Fouling of heat exchangers and pipes reduces energy efficiency of numerous industrial processes and is globally a major contributor to CO2 emissions. Regular cleaning is required to restore the original performance. Nowadays, this requires either dangerous chemicals or the mechanical removal of the fouling by halting the operations. This is not a sustainable practice. In recent years external ultrasonic cleaning became market-ready as a green and economical alternative. It allows cleaning and fouling prevention without stopping the operation. While it reduces the mechanical and chemical wear and tear of the equipment, long-term high-power sonication may cause harm, such as fatigue. Our project develops methods for identification and prevention of such damage, and aims at creating safety-assured and sustainable industrial ultrasonic cleaning solutions by combining advanced artificial intelligence methods and fundamental ultrasonics research.

2023

2025