Reboiler Troubleshooting Short Course

Course Fee: US$650

Reboilers are arguably the most troublesome auxiliary components in a distillation system. Reboiler failure or underperformance can lead to column malfunction and/or shutdown with severe economic consequences. In many cases, problematic operation can be identified and avoided in the design phase by correctly modeling the units in Xist, but this is contingent on the user’s ability to specify and interpret such cases. Attend this short course to practice modeling and review challenging reboiler designs in Xist through a series of interactive case studies.

Suggested Participants

Xist users who design, troubleshoot or evaluate reboiler performance

Course credits: 6 hours (PDH/CEU)

Outline

1. Types of Distillation Column Reboilers and Common Causes of Malfunction
   • Distillation column reboilers
     • Internal/stab-in and kettle reboilers
     • Recirculating thermosiphons
     • Once-through thermosiphons
     • Forced flow reboilers
   • Causes of malfunction
     • Fouling
     • Transition/film boiling
     • Mist flow
     • Circulation
     • Column liquid level
     • Inerts
     • Condensate
     • Instability
     • Buildup of heavies
       
       
2. Turndown in Vertical Thermosiphons with Condensate Flooding in Xist
   • Turndown operation and impact
   • Turndown limits and strategies
   • Specifying condensate flooding in Xist
     
     
3. Troubleshooting Once-through Reboilers in Xist
   • Once-through vs. recirculating thermosiphons
   • Specifying a once-through reboiler in Xist
   • Operational problems
     
     
4. Troubleshooting Kettle Reboilers with Piping in Xist
   • Kettle reboiler operation
   • Modeling kettles in Xist
   • Entrainment