If you are an industrialist there are instances when you would require an evaporator. You might be unfamiliar with the comprehensive definition of this machine and what are its primary functions. The primary function of this machine is to remove the percentage of water from any material to an extensive level. This machine follows a proper methodology through which it can take out water vapors from any structure.
Evaporators are capable enough to take out water even from any food material. The evaporator is a surface required for heat transfer and can remove heat from any type of substance which is required to be cooled. This is also done by the means of using refrigerant. Refrigerant is a way of cooling off any material which is done by absorbing any latent heat. At the instance when a liquid refrigerant is boiled, the evaporator takes out from vapors by keeping them at a condition of low pressure and low temperature.
Some of the best evaporators are present at the plantation of distillation where you can carry out the complete process of evaporation much more easily. After learning about evaporation let’s move ahead with our discussion.
Our objective in this article would be to decypher the methodology through which an evaporator works. We will also try to inform you about the major application of an evaporator. There are some of the major pros and cons of using an evaporator which you need to understand cohesively.
Workings of an Evaporator
Here, our main purpose is to inform you about the complete methodology through which an evaporator works. There are numerous important functions that an evaporator needs to fulfill to perform to the best of its capacity. Mainly speaking there are three major steps that an evaporator takes into consideration to perform a particular function accordingly:
- By using an electric heater evaporator heats a particular solution until state of lower boiling point is achieved.
- After achieving this state the liquid becomes gaseous.
- This gas is then returned to a liquid state by putting it in a condenser.
The process usually takes place in the verticle tubes and shell exchangers. In the industry of cannabis and hemp, both the liquids crude oil and ethanol can be seen as having different boiling points.
Important characteristics of the system of Evaporators
We will try to understand the meaning of evaporators in a much more in-depth matter. The types of evaporators used depend heavily on the critical operations and characteristics of the product solution.
Following are some of the dominant functions that a translator performs at any given time:
Heat Sensitivity:
Companies that are involved in the manufacturing of food, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals require an environment where the temperature is much lower. The product’s boiling temperature can be reduced tremendously by reducing the volume of the product. If the time spent in the evaporator is reduced then this state can be achieved much more easily. Some evaporators also use the state of lowering the pressure.
If you reduce the internal operating pressure then it will be far easy to lower the heating temperatures. Lower pressure keeps the state of the high driving force of heat transfer. This driving force is nothing but the difference between the boiling point of bulk product and the temperature of the complete heating medium.
Fouling:
You might encounter a state when the heating surface starts fouling this is mainly because the precipitating solids in the evaporator start concentrating. There could also be a chance of degradation of the product. You will need to create a way through which the fouling of the material can be reduced. This can be done by constantly washing the material on the heating surface. If you create a slow buildup on the film of the heat transfer surface this will significantly reduce the heat transfer coefficient. If you do not catch up with this activity then eventually it will cause a shutdown of the process. Cleaning of the heat transfer surface is therefore mandatory.
Foaming:
You might see foam almost all the time when the process of evaporation is done. Foaming can have various concentrations from light to heavy foaming. You can reduce the amount of foaming tremendously by changing the design of the evaporator. The design of the evaporator plays a great role in the amount of foaming that is accumulated on the surface.
There are some other substitute methods of stopping foaming. You could reduce the vapor velocity and also by operating the process of evaporation at higher pressure will reduce the amount of evaporation tremendously.
Solids:
The properties of solids can tremendously change the level of evaporation. If solids are evaporated then they can cause tubes to plug. This can be easily reduced by lowering the number of solids that are being evaporated. If the amount of solid being evaporated is increased then it can lead to a condition of fouling. The overall heat-transfer coefficient will also be affected tremendously if a large number of solids are evaporated.
Medium heat transfer:
The heat transfer coefficient is greatly affected by the type of substance that is being used at the time of evaporation. The heating coefficient of liquids is much lower in comparison to solids which have a higher heat transfer coefficient. To make the process of evaporation there are times when a small evaporator is also used to ease out the heat transfer coefficient tremendously.
Material of construction:
The type of material that is being used at the time of construction can tremendously affect the level of evaporation. You should check out what kind of material you require for the process of evaporation.
The kind of material being used is detrimental of two factors:
- Overall material cost
- Thermal conductivity of the material
Conclusion
You need to pay attention to the kind of material as it can affect the heating coefficient of the liquid. AlquaInc is one of the firms that is prominent for the quality of evaporation it has produced for several years. Evaporation is not an easy task and there are a lot of variations that are required to be taken care of.
