Rib design for boiler tubes

Abstract

A tubular member of the type, primarily intended for utilization in a boiler, and having rifling, i.e., ribbing, provided on the internal surfaces thereof that is operable for purposes of effecting the disruption of the internal flow of the fluid passing therethrough. The ribbing with which the subject tubular member is provided embodies a configuration that is preselected so that the ribbing is operative to enable accurate and precise control to be exercised through the use thereof over the movement of the fluid flowing through the tubular member. Consideration is given to the following factors, among others, in establishing the design criteria that, in turn, determines the configuration that the ribbing embodies in a given tubular member; namely, the type of fluid; the fluid pressure; the fluid flow rate; the internal dimensions of the tubular member; the temperature gradient within the tubular member wall, both circumferentially and longitudinally, etc. The aforementioned design criteria includes parameters selected from variations possible in the angle which the ribbing bears to the lateral axis of the tubular member; variations possible in the spacing between individual ribs of the ribbing; whether the ribbing is continuous or noncontinuous; whether the ribbing is provided on only one side wall of the tubular member or on more than one side wall thereof; and the particular dimensions of the rib design in terms of the specific height, the specific width, the specific radii and the specific angles that each individual rib embodies.