Question

The fouling factor is _________

(a) Is a safety factor

(b) Accounts for all resistances due to mass transfer

(c) Is a dimensionless number

(d) Accounts for all resistances due to heat transfer

I have been asked this question in an online quiz.

I want to ask this question from Solving Unsteady topic in section Unsteady – State Material and Energy Balances of Bioprocess Engineering

Answer 1

Right answer is (d) Accounts for all resistances due to heat transfer

The explanation: The fouling factor represents the theoretical resistance to heat flow due to a build-up of a layer of dirt or other fouling substance on the tube surfaces of the heat exchanger, but they are often overstated by the end user in an attempt to minimise the frequency of cleaning. In reality, if the wrong fouling factor is used, cleaning may actually be required more frequently.