Fouling effects of geothermal water scale upon heat transfer around an elliptic cylinder

An experimental investigation has been conducted to clarify fouling effects of geothermal water scale deposited onto a surface upon its forced convection heat transfer characteristics. Examined is an elliptic cylinder of an axis ratio 1∶3, on which particles of silica scale are uniformly distributed. Local and mean heat transfer characteristics were measured for angles of attack 0° and 90°. Subsequently the fouling resistance is estimated from those results. Mean and turbulent fluctuating velocities were also measured in order to correlate the heat transfer features with the velocity field in the near wake of the elliptic cylinder.