Open Pan Evaporator

1. Aim
To determine the overall heat transfer coefficient and the economy of Open Pan Evaporator
when evaporating saturated sodium chloride
brine.

2. Theor
y
Evaporation is a process for concentrating a solution by vaporizing part or all of the
solvent-
usually water. The objective of the evaporation is to concentrate a solution consisting of a
nonvolatile solute and a volatile solvent. Essentially, evaporation may be considered to be a
special case of heat transfer in which heat is transferred from condensing vapors, from
hot gases, or directly by radiation to a liquid at constant temperature, usually its boiling
point at the operating pressure. By far the most common evaporators are those in
which heat is transferred through a metal wall from condensing steam to a boiling liquid.
Evaporation differs from the drying in that the residue is a liquid sometimes a highly viscous
one rather than a solid. It differs from the distillation, in that the vapor usually is a mixture,
no attempt is made in the evaporation step to separate the vapor into fractions. It differs from
the crystallization in that emphasis placed on concentrating a solution, e.g. in the evaporation
of brine to produce common salt, the line between evaporation and crystallization is far from
the sharp. Evaporation sometimes produces slurry of crystals in saturated mother liquor.
Normally, in evaporation the thick liquor is the valuable product and the vapor is condensed
and discarded. In one specific situation, however, the reverse is true. Mineral bearing water
often is evaporated to give a solid free product for boiler feed, for special process
requirements, or for human consumption. This technique is often called water distillation,
but technically it is evaporation.
The vapor coming out of evaporator can be used as heating media for another evaporator
which will be operating at pressure lower than the pressure in the evaporator from which
vapors are issuing so as to provide sufficient temperature gradient for heat transfer in
that evaporator. When single evaporator is put into service and vapors leaving the
evaporator are condensed and discarded, the method is known as single effect evaporation.
The economy of single effect evaporator is always less than one. Generally for evaporation
 of one kg of water from a solution, 1 to 1.3 kg of steam is required.

3. Procedur
e
a) Prepare approximately 11.6 kg of saturated sodium chloride brine (20 % w/w).
b) Charge this material to the open pan evaporator with bottom drain valve in
closed position.
c) Open the steam supply valve and also the steam to flow to the steam jacket,
collect the condensate in a separate vessel. Also note down the pressure indicated
by the pressure gauge.
d) After an hour stop the steam supply and measure the volume of condensate
collected as well as temperature of the boiling liquor.
e) Open the bottom drain valve of an evaporator and weigh the concentrate of
sodium chloride.
f) Wash the open pan evaporator to remove any traces of sodium chloride.

4. Observation and
Calculation

4.1 Observations:

Initial weight of saturated sodium chloride brine (20% w/w) taken = 11.6 kg
Final weight of saturated sodium chloride brine = ------kg
Time of operation () = 1hr
2
Pressure of the steam supplied to the steam jacket (P) = 0.5 kg/ cm
Temperature of boiling liquid (T2) = -------- C
Temp. of steam inlet (T1) = --------C
Temp. of condensate (T3) = --------C
Amount of condensate collected (w) = ------kg
Latent heat of vaporization of steam at the given pressure from steam table ()
=-------- kcal/ kg
4.2 Calculations
1) Amount of water evaporated (m)
= (Initial wt. of satd. NaCl brine (20% w/w) taken
Final weight of satd. NaCl brine)
= -------- kg
2) Total energy given up by the steam to the brine solution (Q)
= * w
= -------kcal
3) Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient (U):
Q/ = U * A * (T1 T2)
Where, Q/ = heat transferred, kcal/ hr
2
A= area of heat transfer surface, m
t2 = temperature of condensing steam,
C t1 = temperature of boiling liquor, C

2O
U = ----------- Kcal / Hr m C

4) Economy, kg of water evaporated per kg steam

= (m/ w)* 100

5. Result
2O
1) Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient (U) =--------- Kcal / Hr m C
2) Economy, kg of water evaporated per kg steam =---------

5. Precaution

Keep partially open the steam trap valve during the performance of an experiment
for keeping the flow of steam continuous.
2
Do not increase the pressure above 1.5 kg/cm in steam generator.
 Circulate the water in pipes after completion of an experiment to avoid the
chocking of solids inside the pipeline.
Drain the water from steam generator and condensate collector after completion of an
experiment.

Operate gently the selector switch of temperature indicator to read various

temperatures.
Increase the temperature gradually of the heater during initial set-up experimentation.