0009-0000-3816-8392, LLC “IMPORT TRADE COMPANY”, Kyiv, Ukraine, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

* Corresponding author e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

повний текст / full article

Naukovyi Visnyk Natsionalnoho Hirnychoho Universytetu. 2026, (1): 076 - 083

https://doi.org/10.33271/nvngu/2026-1/076

Abstract:

Plate and shell-and-tube heat exchangers are widely used in the chemical and food industries, as well as in nuclear and thermal power generation. Physical and chemical phenomena such as sedimentation, crystallization, chemical reactions, corrosion, and biofouling, which occur during heat exchange processes, reduce heat transfer rates. They form solid deposits, and foul the internal tubes of heat exchangers, which is an extremely critical factor for industrial production and can lead to unprecedented financial losses.

Purpose. To determine the most promising directions for developing methods for cleaning shell-and-tube heat exchangers for nuclear, thermal power plants, and other industrial applications based on determining the current state of technological processes for high-performance cleaning of contaminated heat exchangers.

Methodology. Theoretical and experimental data are studied, obtained during the development of methods for cleaning the internal surfaces of heat exchangers, and presented in various scientific and technical sources of information.

Findings. The results are presented by comparing the nature of technological processes and the effectiveness of methods for cleaning the internal surfaces of heat exchangers, as well as assessing the influence of certain coatings on increasing the service life of internal pipelines.

Originality. The conducted analysis of methods for cleaning the internal surfaces of heat exchangers, as well as the impact of coatings on extending the service life of internal pipelines, allowed us to:

- identify progressive technologies for cleaning contaminated heat exchangers used in the energy sector and various industries;

- establish methods for determining the effectiveness of new and proven technologies, such as ultrasonic vibrations of the cleaning fluid;

- summarize assessments of the impact of various treatments (chemical and vibrational) on the quality of cleaning heat exchanger tubes.

Practical value. A comparative analysis of the effectiveness of potential research approaches to improving heat exchanger cleaning methods will enable the selection of the most promising ones for solving practical problems in improving cleaning technologies for specific heat exchanger designs.

Keywords: shell-and-tube heat exchanger, pipeline surface cleaning, heat transfer rate, cavitation oscillations

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