Evaporation Technology
Falling Film Evaporator
The most widely used evaporator in the process industry. Vertical shell-and-tube heat exchanger with a wrap-around or laterally arranged centrifugal separator.
The Falling Film Evaporator, with capacity ranges of up to 150t/h and relatively small floor space requirement, is the most widely used evaporator in the process industry.
Particularly well suited for temperature-sensitive products, liquids containing small quantities of solids and with a low to moderate tendency to form incrustations.
What are the particular features of Falling Film Evaporators?
- Best product quality.
Thanks to its gentle evaporation, mostly under vacuum, and extremely short residence times in the falling film evaporator.
- High energy efficiency.
Due to its multiple-effect arrangement or heating by thermal or mechanical vapor recompressor.
- Usage of recovered waste heat.
The evaporator can be heated by exhaust airstreams or hot water thanks to the flexible design of the heating side.
- Simple process control and automation.
Because of its small liquid content, it reacts quickly to changes in energy supply, vacuum, feed quantities, concentrations and more.
- Flexible operation.
Quick start-up and easy switchover from operation to cleaning, plus uncomplicated changes of product.
Working Principle
How does a Falling Film Evaporator work?The liquid to be concentrated is supplied to the top of the heating tubes and distributed in such a way as to flow down on the inside of the tube walls.
The liquid film starts to boil due to the external heating of the heating tubes and is partially evaporated as a result. The downward flow, caused initially by gravity, is enhanced by the parallel, downward flow of the vapor formed.
Residual film liquid and vapor are separated in the lower part of the calandria and in a wrap-around or laterally arranged centrifugal separator. It is essential that the entire film heating surface, especially in the lower regions, is evenly and sufficiently wetted with liquid. Where this is not the case, dry spots will result that will lead to incrustation and the build-up of deposits.
For complete wetting is important that a suitable distribution system is selected for the head of the falling film evaporator. Wetting rates are increased by using longer heating tubes, dividing the falling film evaporator into several compartments or by recirculating the product.
Heating options for thermal separation plants
Downloads
Related Products
Direct Steam Sterilization
Concentrated food products need to be sterilized before they can be stored, packed or dried.
Evaporation Test Facilities at Karlsruhe R&D Center
Own state-of-the-art test facilities for laboratory and pilot plant testing in the hands of our skilled R&D engineers. Backed by the solid expertise won over many decades of innovation pursuit.
Multi-Flash Evaporators
For applications involving large throughputs of process solution with a relatively low concentration factor and other applications.
CompaCon® Evaporators
Skid-mounted Falling Film and Forced Circulation Evaporators for small-scale production. Energy efficient, easy to transport and assemble.
Related Videos
Falling Film Evaporation heated by MVR
GEA Insights
Heat pumps fast-track district heating decarbonization
The impact of global warming is increasingly apparent all over the world. Towns and cities everywhere face the same challenge: providing their communities with reliable, affordable, sustainably sourced heat. GEA spoke with an expert in the field, Kenneth Hoffmann, Manager, Heat Pumps at GEA Heating & Refrigeration Technologies, about tackling global warming faster.
Living the digital future of dairy farming with GEA
Something caught Farmer Tom's eye. Instead of another product demo, GEA showcased innovations via AR. That's only the start of GEA's interactive digital farm.
GEA homogenizers power bioinks for regenerative medicine
GEA scientists are working with researchers at the Graz University of Technology to configure a homogenization process and technology that turns eucalyptus pulp into 3D-printed, organic structures mimicking human veins, arteries and other tissues.
