Binary power generation systems powered by hot springs have issues associated with the deposition of calcium carbonate on transport pipes and heat exchangers. Recently, acidic electrolyzed water has been examined as a potential scale inhibitor. In the present work, the formation, deposition and inhibition of calcium carbonate by acidic electrolyzed water were assessed using numerical simulations based on convective-diffusion equations incorporating seven species involved in calcium carbonate formation reactions. The results demonstrate that acidic electrolyzed water can inhibit the formation of calcium carbonate scale by promoting the conversion of carbonate to bicarbonate ions such that this process occurs more rapidly than the generation of calcium carbonate. Scale deposition was modeled by introducing a concentration gradient model, and the extent of precipitation of calcium carbonate scale along a heated wall in a Milli channel heat exchanger was assessed. Precipitation amounts generated using the proposed numerical simulations were found to accurately reproduce values obtained experimentally, demonstrating that these calculations can suitably predict calcium carbonate formation, deposition and inhibition in the presence of acidic electrolyzed water. This simulation method may be useful in establishing the acidic electrolyzed water amount and pH required to suppress calcium carbonate scale formation in a hot-spring binary power generation facility.

acidic electrolyzed water, calcium carbonate scale, hot spring binary power generation, numerical simulation, scale inhibition.

Received: June 1, 2021; Accepted: July 5, 2021; Published: July 31, 2021

How to cite this article: Yoshihiko Sano, Yusuke Ozawa and Fujio Kuwahara, Numerical simulations of calcium carbonate formation, deposition and inhibition in conjunction with acidic electrolyzed water, JP Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer 23(2) (2021), 319-340. DOI: 10.17654/HM023020319

This Open Access Article is Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

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