TRIPLE EFFECT EVAPORATOR EXAMPLE

Estimate the requirements of steam and heat transfer surface, and the evaporating temperatures in
each effect, for a triple effect evaporator evaporating 500 kg/hr of a 10% solution up to a 30% solution.
Steam is available at 200 kPa gauge and the pressure in the evaporation space in the final effects is 60
kPa absolute. Assume that the overall heat transfer coefficients are 2270, 200 and 1420 J/m-s-degC in
the first, second and third effects respectively. Neglect sensible heat. Assume no boiling point elevation,
and also equal heat transfer in each effect.

Solution

Mass balance, kg/hr

Solids Liquids Total

Feed 50 450 500
Product 50 117 167
Evaporation 333

Heat balance

From steam tables, the condensing temperature of steam at 200 kPa gauge is 134 degC and the latent
heat is 2164 kJ/kg. Evaporating temperature in final effect under pressure of 60 kPa (abs) is 86 degC, as
there is no boiling point rise and latent heat is 2294 kJ/kg.

Equating the heat transfer in each effect,

and

( )

Now if

then

and
So that

( )

( )

Consequently,

( )

And so the evaporating temperature and latent heat from steam tables:

 In first effect is (134 – 12.9) = 121.1 degC; latent heat is 2200 kJ/kg
 In second effect is (121.1 – 14.6) = 106.5 degC; latent heat is 2240 kJ/kg
 In third effect is (106.5 – 20.6) = 85.9 degC; latent heat is 2294 kJ/kg

Equating the quantitites evaporated in each eefect and neglecting the sensible heat changes, if ,
and are the respective quantities evaporated in effects 1, 2 and 3 and is the quantity of steam
condensed per hour in effect 1, then,

( )( ) ( )( ) ( )( ) ( )( )

The sum of the quantities evaporated in each effect must equal the total evaporated in all three effects
so that:

( )

( )

( )

Therefore,

( ( ) ( ))
Steam consumption

It required 115 kg of steam to evaporate based on our calculation with to evaporate a total of 333 kg
water, that is

Heat exchanger surface

Writing the heat balance on the first effect:

( )

Then,

Therefore,
DOUBLE EFFECT EVAPORATOR EXAMPLE
A 5% aqueous solution of a high molecular weight solute has to be concentrated to 40% in a forward-
feed double effect evaporator at the rate of 8000 kg/hr. the feed temperature is 40 degC. Saturated
steam at 3.5 kg/cm2 is available for heating. A vacuum of 600 mmHg is maintained in the second effect.
Calculate the area requirements, if calendria of equal area are used. The overall heat transfer
coefficients are 550 and 370 kcal/h-m2-degC in the first and the last effect respectively. The specific heat
of the concentrated liquor is 0.87 kcal/kg-degC.

SOLUTION
Therefore,
Solving the equations of ms and ms2 simultaneously for the revised calculation,

Thus,