MPI Ultrasonic

Ultrasonic Scale Prevention in Industry

A Technical and Economic Analysis of Proactive Foulling Mitigation

Our mission

Industrial fouling is not a maintenance issue. It is a fundamental thermodynamic inefficiency.

This 'efficiency tax' silently drains billions from operations annually through wasted fuel and lost production, decoupling fuel consumption from productive output.
It inflates both operational costs and the carbon intensity of industrial production.
The traditional approach is reactive: run equipment until performance degrades, then engage in costly and

The Old Guard: Brute-force cleaning is a cycle of downtime, damage, and risk.

Incomplete Cleaning

Fails to reach the center of tube bundles, leaving residual fouling that accelerates re-fouling.

Equipment Damage

Extreme pressure erodes and damages tubes, shortening asset life and compromising integrity.

Severe Safety Hazard

Recognized as one of the most dangerous industrial maintenance tasks.

Excessive Waste & Cost

Generates large volumes of contaminated wastewater and requires significant labor and downtime. In one refinery, cleaning 24 heat exchangers cost over 1.2 billion Iranian Rials.

Production Loss

Requires the asset to be taken offline, directly halting production.

Fouling is a dynamic process driven by four distinct mechanisms.

1.Crystallization (Scaling)

Precipitation of dissolved salts with inverse solubility (e.g., Calcium Carbonate, CaC03) on heated surfaces. Common in boilers and cooling systems.

2. Chemical Reaction (Coking)

Thermal degradation of organic compounds, like asphaltenes in crude oil, forming a hard, carbonaceous residue (coke).

3. Particulate Fouling

Deposition of suspended solids (silt, rust, sand) from the bulk fluid in low-velocity zones of equipment.

4. Biological Fouling (Biofouling)

Colonization of surfaces by microorganisms (bacteria, algae) which secrete a sticky, insulating biofilm (EPS).

Even a thin layer of scale creates a disproportionate economic penalty.

A mere 1.6 mm of scale can increase fuel consumption by up to 15%.

Source: Ultrasonic Scale Prevention Pitch Deck

Fouling accounts for an estimated 1-2.5% of total global CO2 emissions.

Source: energies-16-02812-v2

A single refinery study estimated annual excess fuel costs due to fouling at ~$170 Million at global prices.

Source: 160778-fulltext.pdf

A Paradigm Shift: The solution is not to clean better, but to prevent fouling from ever adhering

Core concept:High-Power Ultrasonic Scale Prevention (USP)

Maintains heat transfer surfaces in a perpetually "as-built," design-clean state.
Operates continuously and online, without interrupting production.
Transforms maintenance from a recurring cost center into a continuous efficiency gain.

Modern USP uses the asset itself as a waveguide for acoustic energy

Legacy Method: Inertial Caviation

Modern Method: Guided wave Propagation

This is not bulk cleaning; it is a precision-engineered "preventative shield" at the surface-fluid interface.

Guided waves create a micro-environment hostile to fouling adhesion.

Steric Hindrance

Continuous micro-vibrations (~20-40 kHz) impart high frequency shear stress at the surface. This physically 'shakes off" forming scale crystals before they can adhere, increasing the energy barrier for nucleation.

Boundary Layer Agitation

Acoustic streaming induces micro-turbulence within the stagnant fluid sub-layer at the wall. This sweeps away particles, prevents localized supersaturation gradients, and refreshes the fluid at the surface.

Thixotropic Effect

For non-Newtonian fluids (e.g., crude oil), the high-frequency shear reduces local viscosity at the wall. This makes the fluid 'slippery' at the interface, preventing the adhesion of heavy sludge and polymerized foulants.

Hardware engineered for harsh industrial environments.

Key Engineering Considerations:

Transducers:High-efficiency piezoelectric ceramics (PZT) for electromechanical coupling.
High-Temperature Solutions:Use of solid metal waveguide 'stand-offs" to thermally isolate transducers from surfaces exceeding 300°C, preventing depolarization at the Curie
Frequency Sweeping:Generators continuously modulate output frequency (e.g., 19-21 kHz) to shift standing wave patterns, ensuring uniform acoustic coverage and preventing metal fatigue.
Acoustic Coupling:Critical for efficient energy transfer. Methods include high-pressure clamps, specialized epoxies, and welded studs for a permanent, non-degrading acoustic path.

Case Study Validation: Offline cleaning restores 'as-built' performance where HPWJ fails

Context:Shell Moerdijk Chemicals Plant, 2013 Turnaround

Before

After

After

Key Results:

Objective: Restore 'as-built' equipment performance and extend turnaround intervals.
Outcome: Achieved complete cleaning of hard-to-reach central areas of tube bundles, which traditional methods could not.
Efficiency Gain: >75% reduction in High-Pressure Water Jetting (HPWJ) effort.
Environmental Benefit: 86% reduction in water consumption and wastewater generation.

"It is precisely the first few microns of fouling that are the most important to remove: i.e. 0.5 mm of fouling can cause heat transfer losses of 40-99.7%!"

- Gwen van de Bilt, Shell Moerdijk

Case Study Validation: Proactive prevention maintains peak thermal performance online

Context:Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) Reboiler in a refinery

Sustaiend Thermal Duty Over Time

The system prevented the rapid coking that typically forced costly shutdowns, unlocking millions in value from sustained throughput and consistent energy recovery. (Source: Orange Ultrasonics Case Study)

USP delivers quantifiable returns across three vectors of value.

1. Energy Conservation (OpEx Savings)

Reduced fuel consumption in furnaces and boilers.
Lower electricity usage for pumps (due to reduced pressure drop).
Directly lowers Scope 1 CO2 emissions.

2. Production Throughput (Revenue Gain)

Eliminates thermal bottlenecks, increasing plant production capacity.
Avoids unscheduled shutdowns Avoids unscheduled shutdowns caused by fouled 'bad actor' assets.
Extends operational cycles between planned turnarounds.

3. Maintenance & Safety (Risk & Cost Reduction)

Drastically reduces or eliminates the need for hazardous HPWJ.
Lowers maintenance labor costs and contaminated wastewater disposal fees.
Prevents equipment damage from erosion and under-deposit corrosion, extending asset lifespan.

Scale prevention is a measurable and financially viable decarbonization strategy

Energy efficiency is the most direct path to reducing Scope 1 emissions. Fouling is responsible for an estimated of total global CO2 emissions.
In markets with carbon pricing (e.g., EU ETS), every unit of fuel saved translates directly into lower tax liability or saleable carbon credits.
Proactively addressing fouling provides a tangible, data-backed initiative that meets growing demands for ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) performance from investors and regulators.

A pragmatic, engineered approach mitigates deployment risks

Challenge:"Acoustic Blind Spots" in complex equipment like shell and-tube exchangers, where internal baffles can dampen vibration.

Solution: Finite Element Modeling (FEM) is used during the engineering phase to simulate acoustic wave propagation, optimizing transducer placement to guarantee full coverage and eliminate "shadow zones."

Challenge:Legacy of skepticism from past "snake oil" technologies.

Solution: Legacy of skepticism from past "snake oil" technologies. with digital verification. Real time monitoring of the Heat Transfer Coefficient (U-value) provides hard, thermodynamic proof of performance before a full-scale rollout.

Challenge:Installation complexity, especially the need for 'Hot Work' permits in a running plant.

Solution: Hybrid deployment strategy. Clamp-on systems for lower temperature applications (< 200°C) and scheduling of permanent welded installations during planned plant turnarounds.

Transition from reactive maintenance to proactive thermodynamic management

Fouling is a solvable thermodynamic problem, costing industry billions in wasted energy, lost production, and carbon emissions.
Guided Wave Ultrasonic Prevention is a physically sound, field-proven technology that maintains assets in a design-clean state, online and continuously.
The economic case is compelling, delivering rapid ROI through energy savings, increased throughput, and enhanced safety.

Strategic Recommendation:

Initiate a data-driven pilot program on a critical "bad actor" heat exchanger to quantify the potential ROI and decarbonization impact for your specific operation.