386
N. T. Mathew et al.
which resulted in the increased emission of greenhouse gases. This has led to global
warming and climate change. The effects of climate change are already visible in
the form of floods, hurricanes, drought, heatwaves, melting of polar icescapes, and
rise in the seawater levels, among others (Bott 2006). On the other hand, with the
current technology improvements, it is evident that the demand for energy will not
decline but will be increasing every year. Therefore, it is important to improve the
energy efficiency of our industrial processes to reduce the environmental impact.
The marine industry segment has a lot of industrial processes associated with
energy transfer. It is significant to have energy efficient devices in these processes.
Heat exchangers are widely used for heat transfer or energy transfer applications
in the marine industry. Marine heat exchangers are mainly installed and operated
in offshore industries like oil refineries, desalination plants, power generation and
chemical plants (Malayeri et al. 2015). The efficiency loss in these heat exchanger
devices will thereby have a significant effect on the energy utilization in the marine
industry segment.
Biofouling of marine heat exchangers is an issue faced by offshore industries all
over the world. In the marine industry, biofouling could be described as the undesirable accumulation of deposits (biotic) on equipment surfaces by adhesion, growth
and reproduction (Cao et al. 2011; Callow and Callow 2011). Marine biofouling
on heat exchangers can be classified into microfouling (fouling due to microscopic
organisms like bacteria and diatoms) or macrofouling (fouling due to macroorganisms like barnacles, oysters, mussels, polychaete worms, bryozoans and seaweed)
(Cao et al. 2011; Callow and Callow 2011). Biofouling is generally more severe in
areas where the water temperature is high because it provides the ideal condition
for breeding and growth of biofouling organisms (Ratel et al. 2013). The intensity
of marine biofouling in heat exchanger surface depends on several factors like the
process fluid, exchange type and geometry, operating conditions, among others (Ratel
et al. 2013).
The high importance of the heat exchanger equipment in the marine industrial
applications intensify the criticality of the biofouling problem. Biofouling mainly
affects the heat transfer efficiency of the heat exchanger equipment, which leads to
energy loss (Hansen 2018). This additional energy requirement is mostly fulfilled
by fossil fuel combustion and contributes to more emission of greenhouse gases
(Bott 2006). Numerous studies have estimated that heat exchanger fouling leads
to additional costs in the order of 0.25% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of
industrialized countries (Malayeri et al. 2015; Müller-Steinhagen et al. 2011). Thus
the biofouling of heat exchangers not only compromises the environmental welfare
but also leads to significant economic losses (Costa et al. 2011).
25.2 Methodology
In this paper, a research study is conducted to find out the main environmental and economic impacts due to biofouling in marine and
N. T. Mathew et al.
which resulted in the increased emission of greenhouse gases. This has led to global
warming and climate change. The effects of climate change are already visible in
the form of floods, hurricanes, drought, heatwaves, melting of polar icescapes, and
rise in the seawater levels, among others (Bott 2006). On the other hand, with the
current technology improvements, it is evident that the demand for energy will not
decline but will be increasing every year. Therefore, it is important to improve the
energy efficiency of our industrial processes to reduce the environmental impact.
The marine industry segment has a lot of industrial processes associated with
energy transfer. It is significant to have energy efficient devices in these processes.
Heat exchangers are widely used for heat transfer or energy transfer applications
in the marine industry. Marine heat exchangers are mainly installed and operated
in offshore industries like oil refineries, desalination plants, power generation and
chemical plants (Malayeri et al. 2015). The efficiency loss in these heat exchanger
devices will thereby have a significant effect on the energy utilization in the marine
industry segment.
Biofouling of marine heat exchangers is an issue faced by offshore industries all
over the world. In the marine industry, biofouling could be described as the undesirable accumulation of deposits (biotic) on equipment surfaces by adhesion, growth
and reproduction (Cao et al. 2011; Callow and Callow 2011). Marine biofouling
on heat exchangers can be classified into microfouling (fouling due to microscopic
organisms like bacteria and diatoms) or macrofouling (fouling due to macroorganisms like barnacles, oysters, mussels, polychaete worms, bryozoans and seaweed)
(Cao et al. 2011; Callow and Callow 2011). Biofouling is generally more severe in
areas where the water temperature is high because it provides the ideal condition
for breeding and growth of biofouling organisms (Ratel et al. 2013). The intensity
of marine biofouling in heat exchanger surface depends on several factors like the
process fluid, exchange type and geometry, operating conditions, among others (Ratel
et al. 2013).
The high importance of the heat exchanger equipment in the marine industrial
applications intensify the criticality of the biofouling problem. Biofouling mainly
affects the heat transfer efficiency of the heat exchanger equipment, which leads to
energy loss (Hansen 2018). This additional energy requirement is mostly fulfilled
by fossil fuel combustion and contributes to more emission of greenhouse gases
(Bott 2006). Numerous studies have estimated that heat exchanger fouling leads
to additional costs in the order of 0.25% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of
industrialized countries (Malayeri et al. 2015; Müller-Steinhagen et al. 2011). Thus
the biofouling of heat exchangers not only compromises the environmental welfare
but also leads to significant economic losses (Costa et al. 2011).
25.2 Methodology
In this paper, a research study is conducted to find out the main environmental and economic impacts due to biofouling in marine and