Multiple Effect Evaporators
Multiple Effect Evaporators
Swenson’s multiple effect evaporators are cost effective solution to reduce live steam requirements to heat the system.
- Optimize energy usage by utilizing vapour generated from the previous effect to drive another
- Reduce overall energy requirements
- Improve steam economy
Multiple effect configurations utilize two or more evaporator bodies in series to reduce steam consumption. Live steam is condensed in the first effect heat exchanger to drive the initial evaporation. The vapor generated in this first effect is then recovered and used as the heating medium for the second effect. This cascading energy reuse continues through all subsequent effects.
To maintain the necessary temperature difference across the series, each successive effect operates at a progressively lower pressure. The vapor from the final effect is routed to a condenser, while the system is maintained under a vacuum utilizing equipment such as steam ejectors or liquid ring vacuum pumps.
Under identical process conditions, an evaporator system with more effects will require less steam to achieve the same concentration. In practice, actual steam economy can vary widely depending on factors such as feed temperature, preheating configurations, and specific thermodynamic properties.
The maximum number of effects in a system is limited by the total available temperature difference between the live steam and the cooling water source. Each added effect requires a share of this overall thermal driving force. Consequently, process liquors with high boiling point elevations (BPE) inherently subtract from this available temperature difference, typically requiring these systems to operate with fewer effects or require higher pressure live steam.
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