EPAC Computer Controlled Rising Film Evaporator

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.

The rising or falling film evaporators are very useful if high temperatures can degrade the product that we want to concentrate, so these evaporators work at less temperature. They can be used, for example, for concentration of fruit juices, milk and milk products, effluents, etc.

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 sensor 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 sensor for the control of the temperature of steam. This sensor 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.

This Computer Controlled Unit is supplied with the EDIBON Computer Control System (SCADA), and includes: The unit self + a Control Interface Box + a Data Acquisition Board + Computer Control and Data Acquisition Software Packages, for controlling the process and all parameters involved in the process.