heatx is a revolutionary advanced nanocomposite surface
TRANSCRIPT
HeatX is a revolutionary advanced nanocomposite surface treatment that creates a
passivating layer that repels fouling, water and oil and also protects against corrosion,
which increases the efficiency of the heat exchanger.
HeatX is an omniphobic (oil & water repellant) coating that repels biofouling (both micro
and macro-organism) growth on the tubular and metallic surfaces of all varieties of heat
exchangers which are vulnerable to corrosion, pitting, and fouling.
The way HeatX works is largely due to physics on the nanoparticle scale. It’s formulated
with breakthrough nanotechnology in such a way that water droplets form on treated
surfaces at a contact angle of 105°-110° (without HeatX, the contact angle is generally
<10° for water on metal surfaces)The way HeatX works is largely due to physics on the
nanoparticle scale. It’s formulated with breakthrough nanotechnology in such a way that
water droplets form on treated surfaces at a contact angle of 105°-110° (without HeatX,
the contact angle is generally <10° for water on metal surfaces)
HeatX Fouling Shield
Due to the extremely low surface energy of HeatX treatment, the treated surface becomes
very slick and minimizes the ability of fouling to bind on the surface and grow. HeatX is non-
biocidal, meaning is doesn’t contain harmful compounds that aim to kill microorganisms.
These biocides are commonly found in older anti-fouling coatings. Biocides often have
negative environmental impacts on the surrounding ecosystem – HeatX, on the other hand,
is environmentally friendly and non-toxic once cured.
HeatX is a functionalized surface treatment with hydrophobic and oleophobic properties (high
water and oil repellency). The water-based treatment can be applied to a variety of form
factors including the interior of tubulars in both straight & U-tube and shell & tube
configurations, as well as plate & frame heat exchangers. The unique surface properties of
HeatX offer extremely low adhesion strengths to both water- and oil-based materials,
resulting in drag reduction and improved fluid flow.
Benefits of HeatX
● Extreme thinness of the coating (<2 mil DFT), allows for minimal change in
exchanger thermal efficiency.
● Functional up to 400°F, and stable under thermal cycling
● Reduces pumping costs by lowering pressure drop across the exchanger
● Minimizes downtime and maintenance costs by reducing cleanings and
maintenance days
● Long-lasting results that extend the lives of heat exchanger units
HEATX FOR POWER PLANTS EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT
HeatX+ can improve power generation cycle efficiency by as much as 2.5%. By promoting
drop-wise condensation, HeatX+ enables more condensation at greater speeds.
Increased condensation rates result in significantly lowered backpressure within the
condenser, offering improved generation efficiency: more electricity created from the
same amount of fuel.
Heatx not only increases the efficiency of the condenser but also maintains it at constant
level for a longer period of time. Once treated with HeatX, the condenser cleaning
frequency will come down to once in 3 years. This means durable efficiency of the
condenser without going for additional shutdowns.
The way HeatX works is largely due to physics on the nanoparticle scale. It’s formulated
with breakthrough nanotechnology in such a way that water droplets form on treated
surfaces at a contact angle of 105°-110° (without HeatX, the contact angle is generally
<10° for water on metal surfaces), which causes droplets with greater than a 1 mm
radius to simply roll off due to gravity. This specific contact angle also allows for maximal
contact between the coating and the droplet, which increases effective heat transfer.
Given its improvements on both droplet formation and heat transfer, HeatX applied to the
outside of the cooling tubes could directly lead to efficiency gains of up to 5%.
When it comes to fouling, HeatX dramatically reduces the rate at which organic material
adheres to and grows on tubes. In a study conducted with a powerplant in Hawai’i,
Oceanit applied HeatX to seawater-fed exchangers, which are typically susceptible to
biofouling accumulation and epoxy erosion from sand particles. By applying HeatX to
protect key areas, the effective lifetime of the exchanger increased from six months
between cleanings to 36 months, and the underlying epoxy had no visible biofouling
attachment and could be cleaned with gentle wiping alone.
So not only does HeatX have the ability to increase efficiency by 2-10% by preventing
fouling, but it could also dramatically cut down on labour costs and planned downtime.
Together, if applied on a global scale, these efficiency gains of 7-15% could translate
directly to a reduction of 1.45 billion metric tonnes or more of CO2 emissions per year.
That’s the equivalent of taking 308 million cars off the road, decommissioning 372 coal
plants, or the annual carbon sequestering ability of 1.7 billion acres of forest.