The objective of evaporation is to concentrate a non-volatile solute, carrying out the elimination of a volatile compound. Water is the volatile compound used in most evaporations.
Basically, the unit consists of the following circuits:
- The feed circuit that consists on a feed pump that introduces the product in a double jacket column, which has temperature sensors. The product leaves the tank through a cyclone placed at the output of the column and it is collected in a 500 ml graduated vessel. The vessel is also connected to a 10 l tank for the storage of the concentrated product. This last tank is connected to the feed tank for its recirculation.
- The distillation circuit starts at the top of the column, where a joint with a pressure meter has been assembled. It is also connected to the cyclone to separate the concentrated product and the distilled one that goes through a spiral condenser. The distilled product is stored in a graduated vessel that is connected to a 10 l collection tank. This last one is connected to the feed tank for its recirculation in a continuous process.
- The steam circuit, introduced in the external jacket of the column, contains a pressure meter for the control of the temperature of steam. This meter is connected to a high-pressure cutout control that opens or closes a control electrovalve for the steam supply.
- The vacuum circuit consists on a vacuum pump, one trap placed at the output of the condenser and other trap placed at the output of the cyclone.