Experimental Investigation on the Use of Wire Mesh Inserts and Structured Tubes in Thermosyphon Reboilers

Experimental investigations on the use of turbulence promoters in thermosyphon reboilers are reported. In a single tube thermosyphon reboiler the fluiddynamic behavior and the heat transfer were investigated using water and a water-glycerol mixture as testing media. When evaporating water a significant increase in heat transfer and stabilization of the circulating flow was obtained using the finned tube. For the water-glycerol mixture the wire mesh insert showed the best performance.