Professional Documents
Culture Documents
FIVE
EVAPORATION
MOODY BLUES
Chapter 5: EVAPORATION
5.1.1 Object
The object of this experiment is to investigate the effect of the variations in the feed rate on the
concentration of the product, the effect of the operating steam pressure on the rate of evaporation
achieved, and to measure the thermal efficiency of the climbing film evaporator.
5.1.2 Theory
The vaporization of a liquid for the purpose of concentrating a solution consisting of a non-
volatile solute and volatile solvent is a common unit operation in chemical processing and is
performed in many ways. Evaporation is conducted by vaporizing a portion of the solvent to
produce a concentrated solution or a thick liquor. Evaporation differs from drying in that the
residue is a liquid - sometimes a highly viscous one - rather than a solid; it differs from
distillation in that the vapor is usually a single component, and even when the vapor is a mixture,
no attempt is made in the evaporation step to separate the vapor into fractions; it differs from
crystallization in that emphasis is placed on concentrating a solution rather than forming and
building crystals. The conditions under which evaporation is carried out in practice vary widely.
The liquid to be evaporated may be less viscous than water, or it may be so viscous that it will
hardly flow. It may deposit scale on the heating surface; it may precipitate in crystals; it may
tend to foam; it may have a very high boiling point elevation; or it may be damaged by the
application of too high temperatures. This wide variety of problems has led to considerable
variation in the types of mechanical construction used.
Figure 5.1.1 is a highly simplified diagram of an evaporator, in which the heating surface is
represented by a simple coil. Let F be the kilogram of the feed to the evaporator per hour, whose
solute content is xf (x is the weight fraction). Let the enthalpy of the feed per kilogram be hf.
There is taken out of the evaporator L kg of thick liquor, whose composition in weight fraction
of solute is xL and whose enthalpy is hL in joule per kilogram. There is also V kg of vapor having
a solute concentration of y and an enthalpy of H, J/kg. In most evaporators, the vapor is pure
water, and therefore y is zero. The material balance equations for this case become:
In order to furnish the heat necessary for evaporation, S kg of steam is supplied to the heating
surface with an enthalpy of Hs (J/kg) and there is taken out S kg of condensate with an enthalpy
of hc (J/kg). One simplifying assumption usually made is that in an evaporator there is very little
Chapter 5: EVAPORATION
cooling of the condensate. This leads the assumption that the condensate will leave at the
condensing temperature of the steam.
Neglecting losses by radiation and using the relevant symbols we get the following equation:
Fh F + SH S = VH + Lh L + Sh C (5.1.4)
Since the available heat transfer area is fixed then for a given steam pressure and feed rate, the
overall heat transfer coefficient is steady and the rate of evaporation is constant. Variation in the
feed rate will change the sensible heat loading, the overall heat transfer coefficient and the
percentage evaporation rate of which affect the product concentration.
Q = ( MCp∆T) + λm (5.1.5)
( ) (
Q = U heatýng A h ∆Tlmheatýng + U evap A e ∆Tlmevap ) (5.1.6)
A = Ae + Ah (5.1.7)
The heat transfer area Ae must be correspondingly smaller and the evaporation rate will be less.
Since the volume of the feed is higher, the percentage evaporation will be lower so that the
product is less concentrated.
The rate of heat transferred Q is dependent upon the overall heat transfer coefficient U, the heat
transfer surface area A, and the log mean temperature difference ∆Tlm, that is:
Q = UA∆Tlm (5.1.8)
For a given system, A will be constant, U is virtually constant so that the rate of heat transfer
depends entirely upon the log mean temperature difference. Since varying the steam pressure
varies the operating steam temperature, the rate of heat transfer and hence the rate of evaporation
is changed.
Heat taken up by the feed is the sensible heat and latent heat.
This experiment assumes as a basis that 1 kg of dry saturated steam condensing will evaporate 1
kg of boiling water. In practice heat is lost to the atmosphere and to the side streams purged from
the system. The latent heat of the steam is used to preheat the feed into the evaporator and
allowance must be made in the calculation for this. Water carried over by the steam is collected
in the purge receiver and effectively lost from all dryness factor value (DF) is required for the
steam supplied. This may in practice vary from 0.85 to 1.00.
5.1.3 Apparatus
1.) Feed inlet and drain valve 10.) Bottom receiving vessel
2.) Condensate outlet 11.) Vacuum and vent cock
3.) Stream inlet 12.) Top receiving vessel
4.) Calandria 13.) Vacuum cock
5.) Calandria vent 14.) Water inlet
6.) Cyclone 15.) Condenser
7.) Condensate receiver 16.) Water outlet
8.) Three-way cock 17.) Thermometer pocket
9.) Condensate drain
5.1.4 Experimental Procedure
Attention: During the experiment the floor gets wet, so wear suitable clothes.
1. Turn the steam generator on.
2. Prepare 30 dm3 of a 10 % w/w solution of glycerol in water.
3. Close all drain cocks on the plant.
4. Turn on the cooling water to the condenser, (No.15).
5. Adjust steam pressure to a specified value.
6. Check that the steam trap is functioning correctly.
7. Open the feed inlet cock, (No.1), and control the feed rate by the rotameter.
8. Allow the liquid level in the calandria to reach the steam inlet neck before finally adjusting
the feed rate. The liquid will begin to boil and expanding bubbles will rise rapidly in the
tube giving climbing film operation.
9. Adjust the feed rate to a value and allow a minimum of 5 minutes of operation under these
conditions so that the unit can settle down, i.e., come to steady state.
10. Once the unit is operating smoothly close the valve between the condensate receivers and
note the liquid level in the graduated concentrate receiver. For a minimum of 15 minutes
operation ensure that the steam pressure, feed rate, and vacuum are constant.
11. At the end of the test period close the valve between the twin condensate receivers and note
the level in the graduated concentrate receiver.
12. Measure the volume of the condensate collected, calculate the volume of the feed to the unit
and the volume of the concentrate produced.
13. Repeat the experiment with two other feed rates.
14. Repeat the experiment keeping the flow rate constant and varying the pressure using two
other different pressures.
15. In one of these five data calculate (find) the amount of steam used to evaporate the feed by
placing the steam pipe into a specified amount of cold water.
16. Shut the unit down following the procedure described below:
IMPORTANT:
• Close the feedcock.
• Close the steam control valve and all other steam valves on the path between the steam
generator and control table.
• Close the steam generator.
Chapter 5: EVAPORATION
5.1.6 References