DESIGN OF CONDENSER

AND REBOILER
CPE601 Materials and Design of Process
Equipment
CONDENSERS
 The construction of a condenser will be similar to other shell
and tube exchangers, but with a wider baffle spacing,
typically lB = Ds.
 Four condenser configurations are possible:
1. Horizontal, with condensation in the shell, and the cooling
medium in the tubes.
2. Horizontal, with condensation in the tubes.
3. Vertical, with condensation in the shell.
4. Vertical, with condensation in the tubes.
 Horizontal shell-side and vertical tube-side are the most
commonly used types of condenser. A horizontal exchanger
with condensation in the tubes is rarely used as a process
condenser, but is the usual arrangement for heaters and
vaporisers using condensing steam as the heating medium.
Heat transfer fundamentals
 The normal mechanism for heat transfer in commercial condensers
is film wise condensation.
 Dropwise condensation will give higher heat-transfer coefficients,
but is unpredictable; and is not yet considered a practical
proposition for the design of condensers for general purposes.
 The basic equations for filmwise condensation were derived by
Nusselt (1916), and his equations form the basis for practical
condenser design. In the Nusselt model of condensation laminar
flow is assumed in the film, and heat transfer is assumed to take
place entirely by conduction through the film. In practical
condensers the Nusselt model will strictly only apply at low liquid
and vapour rates, and where the flowing condensate film is
undisturbed. Turbulence can be induced in the liquid film at high
liquid rates, and by shear at high vapour rates. This will generally
increase the rate of heat transfer over that predicted using the
Nusselt model.
Physical properties
 The physical properties of the condensate for
use in the following equations, are evaluated
at the average condensate film temperature:
the mean of the condensing temperature and
the tube-wall temperature.
Condensation outside horizontal
tubes
Condensation inside and
outside vertical tubes
Contd...
Example
 Estimate the heat-transfer coefficient for steam
condensing on the outside, and on the inside,
of a 25 mm o.d., 21 mm i.d. vertical tube 3.66
m long. The steam condensate rate is 0.015
kg/s per tube and condensation takes place at
3 bar. The steam will flow down the tube.
Condensation of steam
 Steam is frequently used as a heating
medium. The film coefficient for condensing
steam can be calculated using the methods
given in the previous sections; but, as the
coefficient will be high and will rarely be the
limiting coefficient, it is customary to assume a
typical, conservative, value for design
purposes. For air-free steam a coefficient of
8000 W/m2 oC can be used.
Mean temperature difference
Condensation of mixtures
 The term “mixture of vapours” covers three related situations of
practical interest:
1. Total condensation of a multi component mixture; such as the
overheads from a multicomponent distillation.
2. Condensation of only part of a multi component vapour mixture, all
components of which are theoretically condensable. This situation
will occur where the dew point of some of the lighter components is
above the coolant temperature. The uncondensed component may
be soluble in the condensed liquid; such as in the condensation of
some hydrocarbons mixtures containing light “gaseous”
components.
3. Condensation from a non-condensable gas, where the gas is not
soluble to any extent in the liquid condensed. These exchangers
are often called cooler-condensers.
 The following features, common to all these situations, must be considered in
the developing design methods for mixed vapour condensers:
1. The condensation will not be isothermal. As the heavy component condenses
out the composition of the vapour, and therefore its dew point, change.
2. Because the condensation is not isothermal there will be a transfer of sensible
heat from the vapour to cool the gas to the dew point. There will also be a
transfer of sensible heat from the condensate, as it must be cooled from the
temperature at which it condensed to the outlet temperature. The transfer of
sensible heat from the
vapour can be particularly significant, as the sensible-heat transfer coefficient
will be appreciably lower than the condensation coefficient.
3. As the composition of the vapour and liquid change throughout the condenser
their
physical properties vary.
4. The heavy component must diffuse through the lighter components to reach the
condensing surface. The rate of condensation will be governed by the rate of
diffusion, as well as the rate of heat transfer.
Estimation of heat transfer
coefficient
 Total condensation - For the design of a multi component
condenser in which the vapour is totally condensed, an
estimate of the mean condensing coefficient can be made
using the single component correlations with the liquid physical
properties evaluated at the average condensate composition.
 Partial condensation - The methods developed for partial
condensation and condensation from a non-condensable gas
can be divided into two classes:
1. Empirical methods: approximate methods, in which the
resistance to heat transfer is considered to control the rate of
condensation, and the mass transfer resistance is neglected.
2. Analytical methods
Example
Reboiler & Vaporizer + Boiler +
Evaporater

 When reboiler &

vaporizer been
used?
 3 Principles

a) Forced
circulation  fluid is
pumped through
exchanger, vapor
formed separated in
column based
Reboiler & Vaporizer
b) Thermosyphon,
natural circulation
vertical exchanger
with vaporization in
tubes /horizontal
exchanger with
vaporization in shell.
 Liq circulation
through ex
maintain by density
differences
between 2 phase
mixture vap and liq
Reboiler & Vaporizer
b) Kettle type
(submerged
reboiler) boiling
take place on tube
immersed in pool of
liq
No circulation
through ex
Stab in reboiler 
bundle stay at base
of column
Reboiler & Vaporizer
Choice of RV
depends on :
Nature of process
Operating
fluid (viscosity &
pressure
propensity to
(vacuum/pressure)
fouling)

Equipment layout
 Forced circulation
Suitable for handling viscous
and heavy fouling fluids
Circulation rate predictable &
Advantages
high velocities
Low vacuum, low vaporization
rates
Required pump, high cost
Danger in leakage of hot fluid
occur at pump seal ; canned
Disadvantages
rotor type pumps can be
specified to avoid leakage
Thermosyphon
Economical , not suitable for high
viscous
Pressure below 0.3 bar
High vacuum
Column based must be elevated
to provide hydrostatic head
required for the thermosyphon
effect  cost increase
Horizontal reboilers need less
headroom than vertical but more
complex pipework
Horizontal easier to maintain
than vertical, as the tube easier to
withdraw.
Kettle
Often used as vapor liq
disangagement vessel
High rate of vaporization up to
80% feed
Suitable for vacuum
Design allow liq blow down
stream to be drawn, to prevent
accumulation of solids/ non
volatile components
Lower heat transfer coefficient
as no liq circulation
Not suitable for fouling material,
and have residence time
More expensive than
thermosiphon as larger shell is
needed
But if the duty such that bundle
can be installed in column
based, cost will be competitive
with other type
Estimation of boiling heat-
transfer coefficients
 In the design of vaporisers and reboilers the designer will be
concerned with two types of boiling: pool boiling and
convective boiling.
 Pool boiling is the name given to nucleate boiling in a pool of
liquid; such as in a kettle-type reboiler or a jacketed vessel.
 Convective boiling occurs where the vaporising fluid is flowing
over the heated surface, and heat transfer takes place both
by forced convection and nucleate boiling; as in forced
circulation or thermosyphon reboilers.
 Boiling is a complex phenomenon, and boiling heat-transfer
coefficients are difficult to predict with any certainty.
Whenever possible experimental values obtained for the
system being considered should be used, or values for a
closely related system.
Pool boiling coefficient
 The correlation given by Forster and Zuber
(1955) can be used to estimate pool boiling
coefficients, in the absence of experimental
data. Their equation can be written in the form:
Pool boiling cefficient
Critical heat flux
 It is important to check that the design, and
operating, heat flux is well below the critical
flux. Several correlations are available for
predicting the critical flux.
 Zuber’s equation:
Film boiling
 Heat transfer in the film-boiling region will be controlled by
conduction through the film of vapour, and Bromley’s
equation is similar to the Nusselt equation for condensation,
where conduction is occurring through the film of condensate.

 where hfb is the film boiling heat-transfer coefficient; the suffix

v refers to the vapour phase and do is in metres. It must be
emphasised that process reboilers and vaporisers will always
be designed to operate in the nucleate boiling region.
EXAMPLE
Estimate the heat-transfer coefficient for the pool boiling of
water at 2.1 bar, from a surface at 125oC. Check that the critical
flux is not exceeded.

Steam table at 2.1 bar

Ts
Ts @ 2.1 bar