Leak in the reboiler at the bottom of the tower
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Our company has a vertical thermosyphon reboiler with a bottom tower; 0.25 steam is introduced at the top of the shell side, and the steam flow rate is controlled by the liquid level in the condensate tank. Leakages keep occurring; upon analyzing the reasons, it turns out that the pH value of the material in the pipe side might be too high, leading to high-temperature chemical corrosion. The liquid level in the tower bottom is low, causing the steam in the upper section to become dry steam; uneven heating leads to damage. Large fluctuations in steam flow cause high-frequency vibrations of the tube bundle; therefore, vector control of the steam is required. I’m not quite sure as to how this vector control is implemented, so I hope experts can provide some guidance.
A steam control valve is used to regulate the flow rate and velocity of the steam entering the heat exchanger! Condensate water is controlled by a steam trap!
The steam pipeline is too thick; it’s not suitable. This requires major changes and is not realistic
In this type of control method, the location of the condensate tank should be approximately at the same height as the reboiler; by controlling the liquid level, it is possible to regulate the height of the condensate within the reboiler, thereby achieving the desired control effect. This control method does exist, but it generally does not cause high-frequency vibrations in the tube bundle. Vibration analysis can be carried out using the reboiler’s design drawings to determine whether vibrations are present, which in turn helps identify the cause of any leaks
Your problem lies in the tube side corrosion on the steam side; you should analyze the harmful chemical components of the steam If it’s on the outside of the tube, then it’s probably the material in the shell side that causes corrosion of the tubes, right? If the pipe is worn out on the outside with wear marks, it is likely due to vibration-induced wear. Steam cooling has this \"air hammer\" effect; let’s see if steam can be used to heat water, which could then serve as a heat source for a reboiler Furthermore, regarding the current operational control, it would be good to enable full-submersion control of the reboiler by raising the liquid level. It is estimated that the design meets such conditions; you may wish to check the requirements for the operator parameters, or consult the design manufacturer for technical assistance.
Although I don’t have any on-site experience, I think the calculation for the 5th floor seems more reliable, hehe
It should be caused by erosion; mainly, there are two states at the bottom – vapor and liquid. Consider whether the flow velocity is too high, and whether there is erosion of the bottom surface or damage to the vortex-breaking devices
Is the bottom drain installed at the very bottom? Chloride ions can sometimes accumulate there. Also, if there is significant vibration, it is recommended that the pipe joints be welded with strong strength and sealed using expansion joints
I took it apart and checked it; if there’s no pressure leakage, it sprays like a fountain. On the one hand, the guard plates are designed to be a bit too short, causing the tube bundles to be punctured by direct steam impact; on the other hand, the amount of heating steam used in operation is considered to be excessive, resulting in frequent changes in flow rate. The location is in the gas phase above the reboiler. Let’s observe further; if it continues to malfunction, then it’s purely a problem with the reboiler manufacturer.