New Electrical Control Methods to Prevent Power Plant Fouling

One new non-chemical method for removal of biofouling utilizes pulsed acoustic waves above the cavitation threshold to remove accumulated scale and/or biofouling from the inside walls of piping and other enclosed structures. The pulsed acoustic wave successively removes accumulated deposits as the arc-discharge source is moved down the tube by an operator. We describe a program developing a compact, portable tube-cleaning system for use in utility and U.S. Navy scheduled plant maintenance. Results from a laboratory demonstration with typical heat-exchanger tubing taken from a Tennessee Valley Authority power plant are presented. In addition results from a field experiment conducted at the U.S. Navy Marine Corrosion Test Facility, Ft.. Lauderdale, Florida, are presented that demonstrated significant (order of magnitude) reduction in biofouling associated with pulsed acoustic shock wave treatment at intensities below the cavitation threshold.