Development of an ultrasound-based fouling monitoring solution for in-situ tracking and prediction of scaling and biofilms in geothermal plants and open cooling circuits.

Project Partners:

• measX GmbH & Co. KG
• Z&H Wassertechnik GmbH
• Chair of Hydrogeology

Project Description:
The performance of geothermal plants is significantly impaired by deposits in process water pipes and heat exchangers. The project aims to develop a monitoring solution to initiate countermeasures at an early stage using a warning system. An innovative, temperature-stable ultrasonic sensor network will be designed to characterize these deposits. In collaboration with project partners, software will be developed to predict critical deposit quantities based on this characterization. This will enable the targeted and timely implementation of prevention and cleaning measures for the first time.

Project start: 01.12.2019

Duration: until 2023

Funding: BMWi ZIM

Responsible employee: Isabelle Stüwe