Advantages of Multiple-effect Evaporators

• Heat is used over and over again and getting the

evaporation in the second and subsequent effects for
nothing
In the first effect, q1= U1 A1 ∆tI

In the second effect, q2=U2A2 ∆t2

•Since the overall conditions are the same

• ∆ts = ∆t1+∆t2,

Overall temperature drop is between the steam-condensing temperature in

the first effect and the evaporating temperature in the second effect.

• Each successive steam chest in the multiple-effect evaporator

condenses at the same temperature as that at which the previous effect is
evaporating.
 Contd…
• If the same total quantity is to be evaporated,
then the heat-transfer surface of each of the two
effects must be the same as that for a single-
effect evaporator

• Steam economy has to be paid for by increased

capital costs of the evaporators

• Heat-transfer areas are generally equal in the

various effects and the n effects will cost
approximately n times as much as a single effect
 Boiling point elevation
• Increase in boiling point over that of pure water
at a given pressure

• Duhring’s rule is a simple method to estimate

boiling point elevation

• States that a linear relationship exists between

the boiling point temperature of the solution and
the boiling point temperature of water at the
same pressure
 Boiling temperature rise

– Reduces available temperature drop

– Total rate of heat transfer will drop

accordingly

– Viscosity of the liquid will increase

– Affects circulation of the fluid

 Types of evaporators
• Natural circulation evaporators
– Open or closed pan evaporator
– Short tube evaporator
– Long tube evaporator

• Forced circulation evaporators

– Plate evaporators
– Expanding flow evaporator
– Mechanical or agitated thin film evaporator
 Short tube evaporator
• Example of a tube and shell heat exchanger

• Also used in pasteurization and heat sterilization

• Consists of a vessel (Shell) which contains a

vertical or horizontal bundle of tubes

• Vertical arrangement promotes natural

convection currents

– Higher rates of heat transfer

Vertical short tube evaporator
 Operation
• Feed liquor is heated by steam
condensing on the outside of the tubes

• Rises through tubes, boils and recirculates

through a central downcomer tube

• Suitable for concentrating heat sensitive

foods including dairy products and meat
extracts
 Salient features
• Low construction and maintenance cost
• High flexibility
• Higher rates of heat transfer than open or
closed pans
• Unsuited to high viscosity liquors
– There is poor circulation of liquor
– High risk of food burning onto the tube walls
• Used for concentrating syrups, salt and fruit
juices
 Long tube evaporator
• Consists of a vertical bundle of tubes contained within a steam shell 3-
15 m high

• Liquor is heated to the boiling point before entering the evaporator

• Further heated inside the tubes and boiling commences

• Expansion of steam forces a thin film of rapidly concentrating liquor up

the walls of each tube

• Concentrate is separated from the vapour and removed from the

evaporator

• Either passed to subsequent effects in multiple effect system or

recirculated

• Vapour is reused in multiple effect or vapour recompression systems

 Types
• Climbing film or Rising film evaporator

• Falling film evaporator

 Climbing or rising film evaporator
• Thin film of liquor is forced up the
evaporator tubes

• Used for low viscous foods - milk

Climbing or rising film evaporator
 Falling film evaporator
• Useful for more viscous and heat sensitive foods
• Feed is introduced at the top of the tube bundle
• Force of gravity supplements the forces arising
from expansion of the steam
• Produce very high liquor flow rates and short
residence times
• High heat transfer coefficient
• Efficient energy use (0.3-0.4 kg of steam per kg
of water evaporated)
• Most commonly used in the food industry
• Thin film of liquid moving downward under
gravity on the inside of the vertical tubes
• Design is complicated because the
distribution of liquid in a uniform film
flowing downward in a tube is more
difficult to obtain
• Accomplished by the use of distributors or
spray nozzles
Falling film evaporator
 Advantages over climbing film
• Allows a greater number of effects than the
rising film

• Can handle more viscous liquids than the rising

film

• Best suited for highly heat sensitive products

such as orange juice

• Typical residence time is 20-30 seconds

whereas in rising film it is 3-4 minutes
 Forced circulation evaporator
• Involves a non contact heat exchanger where liquid food
is circulated at higher rates
• A hydrostatic head above the top of the tubes eliminates
any boiling of the liquid
• Absolute pressure is kept slightly lower than that in the
bundle inside the separator
• Liquid entering the separator flashes to form a vapour
• Axial flow pumps are used to maintain high circulation
rates with linear velocities of 2-6 m/s
• Capital & operating costs are very low compared to other
types of evaporators
Forced circulation evaporator
 Mechanical thin film evaporator
• Also known as agitated film evaporator

• Consists of a steam jacket surrounding a high speed rotor fitted with short blades
along its length

• Design is similar to a scraped surface aseptic sterilizer

• Feed liquor is introduced between the rotor and the heated surface

• Evaporation takes place rapidly as a thin film of liquor is swept through a

machine by the rotor blades

• Blades keep the film violently agitated

– promote high rates of heat transfer
– prevent the product from burning onto the hot surface

• High pressure steam is used as the heating medium to obtain high wall
temperature for reasonable evaporation rates

• Residence time is adjusted between 0.5 and 100 s

 Disadvantages
• High capital cost

• High maintenance cost

• Low processing capacity

Agitated film evaporator
Agitated film evaporator
 Vacuum evaporation
• For evaporation of liquid which are affected by high temperature

• It may be necessary to reduce temperature of boiling by operating

under reduced pressure

• When vapour pressure of liquid reaches the pressure of surroundings,

the liquid boils

• Reduced pressure required to boil the liquor at lower temperature are

obtained by
– mechanical or steam jet ejector
– vacuum pump combined with condensers for vapour

• Mechanical vacuum pumps are cheaper in running costs but more

expensive in terms of capital than steam jet ejector

• Condensed liquid can either be pumped from the system

 Steam economy
• Term often used in expressing the operating
performance of an evaporator system

• Ratio of rate of mass of water vapour produced

from the liquid feed per unit rate of steam
consumed

• Steam economy = mv/ms

• Typical value of steam economy of a single

effect evaporator is less than 1