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Criteria for the vapor space design in kettle

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Article December 2008

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297

SCIENTIFIC BULLETIN OF
THE POLITEHNICA UNIVERSITY OF TIMISOARA, ROMANIA
TRANSACTIONS ON MECHANICS
BULETINUL TIINIFIC AL
UNIVERSITII POLITEHNICA DIN TIMIOARA, ROMNIA
SERIA MECANIC
Tom 53 (67)
ISSN 1224 - 6077
Fasc. S2, 2008

CRITERIA FOR THE VAPOR SPACE DESIGN IN

KETTLE REBOILERS
Branislav JACIMOVIC*, Srbislav GENIC*, Nikola BUDIMIR**, Marko JARIC**
*Department of Process Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Belgrade, Kraljice Marije 16,
11000 Beograd, Serbia, bjacimovic@mas.bg.ac.yu, sgenic@mas.bg.ac.yu
**Innovation Center of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Belgrade, Kraljice Marije 16, 11000
Beograd, Serbia, nbudimir@mas.bg.ac.yu, mjaric@mas.bg.ac.yu
Abstract. There are several design criteria concerning the dimensions of the vapor space in kettle reboilers. These
criteria are listed and commented in this article. An numeric example illustrates the usage of this criteria.
Keywords: kettle reboiler, vapor space, liquid entrainment

1. Introduction

2 Design criteria

The most commonly used type of evaporator

in refining industry is a kettle reboiler.
This kind of reboiler is often used in many
other industries (refrigeration systems, distilled
water production, desorption systems, etc.). Kettle
reboiler consists of either a U-tube bundle or
floating head tube bundle inserted into an
enlarged shell.
The shell provides disengaging space
(volume) for the vapor separation of liquid
droplets. Liquid level in shell is usually controlled
by level controller or simply held by the weir. The
hot fluid in this kind of apparatus flows inside the
tubes. Generally speaking the size (diameter) of
the kettle reboiler shell depends on the vapor and
liquid flow rates, their physical properties and the
exchanger geometry. It must be noted that if dry
vapor is really required, as in the case of a
compressor feed, additional protection, such as
mechanical mist eliminators, is needed.
There are several design criteria that can be
found in the open literature sources. Further on
these criteria are listed and commented.

Two phase flow of vapor/liquid mixture in

disengagement space in kettle reboilers is
complex. Although several authors tried to
develop the adequate mathematical model, it can
be said that nowadays the design is still based on
the empirically gathered information. Design
criteria can be grouped in the following manner.
2.1 Criteria based on the simple geometry
ratios
Palen [2] suggests that the distance from the
centerline of the uppermost tube in a horizontal
bundle to the top of the shell should not be less
than 40% of the kettle shell diameter
Ds / Db 1.4 .
The freeboard between the liquid level and shell
should be at least H s = 250 mm [1], [9].
For practical reasons (better separations of
entrainment) liquid level at kettle horizontal
reboilers settings that one or two upper rows of
tubes does not in liquid [2]. In these cases the
height of the vapor space should be at least
H s = 300 mm .

298

In [1] and [9] the required shell diameter is

defined as the function of the heat flux.
Summarizing the data from both references the
following equation can be formed
Ds
(1)
= 1 + (0.015 0.025 ) q
Db
where q is in kW/m 2 .
2.2 Criteria based on the volume of the vapor
space
The role of the vapor space is to separate the
mixture of liquid and vapor.
In [11] for steam boilers at the atmospheric
pressure, the following equation is given
V&G
0.011
(2)
= 0.14 +
,5
V
0.01 + H 1sep
In [10] this equation is recommended for kettle
reboilers with drop eliminators (figure 1). For
pressures other than 1 bar the right side of
equation should be multiplied with
p
(3)
f =
1,22 p 0,22
for absolute pressure in range 0.55 bar.
Vapor

Hsep

column the entrainment coefficient ( K ) is

estimated by the relation from [5]

where

fe =

E e =0 E a
E e=0

According to Palen [2] the minimal vapor volume

should be
V&G

= 80,5
(4)
V
L G
2.3 Criteria based on the Souders - Brown
equation
The most commonly cited reference is based on
Souders-Brown equation in the form

wG,max = K

L
1
G

(5)

In [1] and [9] it is said that the entrainment

coefficient K ranges between 0.03 m/s and 0.09
m/s.
If the kettle reboiler is connected with distillation

(8)

2.3 Criteria for estimation of the diameter and

the number of inlet/outlet nozzles
According to [8] an impingement plate, or other
means to protect the tube bundle against
impinging fluids, shall be provided when entrance
line values of L w L2 exceed the following: noncorrosive, nonabrasive, single phase fluids, 2250
Pa; all other fluids including the liquids at its
boiling point, 750 Pa.
On the other hand, according to [12] the
recommended diameter of the feed nozzle is
2
determined using mix wmix
< 1000 Pa .
In kettle reboilers design its necessary to keep the
vapor velocity below 30 m/s [3] in the outlet
nozzle. According to [4] the outlet nozzle is
designed using

G wG2 ,out < 3750 Pa

Figure 1 Cross section of the vapor space

0.25

K = 3.14 e
(6)

L
G

Specific entrainment (carryover of the liquid with

vapor phase) shouldnt be above 2%, or can be
found by the
1
m&
1
1 L
e =
(7)
e
=0
1 fe
m& G E
0.33

(9)

For both kettle and horizontal thermosyphon

reboilers, steps should be taken to adequate
longitudinal flow distribution. Above a certain
bundle length-to-diameter ratio, the number of
inlet and outlet nozzles should be increased. As a
rule of thumb, the number of pairs of nozzles
(liquid and vapor) is given by [6]
Lb
(10)
NN =
5 Db
The calculated value should be rounded up.

3 Example
Kettle reboiler (shown in figure 2) is used for the
condensation of the process stream inside tubes
(CO2 - O2 mixture). Cold fluid is ammonia at 0.9
bar absolute pressure (-35.91C). Liquid ammonia
enters the bottom of the shell. After vaporization
the vapor is sucked by the compressor.
Tube bundle diameter is Db = 440 mm and the
shell diameter is Ds = 700 mm , so the ratio is

299

Ds / Db =1.59 and the height of the separation

space is H sep = 260 mm
Heat power of the apparatus is 472 kW (ammonia
flow rate is 1194 kg/h), and the heat transfer
surface is S = 63.9 m 2 , that provides heat flux
q = 7.39 kW/m 2 .
Using equation (1) the
diameter ratio should be Ds / Db = 1.11 1.18 or
according to Palen Ds / Db = 1.4 .
Accordingly to (5) using K = 0.03 m/s the
maximal vapor velocity should be wG ,max =0,889

m/s. Real vapor velocity is wG =0,110 m/s, so

wG / wG ,max = 12,4% . If the equation (6) is used

e = 0.0013 , which is way beyond usually adopted

e = 0.02 .
According to Palens equation (4) minimal volume

of the vapor space is V = 0.798 m 3 , and this value

is by 8% lesser than the real V = 0.858 m 3 .
Since the bundle length is Lb = 5500 mm , the
minimal number of nozzle pairs is N N = 2.5 .
The outlet vapor velocity is wG ,out = 26.5 m/s
2
and the G wG
,out = 549 Pa
It can be concluded that all of the design
criteria noted in the this article are satisfied.

to obtain the entrainment factor is K = 0.03 m/s ,

the corresponding value of specific entrainment is

Figure 2 Kettle horizontal reboiler (all dimensions in millimeters) A- inlet of process fluid, B-outlet of
process fluid, C-inlet of ammonia, D-outlet of vapor ammonia

4. Conclusion
There are several design criteria in open literature
concerning the dimensions of the vapor space in
kettle reboilers. These criteria (recommendations)
are listed in this article, so the design procedure
can be easily formed. The procedure is
demonstrated on kettle reboiler that condenses
CO2 at the tube side, using ammonia as a cold
fluid.

5. Nomenclature
Ds , m , diameter
Db , m , tube bundle diameter
E e=0 , tray efficiency at zero entrainment
E a , apparent tray efficiency
H sep , mm , the height of the separation zone
H sep = D s Db

K , m/s , the entrainment coefficient

Lb , m , length of tube bundle

m& , kg/s , mass flow rate

N N , number of pairs (inlet plus outlet) of nozzles

p, bar , pressure in vapor space
Q, W , heat power
q, W/m 2 , heat flux

S , m 2 , heat transfer surface

V , m 3 , vapor volume
w, m/s , velocity
Greek

, kg/m 3 density

, N/m
Indexes

surface tension

300
max, maximal
min, minimal
mix, mixture
G, gas (vapor)
L, liquid
out, outlet

8.
9.

10.

6. References
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Sinnott R. K.: Chemical Engineering Volume 6:

Chemical Engineering Design, Pergamon Press,
Oxford, 1983.
Palen J. W. Small W. M.: A New Way to Design
Kettle and Internal Reboilers, Hydrocarbon
Processing, V. 43, No. 11, p. 199 1964.
Vujic, S..: Colling Devices [in Serbian], Faculty
of Mechanical Engineering, Belgrade, 1997.
*** Iranian Petroleum Standards IPS-E-PR-880,
Engineering Standard For Process Design Of
Gas (Vapor)-Liquid Separators, May 1997.
Tammami B., Simplifying reboiler entrainment
calculations, Oil Gas Journal, June 1985.
Heat Exchanger Design Handbook (HEDH)
Volume 3, Hemisphere Publishing Company,
Washington, 1986.
Jacimovic B., Genic S.: The Study Of The
Revitalization Of The CO2 Production Fascility
In Becej Serbia [in Serbian], Belgrade 2007.

Scientific reviewers:

11.
12.

***Standards
of
Tubular
Excangers
Manufactures Association, Sixth Edition, New
York 1978.
Ernest L.: Applied Process Design for Chemical
and Petrohemical Plants, Volume 3, Third
Edition, Gulf Professional Publishing, Boston
1999.
Billet, R.: Evaporation Technology, VCH
Verlagsgesellscahft mbH, Weinheim, 1989.
Vorkauf, H., Forschung auf dem Gebiet des
Ingenieurwesens, VDI Forschungsheft B341,
1931.
***Engineering standard for process design of
gas (vapour)-liquid separators, original edition
May 1997. Iranian Petroleum Standard IPS-EPR-880.

RELAIA CRITERIAL PENTRU

DIMENSIONAREA SPAIULUI DE VAPORI
DIN CAZANUL DE ABUR TIP KETTLE
Rezumat
In literatura de specialitate exist o serie de relaii
criteriale cu care se dimensioneaz spaiul de vapori
din cazanul de abur tip Kettle. In lucrarea de fa aceste
relaii sunt analizate i comentate. Compararea lor s-a
realizat pe baza unui exemplu numeric.

Prof. Dr. Ing. Habil Ioana IONEL

Prof. Dr. Ing. Mihai NAGI