SINGLE EFFECT EVAPORATOR

AIM:
To determine, the overall heat transfer co-efficient, capacity and steam economy of a
single effect evaporator.

THEORY:
When one of the components in the solution is non volatile, the principle of evaporator is
used to separate the volatile component from non volatile component. During evaporation
process, concentration of the non-volatile component increases. The evaporator provides
the necessary heat transfer interface to boil off the volatile component. Assuming that the
heat losses to the surroundings are negligible compared to the extent heat transfer in the
evaporator, the heat transfer coefficient can be established by setting up simple material
balance and energy balance equations.

Applying mass balance around the evaporator,

Overall material balance:

M f  MV  M p (1)
Where Mf = Mass flow rate of feed solution into the evaporator
Mv = Mass flow rate of vapor out of the vapor space of the evaporator
Mp = Mass flow rate of product (concentrated solution) out of the evaporator

Component balance

NaOH mass balance

M f x f  MV xv  M p x p (2)
where xf = Concentration of NaOH in the feed solution
xv = Concentration of NaOH in the vapor = 0 (since vapor is pure water)
xp = Concentration of NaOH in the Product solution

Water mass balance

M f (1  x f )  MV (1  xv )  M p (1  x p ) (3)

2. Energy balance,
Q  M f H f  M s s  M v v  M f H s  M p H p  Qo (4)

Where, Q = Overall heat transfer rate in the evaporator

Qo = Heat loss to the surroundings = negligible
Mf = Mass flow rate of feed solution into the evaporator
Mv = Mass flow rate of vapor out of the vapor space of the evaporator
Mp = Mass flow rate of product (concentrated solution) out of the
Evaporator.
Ms = Mass flow rate of steam to the steam chest of the evaporator
 Hf = specific Enthalpy of feed solution
Hp = Specific Enthalpy of product solution
Hs = Specific sensible enthalpy of feed solution associated with solution at
boiling point ( Solution would be heated from room temperature to
boiling temperature before boiling)
λs = Latent heat of steam
λv = Latent heat of vapor
The enthalpies of vapor, product and feed respectively collected from data at
corresponding temperature of streams (KJ/Kg), latent heats of steam and vapor can be
obtained from steam tables

CALICULATION OF OVERALL HEAT TRANSFER CO-EFFICIENT:

Q  U o Ao T (5)
Q = Overall heat transfer rate of the evaporator
Ao = Overall Heat transfer surface area of the total number of tubes (in the steam chest)
Uo= Overall heat transfer coefficient of the evaporator based on total outside surface area
of the tubes
T  Ts  Tb =over all temperature drop across steam and vapor in the vapor space
Ts = Steam condensing temperature= saturation temperature of steam
Tb = Boiling temperature of solution
Q
U0  (6)
Ao T
where, Ao  Do LNt
Ao = Overall Heat transfer surface area of the total number of tubes (in the steam chest)
Do= Outside diameter of a tube in the steam chest
L = Length of a tube in the steam chest
Nt = Total number of tubes in the steam chest
Evaporation capacity Mv = mass rate of vapor generated = ………..kg/s
Steam economy = Mass rate of vapor generated / Mass rate of steam consumed =
Mv
……… V/ ms (7)
Ms

EQUIPMENT SET UP:

 The equipment consists of an evaporator of 75mm ID. It consists of 12.5mm OD
tubes of 750mm long, 13 in number. There is a external down comer of 50mm OD (2”).
The product is collected with an inverted U module so that the level is self controlled.
The feed is regulated by the feed valve with a rotameter. The feed solution is pumped to
the evaporator with a ss 316 gear pump. The product and the vapor condensate are
separately collected in their respective tanks. The condenser has 12.5 mm OD tubes of
500mm long 19in number. The entire setup is provided with a strong square section
support.

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE:

1) Prepare 20 lits. Of 0.01N NaOH solution and standerdize with standard oxalic
acid solution and fill the feed tank with the 0.01N NaOH solution. Keep the feed
valve closed and open the by pass valve. Start the pump to give good re-
circulation so that the solution gets well mixed.

2) Fill in water into the boiler tank up to ¾. Switch on the heaters. Wait until the
boiler pressure is 30 psi.
3) Partially open the feed valve and fix up some feed flow rate of the solution and
maintain it at that flow rate throughout. Keep the product valve closed, so that the
level in the evaporator is built up.

4) Slowly open steam outlet valve of the boiler and maintain constant steam pressure
(2 – 3 psi) in the steam chest of the heat exchange section of the evaporator.
Steam gets condensed by giving away the latent heat to the solution. Condensate
gets collected in the condensate collection tank at saturation temperature. Now
watch for the beginning of boiling in the evaporator as indicated by the dripping
of condensate droplets out of the vapor condenser. Start the cooling water
circulation by opening the inlet valve to the condenser and fix some inlet water
flow rate and maintain it.

5) When steady state conditions are reached by observation of constant level in the
evaporator, constant solution feed flow rate indicated by the feed solution
rotameter, steady flow rate of both the top vapor condensate and steam
condensate, steady flow of cooling water as indicated by water rotameter, and
when all stream temperatures are steady note down the following.
a) Flow rate of feed solution.
b) Flow rate of top vapor condensate
c) Steam condensate flow rate
d) Temperature of all the streams (inlet temperature of steam to the evaporator,
vapor space temperature, Inlet temperature of the feed solution, vapor temperature
at inlet to the condenser, inlet, outlet cooling water temperatures of the condenser,
e) Product rate (by actually collecting sample for known time)
At steady state it was assumed that the vapor stream leaving, product stream leaving the
evaporator are in thermal equilibrium, ie temperature of vapor leaving the evaporator T v
= temperature of the product leaving the evaporator Tp = bioling temperature of solution
Tb
6) Procedure for estimation of top vapor condensate flow rate:
At steady state collect the condensate of vapor dripping out of the condenser in to a
measuring jar for 10 min. Measure the temperature of the vapor condensate. At that
temperature evaluate the density of water from property data hand book. Estimate
volumetric flow rate of vapor condensate and Mass flow rate of vapor condensate.

7) Procedure for estimation of steam condensate flow rate:

At steady state note down the time required for a rise in 1 cm level in the condensate
collection tank. Estimate the density of condensate at saturation temperature of
steam.(Steam is assumed to condense at saturation temperature) Estimate the volumetric
flow rate of condensate into the tank by taking condensate tank dimensions and mass
flow rate.

9) Repeat the above procedures for different flow rates of feed solution.

10) Stop the heater, stop the pump, stop the cooling water circulation, drain all the
solution from the evaporator, the feed tank and clean the evaporator by pumping
fresh water into the evaporator system and drain it.

11) Analyze product solutions for NaOH concentration by titrating it against standard
oxalic acid solution.

Note/Warning : During the operation of the condenser, always see that the steam
pressure inside the boiler shall not drop below 10 psi, and the
water level in the boiler shall not drop below the level of
immersion heaters.

OBSERVATIONS:

Specifications of Evaporator:
Diameter of evaporator = .095 m
OD = .0125m
Length L =.75m
No of tubes, nt = 13
Vapor disengaging height, Lv = 100 mm
Weight of NaOH taken =
Amount of feed 20l
Initial concentration of feed, xf = 0.01N (prepared, but to confirmed by titration)
Normality of standard oxalic acid = N(use around 0.01N)
Sl Steam Temp Feed Volume of Volume of Volume of Temp at various
No. pressure Of Rate product for top steam pts T, oC
Psi Steam, LPm condensate condensate, 1 2 3 4 5 6
Kgf/cm2 Ts, oC for for

10 P V 10 Time/1cm C
min, Cc/min Cc/min min raise Vsc
Vp Vsc
1
2
3
4

Sl. Titre reading T1 ml Titre reading T2 ml Feed Product

No. with feed solution with product solution concentration xf concentration, xp
N g/l Wt N g/l Wt
Frn Frn
1
2
3
4

CALCULATIONS:
1. Calculate mass flow rate of product by using equations 1,2 &3.
2. Estimate overall heat transfer rate in the evaporator using eq. (4)
3. Estimate overall heat transfer co-efficient based on outside surface area of the
tubes using eq.(6)
4. Estimate steam economy using eq (7)

RESULTS:
Final concentration of NaOH =
Over all heat transfer co-efficient of the evaporator Uo = W / m2 oC
Evaporator Capacity Mv =………….. kg/s
M
Steam economy = v =………
Ms