Evaporation A unit operation of concentrating a solution by boiling away the solvent. The product is a solution that is more concentrated with the solute Evaporation may be continued until the solution becomes saturated and further until the solute precipitates as a crystalline solid. Processes occur during Evaporation 1. Heat is transferred from the heating medium to the solution. 2. Mass and heat are simultaneously transferred from the liquid to the vapor phase. Types of Evaporator Evaporator may be classified as follows 1. Heating medium separated from evaporating liquid by tubular heating surfaces. 2. Heating medium confined by coils, jackets, double walls, flat plates, etc. 3. Heating medium brought by direct contact with evaporating liquid. 4. Heating by solar radiation Evaporator Equipment Horizontal Tube Evaporator Widely use evaporator design The solution evaporated boils outside the horizontal tubes Used for dilute solutions in which foaming and deposition of solids on the tube surfaces are limited. Minimized agitation Vertical Tube Evaporator, Standard The solution boils inside vertical tubes with the heating medium held in a chest through which the tubes pass. Natural circulation is promoted so overall HTC is better that horizontal tube. Not applicable when the liquid is viscous and foam formation is significant. Forced Circulation Evaporator The evaporating liquid is pumped through a heat exchanger where the heating medium surrounds the tubes carrying the solution. Pressure drop is great to prevent the solution from boiling in the tubes. Flashing occurs in the chamber, High overall HTC due to induced circulation Used in case of viscous fluids or of solution that must be kept from boiling in the tubes to minimized deposition Long Tube Vertical Evaporator Achieves a high liquor flow rate through the tubes by natural convection. The design cannot handle viscous liquids. However, foaming materials certain heat sensitive materials may be used without Falling Film Evaporator In this design, the fluid is fed to the top of long and vertical tubes so that the liquid flows down the tube walls and vapor is generated simultaneously while at the tubes. The design is usually employed for heat sensitive Overall Heat Transfer Coefficients Overall Heat Transfer Coefficients Overall Heat Transfer Coefficients BPR using Duhrings Chart BPR of Aqueous Solutions BPR of Many Inorganic Salts Enthalpy-Concentration Diagram Problem 1: Boiling Point Rise a. Estimate the boiling point at atmospheric pressure of aqueous solution containing 15 mole% NaCl, 10 mole% MgCl2 and 18 mole % CaCl2. b. The boiling point rise of a 30 wt% NaCl aqueous solution at 1 atm is? Problem 2 A solution of organic colloids is to be concentrated from 20 to 65 percent solids in a vertical-tube evaporator. The solution has negligible boiling point, and the specific heat of the feed is 0.93. Saturated steam is available at 0.7 atm abs, and the pressure in the condenser is 100 mm Hg abs. The feed enters at 60oF. The overall coefficient is 1,700 W/m2-oC. The evaporator must evaporate 20,000 kg of water per hour. How many square meters of surface are required, and what is the steam consumption in kilograms per hour? Problem 3 A force circulation evaporator is to be designed to concentrate 50 percent caustic soda solution to 70 percent. A throughput of 50 tons of NaOH (100 percent basis) per 24 hr is needed. Steam at 50 psig and 95% quality is available, and the condenser temperature is 100oF. Feed enter at 100oF. Condensate leaves the heating element at a temperature 20 oF below the condensing temperature of the steam. Radiation loss is estimated to be 1.5% from heating element which is based on the enthalpy difference between steam and the condensate. Concentrated liquor leaves at the boiling temperature of liquid in the vapor head. The overall coefficient, based on the outside area, is expected to be 350 BTU/ft2-h-oF. The boiling-point elevation of the 70% liquor is 150oF. Calculate: a. the steam consumption in pounds per hour b. the area required for the evaporator Problem 4: Barometric Condenser A 10 wt% NaOH solution at 80oF is to be concentrated in a single effect evaporator to 40 wt%. Steam is supplied at 20 psig and the vacuum pressure of the barometric condenser is 26 in Hg. One hundred gallons per minute of water at 70oF is fed to the condenser and the water leaving the condenser which includes the condensate, is at 100oF. The overall HTC of the evaporator is 200 BTU/hr-ft2-oF. Calculate the steam consumption (lb/hr) and the heating surface required for the evaporator in square feet. Problem 5: Scaling A certain evaporator is boiling a solution that deposits calcium sulfate scale. After 4 hr and 10 mins of operation, the U is 545 BTU/hr-ft2-oF and after 12 hr and 30 mins, it was 430. What would the coefficient be at the start of operation? Multiple Effect Evaporator Methods of Introducing the Feed Methods of Introducing the Feed 1. Forward-Feed System - Process solution and steam flow in parallel - Advantage: No pumps is needed in between effect - Disadvantage: All heating of the cold feed is done on first effect, resulting in less amount of vapor being produced. Methods of Introducing the Feed 2. Backward-Feed System - Process solution flows countercurrent to steam flow - Advantage: More steam produced thus better economy the forward feed. - Disadvantage: Pumps are required between effects Methods of Introducing the Feed 3. Mixed-Feed System - The solution enters and intermediate effect and the allows to flow either naturally or by means of pump. - Eliminate certain pumps requirement but permits that the final evaporation to be done at the highest temperature. Methods of Introducing the Feed 4. Parallel-Feed System - Concentrated solution are being withdrawn in each effect while generating steam in each effect. Calculations for Multiple effect Evaporator In calculations of Multiple Effect evaporator, the usual values to be determined are: a. the area of the heating surface in each effect b. the mass of steam per hour to be supplied c. the amount of vapor leaving each effect The given or known values will be the following a. steam pressure of the first effect b. final pressure in vapor space of the last effect c. feed conditions and flow to the first effect d. the final concentration in the solution leaving the last effect e. physical properties such as enthalpies and/or heat capacities of the liquid and vapors f. overall heat transfer coefficient in each effect Calculations for Multiple effect Evaporator The procedure in triple effect evaporator system is outlined below: 1. From the known outlet concentration and pressure in the last effect, determine the boiling point in the last effect. If the boiling point rise is present, this can be determine using the nomograph presented on the ChE HB. 2. Determine the total amount of vapor evaporated by an overall material balance. Distribute the total vapor produce in each effect. Usually for the first trial, the assumption is that V1=V2=V3. 3. From initial assume vapor rate, calculate the initial different rate of other streams. L 1, L2 and L3 Calculations for Multiple effect Evaporator 4. Determine the solute concentration in different product streams. 5. Estimate the temperature drops T 1, T2, and T3 in the three effects. Use the relationship; U1 T1 = U2 T2 = U3 T3 = UT TT available If there is BPR: TT available = TT - BPE 6. Using energy and material balance in each effect, calculate the amount vaporized and the flow rates of solution in each effect. 7. Solve for the value of Q, then solve for individual area. 8. If the area is close enough, get the mean value, A mean. 9. If not close, solve for the other value of A. Start with the values of the solved L1, L2, and L3 initially to get the new concentration in each effect and get T new. Tnew= A1 T1/Amean then start again on Step 6 until the Area of different effect will be the same. Problem 6: Multiple Effect Evaporation A triple-effect evaporator is concentrating a liquid that has no appreciable elevation in boiling point. The temperature of the steam to the first effect is 108oC, and the boiling point of the solution in the last effect is 52oC. The overall HTC, in W/m2-oC, are 2,500 in the first effect, 2,000 in the second effect, and 1,500 in the third effect. (As the solution becomes concentrated, the viscosity increases and the overall HTC is reduced). At what temperature will the liquid boil in the first and second effects? Problem 7: Triple Effect Evaporator A solution with a negligible boiling point elevation is to be concentrated from 10 to 50 percent solids in a triple-effect feed forward evaporator. Steam is available at 2 atm abs; the absolute pressure in the third effect is to be 0.13 atm. Feed enters at a rate of 20,000 kg/hr and a temperature of 15oC. The specific heat of the solution at all concentrations may be taken to be the same as that of water. The overall HTC in W/m 2-oC are 3,000 on the first effect, 2,000 on the second effect and 1,100 on the third effect, Each effect is to have the same amount of heating surface. Calculate the area of heating surface required, the steam consumption, the distribution of temperatures, the economy of each effect, and the overall economy.