Selection of condensation flow direction in the steam pipe at the top of the tower
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I would like to ask fellow sailors: for a vertical condenser at the top of a tower, with the gas flowing through the tube side and returning to the tower after condensation, is it better for the steam at the top of the tower to flow from bottom to top or from top to bottom within the tube side?
Generally speaking, if the purpose is distillation, it is better for steam to enter from above and exit from below. If it flows from bottom to top and there is a large amount of condensation, the gas won’t be able to escape. If only a small amount of solvent is refluxed, it’s fine to use bottom-in and top-out flow.
It’s definitely better to move upward and downward; no explanation needed
In a high-vacuum environment, with steam entering from above and condensate exiting from below, and with steam and condensate flowing together, does the presence of a liquid film not affect the heat transfer efficiency?
Co-current flow actually helps to thin the liquid film; think about it, isn’t that right?
Under high pressure, the liquid film may thin out; whereas at low pressure and in a vacuum, gravity causes the liquid film to thicken. The effect of reducing the liquid film thickness solely through flow velocity is likely to be minimal
In from above, out from below. Reason: If liquid flows in from below and out from above, it will fill the heat exchanger; this approach is not adopted to account for the heat exchanger’s capacity limits. Furthermore, the static pressure energy of the liquid forces the pressure at the front end of the section to increase to a higher level in order for the heat exchanger to function properly