An evaporator is a type of heat exchanger device that facilitates evaporation by utilizing conductive

and convective heat transfer to provide the necessary thermal energy for phase transition from liquid
to vapor. Within evaporators, a circulating liquid is exposed to an atmospheric or reduced pressure
environment, causing it to boil at a lower temperature compared to normal atmospheric boiling.
The four main components of an evaporator assembly are: (1) tubes or channels where the
refrigerant liquid is circulated, (2) fins or other enhanced surfaces to increase heat transfer area, (3)
a source of heat such as steam or combustion gases directed over the tubes, and (4) distillation of
vapor into an outlet piping system. Heat is transferred through the tube walls to the liquid inside via
conduction, providing the thermal energy needed for evaporation. Convective currents inside also
contribute to heat transfer efficiency.
There are various evaporator designs suitable for different applications. Shell and tube, plate, and
flooded evaporators are commonly used in industrial processes like desalination, power generation,
and air conditioning. Plate-type evaporators offer compactness while multi-stage designs enable
enhanced evaporation rates at lower heat duties. Overall evaporator performance is dependent on
factors such as heat transfer coefficient, tube/plate material properties, flow regime, and vapor
quality achieved.
Advanced control techniques like online fouling detection are utilized to maintain evaporator thermal
performance over time. CFD modeling and new surface coating technologies also continue
improving heat and mass transfer capabilities for more energy efficient vapor generation.
Evaporators remain an essential unit operation across many industries owing to their ability to
separate mixed phases through a controlled phase change process.

Uses[edit]
Air conditioning and refrigeration[edit]
Some air conditioners and refrigerators use compressed liquids with a low boiling point that
vaporizes within the system to cool it, whilst emitting the thermal energy into its surroundings.[1][2]

Food industry and synthetic chemistry[edit]

Evaporators are often used to concentrate a solution. One example is the climbing/falling film plate
evaporator, which is used to make condensed milk.
Similarly, reduction (cooking) is a process of evaporating liquids from a solution to produce a
"reduced" food product, such as wine reduction.
Evaporation is the main process behind distillation, which is used to concentrate alcohol,
isolate liquid chemical products, or recover solvents in chemical reactions. The fragrance
and essential oil industry uses distillation to purify compounds. Each application uses specialized
devices.

Chemical engineering[edit]
In the case of desalination of seawater or in Zero Liquid Discharge plants, the reverse purpose
applies; evaporation removes the desirable drinking water from the undesired solute/product, salt.[3]
Chemical engineering uses evaporation in many processes. For example, the multiple-effect
evaporator is used in Kraft pulping,[4] the process of producing wood pulp from wood.