Back to Basics

The Essentials of
Continuous Evaporation
Bryan W. Hackett, P.E. Evaporation is a standard thermally driven
kW Engineering
unit operation. Learn three methods to
improve evaporator efficiency.

E
vaporation is a unit operation that separates a liquid the product of evaporation is a concentrated liquid, not a
from solids by means of heat transfer via vaporization solid. Evaporation can be used as the initial step in produc-
or boiling. The purpose of evaporation is to concen- ing a dried product if the liquid concentrate then undergoes
trate a solution of a nonvolatile solute (i.e., solids) and a a drying process such as spray drying. The combination of
solvent (i.e., liquid), which is typically water. Evaporating a evaporation and spray drying is often used to make pow-
portion of the solvent concentrates the solute into a more- dered products, such as powdered milk. This combination of
viscous liquid product. Evaporation is regularly used in the processes is economically attractive because high-efficiency
food processing, chemical, kraft paper, and pharmaceutical evaporation is significantly less costly than drying and other
industries to produce liquid concentrates. methods of removing water (1). Evaporation also produces a
Evaporation differs from dehydration and drying in that higher concentration of solids than other methods of concen-
tration (Figure 1) (2).
Reverse Osmosis
Evaporation differs from distillation in that the con-
centrated solution, rather than the condensed evaporate, is
Ultrafiltration
typically the valuable product. A common exception is the
evaporation of solutions with a high mineral content, where
Freeze Concentration the vapor is condensed as the product and the concentrated
brine is discarded. This process is commonly referred to
Evaporation as water distillation, although the process is more akin to a
thermally driven liquid-solids separation operation.
Scraped Surface Evaporation Evaporation may be carried out as a batch or continuous
process. This article focuses on evaporation as a continuous
Drying process, in which the feed and product streams are continu-
ous and their concentrations remain constant.
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Solids Content The basics
All evaporators are comprised of two sections: a heating
p Figure 1. Evaporation as a method of concentration can produce solids
contents that range from 0% to as much as 92% with scraped surface section (called a steam chest) and a vapor/liquid separation
evaporators (used in select applications). section. These sections can be located within a single vessel

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(body), or the heating section may be external to the vessel
that houses the vapor/liquid separation section. Evaporator Condenser
Steam

Evaporators may be composed of one or more effects, Body

where an effect is defined as one or more bodies operat-
ing at the same boiling temperature. In a multiple-effect
Cooling Vacuum
evaporator, vapor from one body heats a second body at a Water System
lower boiling temperature. The first effect is heated directly Feed
with steam, and the additional bodies are ordered based
Steam
on descending boiling temperature (or pressure). Figure 2 Vapor
shows a simple, single-effect evaporation system, which
includes an evaporator body with an internal heating section,
vapor/liquid separator, water-cooled condenser with baro-
Heating
metric leg, and steam-ejector vacuum system. Section
Evaporator bodies are typically operated under vacuum
Vapor/Liquid
to reduce the temperature of boiling (e.g., 85°C). Steam ejec- Separator
tors or mechanical vacuum pumps are often used to create a
vacuum. Depending on the level of vacuum required for the
last effect, which has the lowest boiling temperature, a single
pump or a series of pumps may be used.
Condensate
Vacuum systems also remove noncondensible gases that Product

originate as dissolved gases in the feed or from air leak-

ing into the evaporator body. Most evaporation systems p Figure 2. The heating and vapor/liquid separation sections are
include either a direct or indirect water-cooled condenser to separated in this diagram, but in some types of evaporators, they may be
condense the vapor leaving the last evaporator effect. This located in the same body.
increases the vacuum of the system. Evaporators that use
mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) (discussed later) MV
Vapor
do not need an external condenser because the vapors gener-
ated are fully condensed within the heating section of
the evaporator.
MF
Feed 150°F
Mass balance on a single-effect evaporator
Evaporators are generally rated based on their evapora- MS
Steam
tion rate — the amount of water they evaporate per hour
(e.g., kg/hr, ton/hr). The mass balances for the single-effect
evaporator in Figure 3, which include the mass flowrates
for feed (MF), product (MP), vapor (MV), steam (MS), and
condensate (MC), are:

MF = MP + MV (1)
MS = MC (2)

Drawing a control volume around the evaporator allows

us to perform an energy balance of the system, in which h is MC
the enthalpy of the respective streams:

MFhF + MShs = MPhP + MVhV + MChC (3) MP

Product

Condensate
The energy balance assumes that no work is performed
on the system (W = 0) and heat loss is negligible (Q = 0). In
p Figure 3. An energy balance for this evaporator assumes no work is
real applications, heat loss is typically estimated to be 2% of
performed on the system and heat loss is zero. To get a closer approxima-
the vapor energy input to each effect (2). Latent heat from tion of the evaporator rating, however, the heat loss is estimated to be 2%
saturated steam drives the evaporation of water, and depend- of the vapor energy input to each effect.

Copyright © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) CEP  May 2018  www.aiche.org/cep  25
Back to Basics

ing on the initial feed temperature, may also be used to raise In theory, the evaporation of 1 kg of water requires
the temperature to boiling. slightly more than 1 kg of steam, since the latent heat of
The product concentration, where xF and xP are the mass vaporization decreases as pressure increases (3). As the
fractions of the respective streams, can be calculated from: steam’s latent heat is transferred to the feed, some of the
heat raises the initial feed temperature to the boiling point
MFxF = MPxP (4) and the remaining latent heat evaporates water. Thus, the
steam economy will always be less than one. Depend-
Steam economy ing on the initial feed temperature and system losses, the
Another way to measure and compare the performance steam economy of a single-effect evaporator typically is
of evaporators is to consider the amount of water evaporated 0.75–0.95 kg water/kg steam (4).
per amount of steam consumed. This metric is called the Improving steam economy. Consider the example of
steam economy (SE) and is commonly expressed as the ratio the single-effect evaporator (Figure 3). For heat transfer to
of water evaporated to steam consumed. occur, the temperature of the saturated steam must be higher
than the boiling temperature of the feed. If the latent heat of
MV1 MV2 MV3
the water vapor leaving the evaporator can be reused, the
steam economy can be increased. But, because heat transfer
MF1
82°C 68°C 57°C requires a temperature gradient, the latent heat of the water
vapor can only be transferred to a lower-temperature fluid.
MS1 The two primary means of improving the steam econ-
omy of an evaporator both involve manipulating temperature
1st 2nd 3rd
Effect Effect Effect via pressure change.

Multiple-effect evaporators
If the water vapor from the first effect of a multiple-
effect evaporator can be introduced into the steam chest
of a second effect operating at a lower boiling point, the
latent heat in the water vapor can be reused. Lowering
MP1 MP2 MP3
MC1 MC2 MC3 the vapor pressure of the second effect relative to the first
p Figure 4. The steam economy of an evaporator can be improved by effect lowers the boiling point of the second effect. This
adding more effects. The first effect has the highest boiling temperature, arrangement of reusing vapor latent heat is called multiple-
while the last effect has the lowest. Each successive effect uses the vapor effect evaporation.
from the previous effect as a heat source.
Figure 4 shows the mass flows in a three-effect evapo-
Thermocompressor Vapor to rator. The vapor from the first effect (MV1) becomes the
Condenser
heating source for the second effect (MS2). This is possible
Steam
because the second effect’s boiling temperature has been
Feed
lowered to 68°C (at 29 kPa), which is less than the satu-
71°C 80°C 60°C
rated temperature of the first effect, 82°C (at 51.8 kPa). The
Steam
latent heat is reused again as MV2 becomes the heat source
of the third effect, where the boiling point temperature has
1st 2nd 3rd been lowered to 57°C (at 17.5 kPa). The steam economy of
Effect Effect Effect
multiple-effect evaporators can be estimated by (4):

SE = eN (5)

where e is the steam economy of a single-effect (between

0.75 kg water/kg steam and 0.95 kg water/kg steam) and N
Product is the number of effects.
Condensate Condensate Condensate
Recompression
p Figure 5. Thermal vapor recompression (TVR) can be applied to an
The second method for reusing the latent heat of vapor
evaporator system to improve the steam economy. A thermocompressor
raises the saturation temperature of the vapor exiting an effect to be reused is to increase its condensing temperature by compressing it.
to heat the next effect. This increases the vapor’s condensing pressure and tempera-

26  www.aiche.org/cep  May 2018  CEP Copyright © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
ture and creates the temperature gradient necessary for latent of an evaporator with MVR — which is 5–10 times that of
heat reuse within the evaporator system. the three-effect evaporator.
Thermal vapor recompression (TVR) uses a steam ejec- Note that the steam economy of an evaporator is highly
tor to compress the vapor leaving the evaporator vessel. In dependent on the initial temperature of the feed as it enters
this application, the steam ejector is often called a thermo­ the evaporator system and the properties of the liquid being
compressor; its primary purpose is to compress vapor, but concentrated.
its secondary benefit is creating vacuum within the evapora- Feed that enters the first effect at a temperature above
tor vessel. As a thermocompressor, the ejector uses high- the boiling point first flashes some vapor before heat transfer
pressure steam (0.8–2.1 MPa) as the motive fluid to draw within the evaporator even begins. Thus, the steam economy
in the low-pressure vapor from the evaporator and produce will be higher than if the initial feed temperature was below
a combined vapor of suitable pressure and temperature for the boiling point, which would require heat transfer to the
evaporator heating. liquid before evaporation can occur.
Figure 5 illustrates one possible configuration of a three- Boiling point rise, also called boiling point elevation
effect evaporator with TVR. In this example, the thermo- (BPE), is the difference between a solution’s boiling point
compressor raises the saturation temperature of the vapor and the boiling point of pure water at the same pressure.
from 71°C to 88°C so it can be reused to heat the second Some solutions, especially as they become more concen-
effect operating at 80°C. trated, may require a large temperature gradient (16–27°C)
Steam ejectors are better suited to handling large to sufficiently transfer enough heat to reach boiling condi-
volumes of low-density vapor than mechanical vacuum tions. High temperature gradients limit the number of effects
pumps and are easier and cheaper to maintain. As a rule of that can be applied, thereby limiting the potential steam
thumb, TVR improves an evaporator’s steam economy by an economy increase of a system. Also, single-stage thermal
amount equivalent to the addition of another effect, but at a
much lower cost (5). Evaporator Startup/Makeup
Steam
Mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) uses a mechan- Body

ical compressor or fan to compress low-pressure vapor MS

leaving an evaporator to a higher pressure and temperature MF
Feed
for reuse as the evaporation heat source. The internal reuse Vapor
of the vapor also eliminates the need for an external con- Long-Tube,
MV2
Centrifugal
denser, which most evaporator systems need to condense the Vertical Fan
vapor leaving the last effect. Because compression ratios of Falling-Film
Evaporator
1.2–1.4 are sufficient to produce a condensing temperature
increase of 6–12°C, centrifugal fans are used for their large Vapor/Liquid
MV1
volumetric capacity, economy of operation, and relatively Separator

low cost. Steam turbines are typically used to drive mechani-

cal fans at installations where the cost of steam is relatively MC
Product
low and low-pressure steam can be used for process heating. MP
Otherwise, electric motors with variable-frequency drives Condensate Recircualtion
(VFDs) are used to drive mechanical fans. Pump

Figure 6 shows a single-effect, vertical long-tube p Figure 6. Mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) improves steam
evaporator with MVR. An MVR evaporator requires steam economy by compressing low-pressure steam exiting the evaporator and
to bring the system up to boiling temperature during startup, recycling it as the heat source.
but requires very little steam once operating at steady state,
Table 1. Comparison of evaporator steam economies.
with only the work of the compressor adding energy to
the system. Type of Evaporator Steam Economy,
kg water/kg steam

Comparing steam economies Single-effect 0.90–0.98

Table 1 compares the steam economies of multiple- Double-effect 1.7 –2.0
effect, TVR, and MVR evaporators (5). Steam economy Triple-effect 2.4–2.8
increases steadily in multiple-effect evaporators as the num- Six-effect 4.6–4.9
ber of effects increases. Adding a thermocompressor to a
Triple-effect with TVR 4–8
three-effect system can approximately double the economy,
Single-effect MVR 10–30
but that pales in comparison to the potential steam economy

Copyright © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) CEP  May 2018  www.aiche.org/cep  27
Back to Basics

and mechanical compressors are economically limited to pumped upward through the heat exchanger, the static head
compression ratios of about two, which produces a tempera- pressure suppresses vapor formation until the heated liquid
ture increase of 5–20°C (5). Thus, the potential to increase enters the vapor/liquid separator, where a portion flashes to
the steam economy by adding effects, TVR, and MVR may vapor. The centrifugal pump allows the residence time in the
be constrained by the thermal and rheological properties of heat exchanger to be controlled based on the heat-sensitivity
the liquid being concentrated. of the liquid being concentrated. This feature is important
when concentrating pulpy, viscous liquids, such as tomato
Evaporation in industry juice and mango juice.
Evaporation is used for subtlety different purposes and Plate-type evaporators operate similarly to long-tube ver-
with different results in each industry. In the food process- tical evaporators, but with the film flowing on plates rather
ing industry, food products are concentrated to increase their than tubes. Their advantages over tubular-type evaporators
shelf life, reduce volume and weight, reduce storage costs, include compact size that allows installation within buildings
reduce transportation costs, and increase value. and their ability to be disassembled for easier cleaning.
Concentration of fresh foods, such as fruit juices, is an
economic way to make use of perishable crops during peak Wrapping up
harvest periods (6). Fruit juice concentrates and tomato The primary means of increasing the steam economy of
paste are two examples of seasonal foods that evaporation an evaporator is to reuse the latent heat of the water vapor.
preserves for year-round consumption. Lower water activity, A multiple-effect evaporator uses the water vapor from one
which is a general indication of microbiological stability, effect as the heating medium for the next effect, which oper-
preserves concentrated foods. ates at a lower boiling point. The latent heat in water vapor
In the chemical and kraft paper industries, evaporation can also be reused by thermally or mechanically compress-
is often used to recover valuable, nonvolatile chemicals. ing the vapor to a higher pressure and temperature. These
For example, in the kraft pulping process, water is evapo- three methods of improving efficiency have their limits,
rated from spent cooking liquid (i.e., black liquor), which however, which are specific to the physical properties of the
concentrates the solids. The concentrated inorganic process liquid feed being evaporated. CEP

chemicals can then be refined for reuse within the process.

In the pharmaceutical industry, evaporation is often used
Literature Cited
to create a concentrated solution, which can then be dried to
1. Smith, P. G., “Evaporation and Drying,” Chapter 12 in
create a powdered product.
“Introduction to Food Engineering,” Kluwer Academic/Plenum
Publishers, New York, NY (2003).
Evaporators in the food industry 2. Morison, K. R., and R. W. Hartel, “Evaporation and Freeze
The economics of a process dictate the evaporator type Concentration,” Chapter 8 in “Handbook of Food Engineering,”
and configuration best suited to a particular application. 2nd ed., Heldman, D. R., and D. B. Lund, eds., CRC Press,
Boca Raton, FL (2007).
The three most common types of evaporators used in food
3. Saravacos, G. D., and A. E. Kostaropoulos, eds., “Handbook
concentration are long-tube vertical evaporators, forced- of Food Processing Equipment,” Kluwer Academic/Plenum
circulation evaporators, and plate-type evaporators. Publishers, New York, NY (2002).
Falling-film evaporators are constructed around a vertical 4. Chen, C. S., and E. Hernandez, “Design and Performance
bundle of large-diameter long tubes, with a liquid distributor Evaluation of Evaporation,” Chapter 6 in “Handbook of Food
Engineering Practice,” Valentas, K. J., et al., CRC Press,
on top and a vapor/liquid separator section below. Liquid New York, NY (1997).
is fed into the top of the heat exchanger tubes and flows 5. Minton, P. E., “Handbook of Evaporation Technology,” Noyes
as a film down the inner walls. Heat transferred from the Publications, West Wood, NJ (1986).
condensing steam through the tube walls creates boiling con- 6. Roa, M. A., and A. A. Vitali, “Fruit Juice Concentration and
ditions, and the vapor generated escapes into the inner void. Preservation,” Chapter 7 in “Handbook of Food Preservation,”
Rahman, M. S., ed., Marcel Dekker, New York, NY (1999).
As the film flows downward and water evaporates, the film
becomes thinner and the liquid becomes more viscous. Since
the film flows by gravity down the long tube, residence BRYAN W. HACKETT, P.E., is a project manager and senior energy engineer
at kW Engineering (Oakland, CA; Phone: (510) 834-6420; Email:
times in the heat exchanger section are short (0.5–2 min) [email protected]), where he leads the industrial services
(3), which is beneficial to heat-sensitive foods, such as fruit team to provide energy auditing, retro-commissioning, technical
support services, and project management to food processing and
juices and milk. industrial facilities. He has more than 20 years of experience in identify-
Forced-circulation evaporators use a centrifugal pump to ing, analyzing, and implementing energy efficiency projects. He has a
BSc in mechanical engineering from San Francisco State Univ. and is a
recirculate the liquid through the heat exchanger (i.e., steam licensed professional engineer in California.
chest), where the liquid is heated by steam. As liquid is

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