PROCESS

HEAT
TRANSFER

E VA P O R AT I O N

Dr Wan Zaireen Nisa Yahya and Dr Shafirah Samsuri 2024

 TOPIC OUTCOMES
At the end of this topic, students should be
able to:
1) explain evaporation theory
2) design the operation methods for evaporators
3) perform the mass and heat balance calculation for
single effect evaporators.
4) analyze effect of parameters on evaporator’s capacity
& economy
5) discuss the industrial applications of evaporation

2
 PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
What is the primary factor that influences the rate of
evaporation?

a) Temperature of the surrounding air

b) Initial volume of the liquid
c) Color of the liquid
d) Pressure inside the container

3
DEFINITION - EVAPORATION
– process where vapor (solvent) from a boiling
liquid solution is removed and a more
concentrated solution (solute) remains
– Solvent generally refers to the removal of water
from aqueous solution
– Evaporation used in water desalination :

•4
 OTHER APPLICATIONS
• Widely used in food • Produce • In pharmaceutical
and beverages concentrated industry,
industry to concentrate aqueous solution in evaporation is
liquid food such as salt, such as sodium used in
sugar, soup, syrup, chloride, sodium manufacturing.
glycerol, milk. hydroxide

•5
PROCESSING FACTORS
❑ Types of evaporators are selected based on the
physical and chemical properties of the solution
being concentrated and the vapor removed

Properties affecting processing methods :

1. Concentration in liquid
2. Solubility
3. Temperature sensitivity of materials
4. Foaming or frothing
5. Pressure and Temperature
6. Scale deposition / Materials construction
•6
CONCENTRATION IN THE LIQUID

❑ liquid feed is relatively dilute

 low viscosity, high heat transfer coefficient

❑ solution may become very viscous due to

evaporation
 heat transfer coefficient drops
 adequate circulation and/or turbulence must
be present to keep the coefficient moderate.
•7
SOLUBILITY
Solubility curves of typical salts

❑ Heat is provided, Evaporation

takes place
 concentration of solute
increases
 exceed solubility limit of
material
 form crystals thereby limit
maximum concentration in
solution

•8
TEMPERATURE SENSITIVITY OF
MATERIALS
Temperature-sensitive materials
degrade at higher temperature or
prolonged heating
food & biological materials e.g. milk,
vegetable extracts
pharmaceutical products
fine organic chemicals
Degradation is a function of the
temperature & the length of time

•9
FOAMING OR FROTHING
Some solutions form a foam or froth during
boiling
food solutions - skim milk
fatty acid solutions
This foam accompanies the vapor coming
out of the evaporator and entrainment
losses occur

•10
PRESSURE & TEMPERATURE

❑ High operating pressure cause rise in

boiling point
❑ Heat sensitive materials are required to
keep at low temperature
❑ Recommended operating pressure
under 1 atm (vacuum) to keep
temperature low in heat-sensitive
material

•11
 SCALE DEPOSITION
❑ Some solution deposit solid materials
(scale) on heating surfaces.
Possible cause:
products decomposition
decrease in solubility
Consequences: overall heat transfer
coefficient decreases, corroded
evaporator
❑ Materials for evaporator should be
chosen to minimize corrosion

•12
Create a plan to minimize scale deposition on heating
surfaces.

Suggested answer:
Answers may vary. Possible plan includes regular cleaning and maintenance of
heating surfaces, monitoring and controlling solubility levels, and using anti-scale
additives.

13
 SINGLE EFFECT EVAPORATOR
Typical evaporator is made up of
three functional sections:
Vapor 1. heat exchanger
2. evaporating section: liquid
Feed boils & evaporates
P
3. separator: vapor leaves liquid
T and passes off to condenser/other
Condensate equipment

Steam •Tboil =Tvap , vapor is in equilibrium

with boiling solution.
•Used for small capacity operation
and low cost steam
Concentrated
liquid •Energy wasted as latent heat of
vapor discarded
14
SINGLE EFFECT EVAPORATOR:
BALANCE

Vapor, V
T1, yV, HV
Feed, F
TF, xF, hF
Steam, S Condensate, S
TS, HS TS, hS
Steam at saturation T → latent heat
Concentrated liquid, L
T1, xL, hL
P1: liquid saturation vapor P at boiling point T1
15
SINGLE EFFECT EVAPORATOR:
MASS BALANCE
Vapor, V
Overall Balance
Feed, F
F=L+V 1
xi.F ; xw.F
Solute Balance
F xi.F = L xi.L 2

Concentrated liquid, L
xi.L ; xw.L

16
SINGLE EFFECT EVAPORATOR:
ENERGY BALANCE
Total heat entering = Total heat leaving
F hF + S Hs = L hL + V HV + S hs 3

Vapor, V
hF = enthalpy of feed [J/kg] T1, yV, HV
HS = enthalpy of saturated steam Feed, F
[J/kg] hF
hL = enthalpy of liquid [J/kg] Steam, S Condensate, S
HV = enthalpy of vapour [J/kg] TS, HS TS, hS

hs = enthalpy of condensed
steam [J/kg] Concentrated liquid, L
hL
SINGLE EFFECT EVAPORATOR:
ENERGY BALANCE
 = Hs – hs = Latent heat of steam/condensation
Assumption: Condensed steam leaves at Ts
➔ steam gives off latent heat

Hv = HH2O – hH2O = Latent heat of

water/evaporation
➔ water gives off latent heat

18
SINGLE EFFECT EVAPORATOR:
ENERGY BALANCE
From eq. 3:

F hF + S Hs = L hL + V HV + S hs 3

4
F hF + S  = L hL + V HV

19
SINGLE EFFECT EVAPORATOR:
ENERGY BALANCE
Q = UAΔT
5
= UA (TS – T1)
= S
Q = heat transferred per unit time [Watt] = capacity of evaporator
U = overall coefficient of heat transfer [W/m2 K]
A = heat transfer surface [m2]
T = temperature difference between condensing steam and boiling
liquid [K]
S = mass rate of steam [kg/s]
 = latent heat of steam condensation at Ts [J/kg] 20
 F hF + Ss  = L hL + V HV

? Latent heat of
condensation ? Latent heat of
at Ts evaporation at
T1

21
 hF & hL

for dilute inorganic & organic solution e.g. sugar,

milk, biological solids, juice

hf = CpF (TF – T1)

hL = CpL(TL– T1)

22
EXAMPLE 1
A continuous single-effect evaporator concentrates 9072 kg/hr of a
1.0 wt% salt solution entering at 311.0 K (37.80C) to a final
concentration of 1.5 wt%. The vapor space of the evaporator is at
101.325 kPa (1.0 atm abs) and the steam supplied is saturated at
143.3 kPa. The overall heat transfer coefficient, U and heat capacity
of water, Cp are 1704 W/m2 K and 4.14 kJ/kg K, respectively.

Calculate:
a) The amount of vapor & liquid product
b) The heating surface area, A required.

23
 V, yV,
F = 9072 kg/h, T1, HV
xF = 0.01
TF = 311K P1 = 1 atm
T1
S, TS, hS
S,
P = 143.3 kPa
TS, HS

L, xL = 0.015,
TL, hL
datum
U = 1704 W/m2 K
24
How can you calculate L & V & A?

What information do you have?

What equation do you have?

F=L+V
F xi.F = L xi.L

F hF + S Hs = L hL + V HV + S hs

Q = UAΔT hf = CpF (TF – T1)

= UA (TS – T1)
= S hL = CpL(TL– T1)
25
Perform overall and component mass balance
Solve for L &V,

L = 6048 kg/hr & V = 3024 kg/hr 26

Perform heat balance

F hF + S  = L hL + V HV

Assume CpF = Cp of water = 4.14 kJ/kg K

T1 = (from steam table at P1)

hf = CpF (TF – T1)

hf = ???
hL = CpL(TL– T1)= 0 Assume TL is the same with T1

27
 = latent heat of steam at 143.3 kPa
 = HS – hS
Ts = ??
 (Ts= 1100C) = 2691.5 – 461.3 = 2230.2 kJ/kg

HV = latent heat of water at 101.3 kPa

HV = HH20 – hH20
HV (T1 = 1000C) = 2257.06 kJ/kg

28
29
T1 = (from steam table at P1) 30
 F hF + S  = L hL + V HV

Using heat balance, solve for S value,

S = 4108 kg steam/hr

31
Q = S = UAT = UA (Ts-T1)
Q = 4108(2230.2) = 9161661.6 kJ/hr

Using Q, U=1704 W/m2.K solve for A,

A = 149.3 m2

32
EXAMPLE 2
A feed of 4535 kg/h of a 2.0 wt% salt solution at 311 K enters
continuously a single effect evaporator and is being concentrated to
3.0%. The evaporator is at atmospheric pressure and the area of the
evaporator is 69.7 m2. Saturated steam at 383.2 K is supplied for
heating. Since the solution is dilute, it can be assumed to have the
same boiling point as water. The heat capacity of the feed is taken as
Cp= 4.10 kJ/kgK. The latent heat of vapor at 373.2 K is 2257 kJ/kg.
At 143.3 kPa saturation steam temperature is 383.2 K and latent heat
is 2230 kJ/kg. Calculate the amount of vapor and liquid product and
the overall heat transfer coefficient.

33
 F = 4535 kg/h,
V, yV,
xF = 0.02 (2.0 wt%) T1, HV
TF = 311K
Cp= 4.10 kJ/kgK P1 = 1 atm
T1=373.2 K
S, TS, hS
S,
TS = 383.2 K
TS, HS

A = 69.7m2 L, xL = 0.03,
TL, hL
Find U? datum
latent heat of water at 1 atm at 373.2 JK is 2257 kJ/kg
Steam : At 143.3 kPa and 383.2 K latent heat of steam= 2230 kJ/kg 34
 SOLUTION
Q = S = UAT = UA (Ts-T1)
F hF + S  = L hL + V HV
• Steps:
1. Perform mass balance: F, L, V
2. Perform heat balance: hF, Hv, , hL
3. Find S
4. Use Q = S = UAT = UA (Ts-T1) to find U

V=1511.7 and L=3023.3

hf=4.1*(311-373.2)=-255kJ/kg
Hv=2257 kJ/kg
Lambda= 2230
U = 1819 W/m2.K
35