Vertical Vaporizers

Armstrong/Chemtec vertical bayonet vaporizers are for use with materials stored as liquids but used as vapors such as chlorine, ammonia, propane, butane, sulfur dioxide, phosgene, and many other liquids.  Freeze-up protection is supplied by a unique design which has been proven in thousands of installations world-wide.  Sizes range from 50,000 to 15,000,000 Btu/hr.  Many different heating media can be used including steam, hot water, and heat transfer fluids.  Electrically heated vaporizers are also available.  Armstrong/Chemtec also manufactures vertical regenerant vaporizers for widely licensed refinery processes.  Armstrong/Chemtec is a member of the (US) Chlorine Institute and Eurochlor and provides chlorine vaporizers in accordance the Institute's recommendations.

The Armstrong vaporizer takes its feed from a storage tank or process plant output.   The boiling liquid rises in the shell until the vapor output required by the load is matched by the heat input from the submerged surface.  When the load matches the vaporizer capacity, the level stabilizes and the liquid continues to boil at that level until the load (usually feed rate) changes.  If the load increases, the fluid level rises to give the added output required.  If the load drops, the fluid level decreases until the output matches the demand.

Armstrong has been involved in the field of vaporization since our inception.  We have significant field experience with all kinds of services which is supplemented by our own in-house research into vaporization and our membership in HTRI, HTFS, the Chlorine Institute, and Eurochlor.  No one in the heat transfer industry has as much experience with vaporization duties as Armstrong/Chemtec.

Advantages of Armstrong vaporizers include:  compact design, high performance, 100% vaporization with minimal stability problems, ability to superheat and vaporizer IN A SINGLE SHELL, minimal retention of hazardous liquids, and unlimited turndown.

Design Features of Armstrong Vertical Bayonet Vaporizers

• The tubes are free to expand or contract. Since the tubes are only secured at the bottom end, there is no tendency for the tubes to flex or twist due to thermal stresses.  This is a marked advantage over units with tubesheets at both ends, where cyclic thermal stresses may cause failure at the tube end.

• Bottom steam feed protects against freezeup.   The condensate is constantly warmed by the incoming heating medium.   Even though the vaporizing temperature in the shell may fall below the freezing temperature, the condensate does not run the risk of freezing with consequent bursting of a tube.

• The tube bundle is removable and can be replaced in the field.  It is no longer necessary to remove the whole unit in the event that the tubes begin to corrode out.  A replacement bundle can be bought and installed in the field with a minimum amount of down time.

• Small foot print.  The site space requirements for an Armstrong/Chemtec vertical vaporizer are much less than any horizontal unit.  It is also normally lower than any other type of vertical in-tube or jacketed vaporizer because of the greater output of the Armstrong vaporizer.

• Easily added superheat section.   Simply by adding height to the bundle (added heat transfer surface), your desired superheat temperature can be attained.

Armstrong/Chemtec Vertical Vaporizer

Partial Fluid Application List

Other (Electric) Vaporizers

Armstrong/Chemtec combines our extensive knowledge of vaporization and electric heaters into unique and rugged designs for electric vaporizers.  We have manufactured hundreds of units like those shown above for some of the most demanding duties in the chemical process industry.

Vertical or Horizontal Direct Electric Vaporizers.  In this type heater, heat is transferred directly from metallic-sheathed elements to the process fluid.  The lowest cost option, direct vaporizers are widely used for chlorine, ammonia, hydrocarbons, sulfur dioxide, and a variety of other compounds.   The vertical type can impart some superheat to the vaporized fluid but the horizontal type (where the heating elements are entirely submerged in the liquid) requires a separate superheater.

Vertical or Horizontal Indirect Electric Vaporizers.   This type of heater is useful for high pressure or corrosive fluids where special metallurgy (i.e. corrosion resistant metals) can be used in smaller, less costly containment than traditional shellside boiling.  The electric heating element heats an intermediate bath of water, glycol, hot oil, or other heat transfer fluid which then heats the process fluid coil.