ISSN Online: 2377-424X
ISBN Print: 0-85295-345-3
International Heat Transfer Conference 10
Assuring Consistent Thermal Performance of Air Separation Plant Main Condenser/Reboilers
Abstract
The objective of this work was to develop an improved method for assuring that the thermal performance of Praxair's main condenser/reboilers exceed design expectations. It was accomplished by developing a correlation between the boiling heat transfer coefficient and the geometrical characteristics of the porous (High Flux) boiling surface. As the latter can be measured much more rapidly than it takes to determine the boiling coefficient directly, the technique allows rapid feedback to the tube manufacturing process and has resulted in more consistent thermal performance for main condenser/reboilers in air separation plants.