Skid-mounted unit with a falling film evaporator as column reboiler
Process
Our film evaporators treat your temperature-sensitive products in a gentle way: The use of vacuum and the short residence time along the heated surface are two essential parameters in preventing secondary reactions and preserving organoleptic properties.
Our falling film evaporator is specifically suited to process your products with a low viscosity and a low tendency for fouling. It consists of a tube bundle crowned by a proprietary liquid distribution device that ensures an efficient and uniform distribution of the liquid to all the tubes. Your product flows as a continuous film along the tube length, driven by gravity.
Usually the liquid and the vapors formed flow co-currently from the top to the bottom and are separated in a gas-liquid separator installed at the end of the tube bundle. This separator is not required in counter-current applications (for example, stripping) or when the falling film evaporator is used as the reboiler of a distillation column.
Our distribution is a two-stage system, featuring high accuracy and a wide operating range. The optimum sizing is achieved with our proprietary design tool.
In the first stage, process liquid enters the falling film evaporator through the inlet feed pipe and is directed to the top liquid distributor. The distributor then delivers the liquid to the tube sheet. It is itself equipped with many drip points to ensure the generation of an even and calm static liquid height outside the tubes.
Sulzer has over 60 years of experience in sizing and manufacturing falling film evaporators
Over 600 evaporators installed worldwide
To ensure reliable equipment design, and to verify that the desired process performance meets your product specifications, we test your individual process in our pilot plant facilities. If you prefer, we can provide you with mobile test equipment on a rental basis to apply in tests at your own facilities.
