MEE Operating Philosphy

General Description of Plant

Feed is received in a level controlled balance tank and passed through pre -
heaters, calendrias and vapor separators of various effects. The evaporation takes
place under vacuum, which is maintained mainly by vacuum system. Steam is
supplied as a heating medium through thermal vapor recompression (TVR) to the
first effect jacket. The concentrated product at the desired concentration is
continuously taken out from the plant for further processing (The solids are
separated out by means of pusher type centrifuge & the mother liquor is re-
circulated back into the MEE system)

Operation

1) The feed is received into the balance tank from the RO reject tank by means of reject
transfer pump.
2) The feed pump of the MEE system transfers the feed through the pre-heaters (in reverse
configuration ie PH-3, PH-2, PH-1) into the first calendria vapor separator.
3) The feed is sent from the vapor separator through the transfer/ re-circulation pump-1 to
the bottom of the first calendria.
4) The concentrate & the vapors from the 1st calendria are collected in the vapor separator
where the vapors are sent by the vapor line into the subsequent adjoining calendrias & pre-
heaters. If final concentration profile as per design is achieved, then the concentrate is
transferred by means of transfer/ recirculation pump-1 to the 2nd calendria otherwise it is
re-circulated into the 1st calendria till the final design concentration is achieved.
5) The same mechanism/ steps mentioned in step 4 is followed for calendrias 2 & 3 till the
final desired concentration is achieved.
6) The final concentrate is taken to the settling tank by means of product pump where the
higher density slurry is sent to the pusher type centrifuge. The mother liquor/ supernatant
is sent to the mother liquor collection tank.
7) The pusher type centrifuge separates the slurry into solid (with 8-10% moisture) & the
resultant mother liquor is sent to the mother liquor tank.
8) The mother liquor collected is re-circulated back into the MEE system.
9) The vapors collected from all the effects & pre-heaters are sent to the surface condenser
where they are condensed.
10) The condensate collected is transferred to the treated water tank by means of condensate
pump.