Nomograms can do
the job more easily ssFAST ESTIMATION OF REBOILER RELIABILITY
than computer
programs
Boiling heat transfer is a complex
phenomenon that is widely
encountered in chemical process
operations. In reboilers, for
instance, the vaporization rate is
sensitive to several parameters.
These include the condition of
the heating surface, the physical
properties of the process liquid
and vapor, the type of
equipment, the operating
pressure and, most importantly,
the available temperature
difference, ∆𝑇, between the
heating surface and the
saturation temperature of the
fluid (as shown in the pool
boiling curve for water in Figure
1.).
The ∆𝑇 influences the boiling
mechanism in such a way that at
low values vaporization takes
place in the liquid surface and
heat transfer occurs by natural
convection effects in the liquid
(line AB in Figure 1.). With a
suitable ∆𝑇 value, it is possible to
obtain the nucleate boiling
regime in which the heat transfer
rates are the highest for
moderate values of ∆𝑇 (line B’C).
However, there is limit imposed
by the critical heat flux and its
corresponding critical ∆𝑇 where
the vapor starts to blanket the
heat transfer source and inhibits
nucleation (point D).
Above the critical ∆𝑇, heat
transfer rates decrease
incrementally with ∆𝑇 in the
transition boiling zone (line DE).
This is a relatively unstable
mechanism that can be avoided
when a sufficiently large ∆𝑇 is
reached to maintain a stable
vapor film (point E). Beyond this
point, heat transfer rates increase
again with ∆𝑇. The mechanism
governing heat transfer in this
zone are radiation and
convection across the stable
vapor film (line EF).
There are cases when the heat
flux is the independent variable,
as in electrically heated systems.
Here, burnout can occur because
any attempt to increase the heat
flux above the critical value can
shoot the surface temperature up
to the next stable point in the
film boiling region (point D’). This
temperature value can be high
enough to cause failure of the
surface material.
As can be seen, the problems
one faces in evaluating the
reliability of a reboilers design, or
in judging the effect of
modifications of process
conditions on reboilers operation
can be complex. To carry out
such evaluations, it is necessary
for engineers to perform some
calculations to determine:
 Heat transfer
coefficients in
convection boiling
 Temperature
difference, ∆𝑇, for the
onset of nucleate
boiling
 Heat transfer
coefficients in the
nucleate boiling
 Critical heat flux or
critical temperature
difference
 Minimun ∆𝑇 for film
boiling
  Heat transfer 𝐿 Minimum heat flux and heat
𝐷𝑏 = 0.0167
𝐴
coefficients for the transfer coefficients to film
𝐵𝑅 = 0°𝐹
film boiling region boiling. In this case, proprietary
Graphs that correct for other
correlations as a function of P
There are a number of
conditions are presented in
and Pc are used:
correlations, graphs and
Figures 3, 4,5 and 6. The use of
computer programs that can be 𝑞𝑚𝑖 = 𝑓(𝑃, 𝑃𝑐) (8)
the maps and the corrections
used to make these calculations. ℎ𝑓𝑏 = 𝑓(𝑃, 𝑃𝑐, 𝑞) (9)
factors are shown in the example
However, besides being Example, A kettle reboiler
below. To construct the map, the
laborious, it is still difficult to get vaporizes a fluid at 356°F and
following correlations are used:
a suitable picture of the overall 145 psia. The fluid has a critical
Onset of nucleate boiling (onb).
problem from just this data. pressure of 500 psia and a
𝐶2
∆𝑇𝑜𝑛𝑏 = 𝐶1 𝑃𝑐 𝐹𝑃𝑜𝑛𝑏 (1)
To simplify the process, and to boiling range of 70°F. It is

have better understanding of the Here 𝐶1 and 𝐶2 are proprietary necessary to transfer a duty of 25

problem, a map of the different constants, and 𝐹𝑃𝑜𝑛𝑏 is a million Btu/hr with saturated

boiling regions and their pressure correction factor. steam at 392°F, and a film heat-

boundaries is presented here. transfer coefficient of

Nucleate boiling. Here, the well-
460 𝐵𝑡𝑢⁄ℎ 𝑓𝑡 2 °𝐹 , including both
With this map it is possible to known Mostinski correlation is
internal and external fouling
locate the design or operation used:
factors.
point of a specific kettle reboiler ℎ𝑛𝑏
among all the boiling regions,
= 6.2198 The equipment has the following
0.7
∙ 10−3 𝑃𝑐 0.69 𝑞𝑛𝑏 𝐹𝑃𝑜𝑛𝑏 𝐹𝑃𝑛𝑏 𝐹𝑅𝑛𝑏 (2)
enabling one to make a clearer characteristics.
Where:
analysis of its behavior. 𝐿 = 20𝑓𝑡
0.17 1.2 (3)
𝐹𝑃𝑛𝑏 = 1.8𝑃𝑟 + 4𝑃𝑐 𝐷𝑏 = 7.1 𝑓𝑡
The map is shown in Figure 2,
𝐹𝐵𝑛𝑏 = 1.5 (4) 𝐴 = 10 000 𝑓𝑡 2
with ∆𝑇 as the ordinate and the
𝐹𝑅𝑛𝑏 = exp(−0.027𝐵𝑅) (5)
critical pressure as the abscissa.
The map also shows lines of Critical heat flux: Once again, the

constant heat flux for the Mostinski correlation is used:

nucleate and the film-boiling 𝑞𝑐𝑟 = 802.2 𝑃𝑐 𝑃𝑟 0.36 (1

regions. − 𝑃𝑟)0.9 ∅ (6)

In Equation 6,
The map was developed using
the following parameters: ∅ = 2.2(𝜋 𝐷𝑏 𝐿⁄𝐴) (7)

𝑃𝑟 = 0.0315