Upper Limit Flooding in Vertical Tubes

Upper Limit Flooding in Vertical Tubes If, instead of a gas jet being injected into a liquid as in distillation, the liquid runs down the walls and the gas moves up the center of the tube, higher velocities can be achieved than shown by Eq. (14-168) or (14-203). This application is important in the design of vertical condensers. 

While the limiting phenomenon of upper limit flooding in a vertical pipe is similar to ultimate capacity in distillation, there is a distinct difference. Upper limit in a vertical pipe applies to a design where a conscious effort should be made to minimize gas-liquid contact. Carried to extremes, it would involve separate tubes for liquid flowing down and vapor going up. In contrast, ultimate capacity in a distillation column corresponds to the condition where effective mass transfer disappears due to high entrainment. One could force more vapor up through the contactor, but fractionation would be poor. 

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