🔍 Key Concepts

• Heat exchanger performance depends mainly on effective heat transfer surface and flow conditions • Fouling is the buildup of deposits on heat transfer surfaces, common on seawater side from marine growth, scale, or debris • Major mechanical failures (like tube rupture or broken baffles) are serious but less common than gradual performance losses

💭 Think About

• Which of these conditions is most likely to cause a gradual reduction in heat transfer efficiency rather than a sudden failure? • In day‑to‑day engine room operation, what problem do engineers most frequently combat to keep heat exchangers working efficiently? • Which choice would typically be corrected by cleaning, rather than by major repair or replacement of parts?

✅ Before You Answer

• Focus on what is most common in normal service, not what is most dangerous or dramatic • Think about which side of the heat exchanger (shell/steam side vs seawater side) is more prone to scaling, marine growth, and debris • Ask: which problem would show up as slowly increasing temperatures or pressures, prompting routine maintenance cleaning?