Select the Right Reboiler | Chemical Processing

https://www.chemicalprocessing.com/articles/2012/select-the-right-reboiler/

Reboilers provide vapor for a distillation tower. The most common type of
reboiler is some variant of a shell-and-tube (S&T) exchanger — because
such exchangers can satisfy a wide range of process and mechanical
requirements at reasonable costs.

“Reboiler selection requires several critical choices.”

Basic reboiler configurations include:

• Kettle. These are TEMA K-type exchangers with shell-side vaporization.

They hold a boiling liquid pool on a tube bundle, either by level or use of an
internal overflow weir.

• Thermosyphon. Density difference between the inlet liquid and the outlet
vapor/liquid mixture drives the liquid. Vertical types may have the
vaporization on either the tube-side, which is most common, or shell-side.
Horizontal types nearly always have boiling on the shell-side. Systems can
be once-through or include recirculation (recycle of liquid in the outlet).
Recirculation allows for higher total vapor output at a low vaporization
fraction on each pass. Vertical thermosyphons in vacuum services often
suffer from boiling point suppression due to static head.

• Forced circulation. An external pump forces liquid through the exchanger.

Flow may be either once-through or recirculating.

• Stab-in bundle. Basically an S&T exchanger without the shell, it most often
is a U-tube bundle but any type of internal head can be used. The tube
bundle is inserted into a liquid pool in the vessel. The major benefit is
elimination of external piping. This design frequently is chosen for services
where minimizing potential piping leaks is critical or experience has shown
the service is very clean and minimal bundle maintenance is likely to be
necessary.
• Horizontal. This particularly suits applications needing a larger surface
area. A larger shell weighs more — removing it from the bundle for
cleaning is much easier when the shell is horizontally mounted.

• Vertical. Such an exchanger requires little plot area. So, it may appeal if
space is tight. However, cleaning large vertical shells can pose challenges
due to the difficulty and clearances necessary in pulling a large bundle
vertically.

• Falling film. This usually consists of a vertical exchanger with tube-side

vaporization. A distributor places liquid on an inside tube surface; the
falling film of liquid vaporizes as it descends. Vapor and liquid flow may be
either co-current or counter-current. Most co-current units use pumps to
allow locating the reboiler above the liquid draw from the tower. This
reduces vertical height required. A co-current exchanger minimizes liquid
residence time in heat-sensitive systems. Because no static head from liquid
is on the vaporizing liquid, a co-current unit well suits many vacuum
services with heat-sensitive components. However, at high vaporization
levels, a falling film exchanger requires complex and expensive liquid
distribution systems to prevent tubes without sufficient liquid from drying
out.

In reboiler selection some critical choices include whether to: vaporize on

the shell side or tube side; rely on gravity flow or forced flow; orient the
unit vertically or horizontally; opt for a flow-through or kettle design; and
install baffles inside the tower. Often, no single design meets every
requirement for a specific service and, thus, making a choice demands
balancing capital cost, operating cost and performance factors.

Table 1 summarizes guidelines for many general situations. It includes a

mix of mechanical and process factors that influence selection. Some
considerations are general and difficult to quantify. In certain cases, strong
recommendations can be made — here, notes provide guidance about the
relative importance of the factors.

ANDREW SLOLEY is a Chemical Processing Contributing Editor. You can e-

mail him at Asloley@putman.net
 

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