Re Boilers

REBOILER
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Reboiler:
Reboiler is a
vaporizing exchanger
used to supply the
heat requirement of a
distillation process as
vapors at the bottom
of distillation column.
Types of Reboiler:
Kettle Reboiler
Vertical Thermosyphon Reboiler
Horizontal Thermosyphon Reboiler
Internal Reboiler
Kettle Reboiler:
Kettle type, in which
boiling takes place on
tubes immersed in a
pool of liquid; there is
no circulation of liquid
through the
exchanger. This type
is also, more correctly,
called a submerged
bundle Reboiler.
Advantages:
Relatively easy to design.
Simple piping.
Disadvantages:
Not suitable for foaming liquids
Not suitable for fouling liquids
They have relatively lower heat transfer coefficients.
Vertical Thermosyphon Reboiler:
The vertical
thermosyphon is
usually a conventional
1-1 exchanger. Upper
tube sheet is placed
close to the liquid level
of the bottoms in the
distilling column.
Advantages:
Higher heat transfer coefficient.
Used for fouling liquids.
Disadvantages:
Require higher head room.
Design procedure is slightly difficult as
compared to Kettle Reboiler.
Horizontal Thermosyphon Reboiler:
All the liquid from the
bottom tray flows to the
reboiler.
None of the liquid from the
bottom of the tower flows
to the reboiler.
All the bottoms product
comes from the liquid
portion of the reboiler
effluent.
None of the liquid from the
bottom tray flows to the
bottom of the tower.
Advantages:
No head room is required.
Easily maintained than vertical.
Disadvantages:
More complex pipe-work
Requires large plot area
High structural costs
Internal Reboiler:
Tube bundles are
inserted in the
distillation column and
steam is used as
heating media.
Advantages:
No ground area separately required.
Low capital cost.
Disadvantages:
Does not give sufficient heat transfer area to fulfill the
requirement.
Choice of Type:
The choice of the best type of Reboiler for a given
duty will depend on the following factors:
1. The nature of the process fluid, particularly its
viscosity and propensity to fouling,
2. The operating pressure: vacuum or pressure.
3. The equipment layout, particularly the
headroom available.
Example 15.4
Calculation of a Once-through
Horizontal Thermosyphon Reboiler
STATEMENT
38,500lb/hr of 60API naphtha in a once-through arrangement is
to enter a horizontal thermosyphon reboiler and produce
29,000 lb/hr of vapor in the temp range from 315 to 335F at
an operating pressure of 5.0 psig. Heat will be supplied by
28API gas oil with a range from 525 to400F
Available for the service is a 21.25 in ID reboiler containing 116,
1 in OD 14 BWG tubes 12 ft long laid out on 1.25 in square
pitch. The bundle has a support plate above the single inlet
nozzle and is arranged for 8 passes.
What are the dirt factor and the pressure drops?
SOLUTION
REBOILER:
Shell side:
ID= 21.25 in
Support plates =1/4 circles
Passes = divided
Tube side:
Number & length =116, 12 ft
OD, BWG, pitch = 1 in, 14 BWG, 1.25 in square
Passes = 8
HEAT BALANCE
Enthalpy of liquid at 315F and 19.7 psia = 238 Btu/lb
Enthalpy of liquid at 335F and 19.7 psia = 252 Btu/lb
Enthalpy of vapor at 335F and 19.7 psia = 378 Btu/lb
( fig 11)
Naphtha qv = 29,000(378-252) = 3650,000
qs = 38,500(252-238) = 540,000
Q= = 4,190,000 Btu/hr
Gas oil, Q = 51,000x0.66(525-400) = 4,190,000 Btu/hr
t:
525 High Temp 335 190
400 Lower 315 85

Temp
125 Difference 20 105
LMTD = 131F
R = 125/20 = 6.25
S = 20/(525-315) = 0.095
FT = 0.97 (fig 18)
t = FTxLMTD = 0.97*131 = 127F
Tc:
tc/ th = 85/190 = 0.447 (fig 17)
Kc = 0.42
Fc = 0.41
Tc = 400+0.41(525-400) = 451F
tc = 315+0.41(335-315) = 323F
Hot fluid; tube side, gas oil
at = 0.546 in2
at = Nt*at/144n = 116*0.546/(144*8) = 0.055 ft2 (table 10)
Gt = W/at = 51,000/0.055 = 928,000 lb/(hr)(ft2)
At Tc = 451F, = 0.45*2.42 = 1.09 lb/(hr) (ft) (fig 14)

D = 0.834/12 = 0.0695 ft (table 10)
Ret = D*Gt / = 0.0695*928,000/1.09 = 59,200
jH = 168 (fig 24)
At Tc = 451F (28API) (fig 16)
K(c/k)1/3 = 0.142 Btu/(hr)(ft2)(F/ft)
hi = (jH*k/D)(c/k)1/3*t
hi/t = 168*0.142/0.0695 = 343
t = 1
hio = hi*ID/OD = 343*0.834/1.0 = 286 Btu/(hr)(ft2)(F)
Cold fluid; shell side, naphtha
Assume weighted ho = 200
hio = 286
tw = tc+hio*(Tc-tc)/(hio+ho)
= 323+286*(451-323)/(286+200) = 382F
(t)w = 382-323 = 59F
From fig 15.11, hv >300, use 300
hs = 60
qv/hv = 3,650,000/300 = 12,150
qs/hs = 540,000/60 = 9,000
21,150
ho = 4,190,000/21,150 = 198 Btu/(hr)(ft2)(F)
This is to check our assumption of 200 for ho.
Overall clean coefficient Uc
Uc = hio*ho/(hio+ho) = 286*198/(286+198)
= 116 Btu/(hr)(ft2)(F)
Design overall coefficient UD:
Surface per linear foot = 0.2618 (table 10)
Total surface = 116*12*0.2618 = 364 ft2
UD = Q/A t = 4,190,000/(364*127) = 90.7
Check of maximum flux (based on total transfer through the

surface):
Q/A = 4,190,000/364 = 11,500 vs. 12,000 allowable
Dirt factor Rd
Rd = (Uc-UD)/(Uc*UD) = (116-90.7)/(116*90.7)
= 0.0024
Pressure Drop:
TUBE SIDE:
Ret = 59,200, f = 0.000168 ft2/in2 (fig 26)
s = 0.73 (fig 6)
Pt = f*(Gt)2*L*n/(5.22x1010*Ds* t)
= 0.000168*(928,000)2*12*8/(5.22*1010*0.0695*0.73*1)
= 5.3 psi
V2/2g =0.11 at Gt = 928,000 (fig 27)
Pr = 4nV2/(2sg) = 4*8*0.11/0.73 = 4.8 psi
PT = Pt + Pr
= 5.3+4.8
= 10.1 psi
Pressure Drop
SHELL SIDE:
De = 4 x flow area / frictional wetted perimeter
Assume half of tubes above and half of tubes below
longitudinal baffle.
Flow area = shell cross-section tube cross-section
= /8x(21.252-1.0*116) = 132 in2
as = 132/144 = 0.917 ft2
Wetted perimeter = *21.25/2+ /2*1*116+21.25 = 236.7 in
de = 4*132/236.7 = 2.23 in
De = 2.23/12 = 0.186 ft
Gs = (w/2)/as = (38,500/2)*0.917 = 21,000 lb/(hr)(ft2)
For 60API at 315 use data in fig 14 for 56API gasoline as
an approximation.
= 0.18*2.42 = 0.435 lb/(ft) (hr)
Ret = De Gs/ = 0.186*21,000/0.435 = 8950
F = .00028 ft2 / in2 (fig 26)
From fig 13.14, mol wt = 142
Density, = 142/(359*(795/492)*14.7/19.7) = 0.337 lb/ft3
Soutlet liquid at 335F = 0.61
outlet liquid = 0.61*62.5 = 38.1 lb/ft3
Soutlet mix = (38,500/62.5)/(29,000/0.337+9500/38.1)
= 0.071
Sinlet at 315F = 0.625
Sav = *(0.625+0.071) = 0.35
Ps = f Gs2 Ltotal / 5.22*1010 De s s
= 0.00028*21,0002*12/(5.22*1010*0.186**0.35*1.0)
= 0.0004 psi
REFERENCE:
Process Heat Transfer by D. Q. Kern
Chemical Engineering by
Coulson & Richardson, vol-6, 3rd ed.

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REBOILER

Gas oil, Q = 51,000x0.66(525-400) = 4,190,000 Btu/hr

400 Lower 315 85

Gt = W/at = 51,000/0.055 = 928,000 lb/(hr)(ft2)

At Tc = 451F, = 0.45*2.42 = 1.09 lb/(hr) (ft) (fig 14)

Check of maximum flux (based on total transfer through the

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