GEA meVap® Distillation

Thermal separation processes, such as evaporation and distillation, are energy intensive. In the course of their development, the aim of efficiently using this energy and of reducing costs first led to single-effect plants heated by live steam, then to multiple-effect plants, then to thermal vapor recompression, and finally, to the use of mechanical vapor recompression systems.

In conventional distillation plants, the energy content of the vapor stream produced is lost to a large extent or is only partially reused. In comparison, mechanical vapor recompression allows the continuous recycling of this energy stream by recompressing the vapor to a higher pressure and therefore, a higher temperature. The compressed vapor can be used to heat the reboiler of the column. Instead of live steam, electric energy is used indirectly to heat the plant.

How does GEA support energy-efficient distillation?

GEA meVap® Distillation can be integrated into diverse process configurations, supporting customers in: 

• Optimizing their energy consumption with process-design options focused on energy use, heat integration and utility requirements.
• Reusing process heat for internal steam demands
• Improvingplant energy performance through heat integration

By electrifying part of the heating duty and recovering process heat, GEA meVap® Distillation can contribute to lower site-related energy demand when suitable electricity sources and process conditions are available.

How does the meVap® Distillation work?

GEA’s meVap® distillation is designed specifically for primary or secondary circuit compression for steam reuse.

An electrically driven compressor draws in the steam and increases its pressure and temperature in a single or multi-stage configuration. This raises the steam to a higher energy level, enabling it to be used directly as a heating medium.