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CHE 2613/ CHE60603

PROCESS INTEGRATION AND UNIT
OPERATIONS 1

LECTURE 3
Evaporation 3

Prepared by Rebecca Lim XY

You need to design an evaporation system

to remove 1000kg/s of water from a feed,
Vapour

Single-effect

evaporator
BIG evaporator, Big A?
Feed

Heat (Steam)

Concentrated
liquid

OR..

You need to design an evaporation system

to remove 1000kg/s of water from a feed,
Vapour

Multiple-effect

evaporator

A1

3 smaller evaporators
A2
A3
A=A1+A2+A3

Feed

Heat (Steam)

Concentrated
liquid

Multiple effect evaporator

Vapour

Steam
A3

A2

A1

Concentrated
liquid

Feed
Steam
condensate

Vapour
condensate

Vapour
condensate

Evaporator selection
Your answer?
1. Single-effect evaporator
2. Multiple-effect evaporators
In a single-effect evaporator, major cost is the steam
cost
Steam provides energy for vaporization and the vapor
product is condensed and removed from the system.
To reduce steam cost, multiple effect evaporators are
used, which recover the latent heat of the vapour
leaving and reuse it.

Multiple effect evaporator

V1, T1

V2, T2

V3, T3

Steam
S,Ts

A1

A2

L1, T1

A3

L2, T2

L3, T3

Feed
S,Ts

V2, T2

V1, T1

Ts

>

T1

>

T2

>

T3

Ps

>

P1

>

P2

>

P3

x1

<

x2

<

x3

q1=UA1(Ts-T1) = q2=UA2(T1-T2) =q3=UA3(T2-T3)

Example: Triple effect Evaporator

A triple-effect forward-feed evaporator is being used to
evaporate a sugar solution containing 10wt% solids to a
concentrated solution of 50wt%. The boiling-point rise of the
solutions (independent of pressure) can be estimated from BPR
(oC) = 1.78x +6.22x2, where x is wt fraction of sugar in solution.
Saturated steam at 205.5kPa and 121 oC saturation temperature
is being used. The pressure in the vapour space of the third
effect is 13.49kPa. The feed rate is 22680 kg/h at 26.7oC. The
heat capacity of the liquid solution is Cp= 4.19-2.35x kJ/kg.K.
The heat of solution is considered to be negligible. The
coefficients of heat transfer have been estimated as U1= 3123,
U2= 1987 and U3= 1136 W/m2.K. If each effect has the same
surface area, calculate the total area, rate of steam consumed
and the steam economy.

Discussion:
Find T3
What is the first assumption made in calculation
Find remaining temperatures, T1, T2, Ts1, Ts2, Ts3,
Hs2 is referring to which T?
For 2nd effect evaporator, the heat source- vapour is

coming in as ___ steam and leaving as ____?

Which parameter determines the accuracy of your
calculation?

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13.49 kPa

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STEP 1
From the known outlet concentration and pressure in the

last effect, determine the boiling point in the last effect.

(If a boiling point rise is present, this can be determined
by a Duhring line plot).

Solution
13.49 kPa

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STEP 2

Determine the total amount of vapour evaporated by

overall mass and solute balance. For first trial,
assumed equal vapour produced in each effect,
V1=V2=V3. Make total material balance on effect
1,2 and 3 to obtain L1, L2 and L3. Then calculate
solute concentration by solute mass balance.

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Step 3
Use composition to estimate BPEs ( Note that BPE values

may depend on the concentrations, so the overall delta T

can vary with each iteration.)
Determine the overall temperature drop remember to

subtract all the BPEs.

T1 , T2 and T3. Any effect has an extra

heating load, such as cold feed, requires a larger T .

Estimate the

Calculate the boiling point in each effect.

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Step
4

Use the temperature and composition estimates to get

enthalpy values.
Use heat and mass balance in each effect, calculate
amount of V and L in each effect. If the V and L values
obtained differ appreciably from those assumed in Step 2,
then steps 2-4 can be repeated using the amount
calculated in this step 4.

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Step 5
Use heat transfer rate equation, q= UA T to find the heat

transfer area for each effect.

Calculate the average value Am by
Compare the areas. If they are not equal, a second trial is

needed by revise the temperature estimates.

Recommended approach is use the calculated heat

transfer area for an effect to the arithmetic mean of the

calculated areas.
A1
'
T1new T1 ( )
Am

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(Steam used)

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Multiple effect evaporators

In a double-effect evaporator, the vapor product off the
first effect is used to provide energy for a second
vaporization unit.
In a triple- effect evaporator, the vapor product off the
second effect is used to provide energy for the third
vaporization unit.
This cascading of effects can continue for many stages.
Multiple-effect evaporators can remove much larger
amounts of solvent than is possible in a single effect.

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Calculation method for MEE

In designing a multiple effect evaporator, the results

desired are
Steam consumed
Area of heating surface required
Approximate temperatures in each effects
Amount of vapour leaving in each effect

A trial and error method is used.

When there is BPE, the superheated steam is essentially

equivalent to the saturated steam at same pressure when

used as a heating medium.

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Multiple effect evaporators

In a multiple effect arrangement, effects are numbered
beginning with the one heated by steam.
It will have the highest pressure.
Effects are always numbered according to decreasing
pressure (steam flow).
Vapor from Effect I will be used to heat Effect II, which
consequently will operate at lower pressure.
This continues through the train: pressure drops through
the sequence so that the hot vapor will travel from one
effect to the next.

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Types of feeding in multiple-effect

evaporators
Evaporator trains may receive their feed in several
different ways:
1. Forward Feed
2. Backward Feed
3. Mixed Feed
4. Parallel Feed

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Forward Feed

Fig.1 Forward Feed Multiple-Effect Evaporators (M.E.E)

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Forward feed M.E.E.

Effects number: I, II, III,IV.
These require a single feed pump (reduced fixed costs).
They typically have reduced economy (higher operating
costs) since the cold feed must be raised to the highest
operating temperature.
These also tend to have the most concentrated liquor,
which tends to be the most viscous, in the lowest
temperature effects, so there may be difficulties getting a
good overall heat transfer coefficient.

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Backward Feed M.E.E.

Fig.2 Backward Feed Multiple-Effect Evaporators (M.E.E)

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Backward feed M.E.E.

Effects number go I, II, III, IV.
These need multiple pumps to work against the pressure
drop of the system (low to high P).
However, since the feed is gradually heated they usually
have better economy.
This arrangement also reduces the viscosity differences
through the system and so is better for viscous solutions.

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Mixed Feed M.E.E.

Fig.3 Mixed Feed Multiple-Effect Evaporators (M.E.E)

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Mixed feed M.E.E.

Mixed Feed arrangements offer a compromise,
with the feed entering in the middle of the
system
The final evaporation is done at the highest
temperature so economy is still better than
forward feed, but fewer pumps are required
than in a backward feed arrangement.

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Parallel Feed M.E.E.

Fig.4 Parallel Feed Multiple-Effect Evaporators (M.E.E)

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Parallel feed M.E.E.

Parallel Feed systems split the feed stream and

feed a portion to each effect.

This is most common in crystallizing evaporators

where the product is likely to be a slurry.

No transfer of liquid from one effect to another.

Numbering of effects is independent of the order

which feed is introduced- always number in the
direction of decreasing pressure

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EVAPORATORS ECONOMY
Economy calculations are determined using enthalpy
balances.
The key factor in determining the economy of an
evaporator is the number of effects.
The economy of a single effect evaporator is always
less than 1.0.
Multiple effect evaporators have higher economy.

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What you need to know from this lecture

Multiple effect evaporators
Calculation methods trial and error
Types of feeding in M.E.E

The End