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Use of Wire Matrix Inserts in Thermosiphon Reboilers in the Lower Operating Range
Author(s) -
Lu Yan,
Jasch Katharina,
Scholl Stephan
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
chemie ingenieur technik
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.365
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 1522-2640
pISSN - 0009-286X
DOI - 10.1002/cite.202000236
Subject(s) - thermosiphon , reboiler , natural circulation , thermodynamics , materials science , heat transfer , mechanics , boiling , atmospheric pressure , pressure drop , working fluid , chemistry , distillation , meteorology , chromatography , physics
Turbulators are applied to increase the thermal efficiency of heat transfer units. The additional pressure drop can be challenging for the self‐circulation of thermosiphon reboilers. Thus, the effects of hiTRAN®‐wire matrix inserts for the boiling of water and a water/glycerol mixture were investigated herein, using the performance of a thermosiphon reboiler with plain tubes as a reference. The reboiler was operated at sub‐atmospheric pressures, small driving temperature differences, and under flooded conditions. Favorable and unfavorable operating conditions for using inserts were specified. Especially for the water/glycerol mixture, significant improvements of self‐circulation and heat transfer up to six times compared to the plain tube reference were observed, allowing an operation of thermosiphon reboilers at smaller driving temperature differences under sub‐atmospheric pressures.