Concentration Evaporator
Evaporation
1. Product Overview
A concentration evaporator is a complete plant that evaporates and concentrates the feed liquid under vacuum (reduced pressure). It consists of a heating chamber, an evaporation / separation chamber, a condenser, a vacuum system and a feed pump set. It can concentrate a dilute solution to the target concentration, specific gravity or supersaturation and can recover solvent as required. It is widely used for the concentration of liquid feed, solvent recovery and pre-crystallization treatment in the pharmaceutical, food, chemical and environmental protection industries.
2. Working Principle
After preheating, the feed liquid enters the evaporation / separation chamber and is delivered by the circulation pump into the heating chamber (tube side or shell side), where it is heated and partially vaporized. The vapor-liquid mixture returns to the separation chamber for gas-liquid separation; the vapor (secondary steam) passes through the demister and then enters the condenser to be condensed and discharged, or is used in series as the heat source of the heating chamber of the next effect. Operating the system under vacuum significantly lowers the boiling point of the feed liquid, achieving low-temperature, short-time concentration that is suitable for heat-sensitive material.
3. System Classification
Single-effect concentration: one heating chamber with one separation chamber, featuring a simple structure, low investment and flexible operation, suitable for small-batch, multi-variety and foaming-prone material
Double-effect / multi-effect concentration: cascade utilization of vapor (secondary steam), with steam consumption of about 1/2 ~ 1/4 of that of a single effect, suitable for large-scale continuous concentration and energy-saving retrofit projects
4. Detailed Technical Parameters
4.1 Common Materials of Construction
Table
| Material | Applicable Parts | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 304/316L stainless steel | Parts in contact with the material, heating tubes, separation chamber | General purpose for pharmaceutical, food and chemical service |
| Carbon steel Q235B | Shell, supports, base | Non-contact parts, anti-corrosion coating |
| Titanium TA2 / duplex steel 2205 | Parts in contact with high-chloride and highly corrosive material | Salt solution and chloride-containing wastewater service |
4.2 Typical Specifications (subject to the actual process design)
Table
| Item | Parameter Range |
|---|---|
| Evaporation capacity | 200 ~ 20,000 kg/h (single unit) |
| Number of effects | Single / double / triple / quadruple / quintuple effect (optional) |
| Steam consumption | Approx. 1.1 kg/kg evaporated water for a single effect; approx. 0.55 for a double effect; approx. 0.4 for a triple effect; approx. 0.3 for a quadruple effect |
| Live steam pressure | 0.2 ~ 0.8 MPa |
| Heating chamber temperature | 80 ~ 150 °C (depending on the heat source conditions) |
| Evaporation temperature | 45 ~ 90 °C (down to 40 °C for the vacuum falling film type) |
| System vacuum degree | -0.06 ~ -0.095 MPa |
| Heating area | 10 ~ 1,000 m² (as configured for the process) |
| Discharge concentration | Up to 30% ~ 75% (depending on the material characteristics, installed power about 15 ~ 300 kW) |
4.3 Design Conditions and Performance Indicators
Table
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Concentration ratio | 2 ~ 10 times (as required by the process) |
| Steam consumption per 1 t of water evaporated | Approx. 1.1 t for a single effect; ≤ 0.6 t for a double effect; ≤ 0.4 t for a triple effect |
| Material residence time | 2 ~ 15 min (can be shortened to seconds for the falling film / wiped film type) |
5. Electrical Parameters
Table
| Applicable Region | Voltage | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| China / Russia / Central Asia | 380 V | 50 Hz |
| Middle East / Southeast Asia / Africa | 400 V / 415 V | 50 Hz |
| South Korea | 380 V | 60 Hz |
| Americas | 440 V / 480 V | 60 Hz |
6. Selection of Core Components
Table
| Component Name | Common Brand / Material | Features and Application |
|---|---|---|
| Heating chamber (shell-and-tube / falling film / plate) | 304/316L stainless steel, titanium | High heat transfer efficiency; selected according to the material viscosity and scaling characteristics |
| Evaporation / separation chamber | 304/316L stainless steel | Built-in demister to control entrainment and product carry-over |
| Condenser | Shell-and-tube / plate / direct-contact type | Condenses vapor (secondary steam) and can recover organic solvent |
| Vacuum system | Liquid ring pump / dry screw pump / steam jet ejector | Maintains the system vacuum and determines the evaporation temperature |
| Circulation pump and discharge pump | Centrifugal pump / axial flow circulation pump | Ensures material circulation and stable discharge |
7. Typical Application Fields
Pharmaceutical: concentration of traditional Chinese medicine extracts, oral liquids and antibiotic fermentation broth
Food: concentration of fruit juice, dairy products, syrup and condiments
Chemical: concentration of inorganic salt solutions and dye intermediates, and organic solvent recovery
Environmental protection: volume reduction and concentration of landfill leachate and high-salinity wastewater
8. Design Standards and Certification
Table
| Standard | Description |
|---|---|
| JB/T 20103-2022 Evaporation Concentrator | Product standard for evaporation concentrators (implemented on 2022-10-01, replacing the 2007 edition) |
| GB/T 150.1～150.4-2024 Pressure Vessels | Design, manufacture and inspection of pressure vessels |
| GB/T 151-2014 Heat Exchangers | Design code for the heating chamber heat exchanger |
| TSG 21-2016 Safety Technical Supervision Regulation for Stationary Pressure Vessels | Safety technical supervision of pressure-containing equipment |
| NB/T 47013-2015 Nondestructive Testing of Pressure Equipment | Nondestructive testing of welds |
| NB/T 47014-2011 Welding Procedure Qualification for Pressure Equipment | Welding procedure qualification |
| GB/T 5226.1-2019 Electrical Safety of Machinery | Safety requirements for the electrical equipment of machines |
| ISO 9001:2015 / CE / EAC / GOST-R | Quality management system and international order certification |
9. Customization Options
Table
| Option | Details |
|---|---|
| Material upgrade | Parts in contact with the material available in 316L, duplex steel 2205 and titanium TA2 |
| CIP cleaning system | Clean-in-place (CIP), meeting pharmaceutical GMP and food hygiene requirements |
| Heat pump coupling | Adding a mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) unit or a thermal vapor compressor (TVR) to recover residual heat from vapor (secondary steam) |
| Automatic control system | PLC/DCS control with online density, concentration, flow and temperature interlocking plus remote monitoring |
10. Warranty Terms
Table
| Equipment Condition | Warranty Period | Warranty Scope |
|---|---|---|
| New equipment | 12 months | Heating chamber, separation chamber, condenser, vacuum pump set and drive system |
| Refurbished equipment | 6 months | Heating chamber, separation chamber, condenser, vacuum pump set and drive system |
| Idle equipment | 3 months | Main functional components |
11. Packaging and Delivery
Table
| Item | Packaging Method |
|---|---|
| Main equipment (heating chamber / separation chamber) | Wrapped with rain-proof tarpaulin and fixed on a wooden pallet base |
| Condenser and vacuum pump set | Packed in wooden cases with protective covers fitted on the connection flanges |
| Electrical / instruments / accessories | Packed into wooden cases after waterproof sealed packaging |
| Container capacity estimate | Models of ≤3 t/h take about one 40 ft high cube container; models with a large evaporation capacity are recommended for bulk shipment |
12. Information Required for Inquiry
12. Information Required for Inquiry Material name and characteristics (viscosity, solids content, heat sensitivity), throughput (kg/h or t/h), feed concentration and target discharge concentration, whether organic solvent is present, available steam pressure and temperature, cooling water temperature, power supply voltage and frequency, delivery terms (FOB/CIF/DDP) and destination port.