What happens if the inlet and outlet of a reboiler are installed in reverse?

In a reboiler, the fluid generally enters from the bottom and exits from the top; if this order is reversed, the gas generated inside the heat exchanger cannot flow out properly through the lower outlet, which can lead to pressure buildup in the heat exchanger. As a result, the safety valve will discharge pressure frequently, preventing the equipment from operating properly. It’s just my personal understanding; I’m not sure if it’s correct! This post was last edited by c_m_1979 on 2009-2-16 13:34.]

In my opinion, it mainly affects the heat transfer efficiency and fluid resistance

It’s in a complete mess; the reboiler isn’t working properly.

Personally, I think what was said on the second floor makes sense, as per the working principle of a reboiler, there is a large gas phase space at the upper part of its shell side. The fluid flowing through the shell side usually enters from below and exits from above; if this order is reversed, the gas generated inside the heat exchanger cannot flow out properly through the lower outlet, which prevents the equipment from functioning correctly.

If it’s reversed, the gas won’t be able to escape; it will be blocked by the liquid below. This results in poor heat exchange and higher resistance as well.

Under normal circumstances, the gas outlet is larger than the liquid inlet; if they are connected in reverse, the exhaust resistance increases, posing a threat to the safety of the gas pocket above； The liquid phase inlet usually consists of a section with a head, along with a baffle plate; this allows for preheating of the liquid entering the main heat exchange chamber through heat transfer, thereby reducing the temperature difference when the liquid comes into contact with the heat pipes. If it is installed in reverse, with the liquid flowing down from the top connection without any preheating, this leads to a sharp increase in temperature stress between the upper and lower heat pipes, which is detrimental to the stress conditions on the tube bundle and the tube sheet ； It also violates the general principle for gas-liquid containers, which is that gas exits from the top and liquid enters from the bottom