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T.A.S.T.E. Evaporator
Concentrator for high energy saving and top quality products

ED1400-GB

FMC Technologies Italia S.p.A. Via Mantova, 63/A, Box 333 - 43100 Parma Italy Tel. +39-0521-908-411 - Fax +39-0521-487-960

www.fmcitalia.com - sales.parma@intl.fmcti.com
Copyright by FMC Technologies Italia S.p.A.

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Summary The highly specific design makes the T.A.S.T.E. (Thermally Accelerated Short Time Evaporator) an evaporator absolutely fit for the concentration of very sensitive juices. The great number of evaporating effects usually employed (up to 8), dramatically reduces steam consumption per each unit of evaporated water. As many as eight kilos of water, and even more, can be evaporated per each kilo of live steam used. Operating principles The T.A.S.T.E. Evaporator belongs to the class of the Falling Film Evaporators and is widely used particularly to concentrate cloudy and clear juices obtained from citrus, tropical and continental fruits which are known to be sensitive and easily spoiled when submitted to high temperature, even for short times. Concentration occurs by water evaporating in subsequent stages called effects or stages, effects being used for the steam circuit, stages for the product run. In particular, the stage heated by live steam is called first effect; the following, heated by the vapour released in the first effect, is called second effect, and so on. When the juice to be concentrated flows parallel to the steam run, the stage numbers correspond to the effects. The water contained in the juice is evaporated under vacuum, and at progressively lower temperature through the various stages. Vapours and product usually have mixed-flow: partly equi-current and partly counter-flow. The vapour leaving the last effect is conveyed to a condenser, usually of the mixture type.

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Configuration of the single effect Each effect basically includes: a- product distribution unit b- tubenest heat exchanger c- liquid-vapour separation chamber d- transfer pump a product distribution unit The attachment, covered by international patent, is set on top of the heat exchanger to assure even product feeding and uniform liquid distribution into the heat exchanger pipes. It is designed to avoid heated surfaces not being properly wetted by the product. In particular, the smooth spreading obtained with the converging-diverging cone enables the liquid which is lightly over-heated compared to the temperature corresponding to the vapour pressure inside the exchanger to form a liquidvapour mixture which expands six times.

The liquid phase carried by high turbulence vapour flows into the tubenest while it starts evaporating due to the steam/vapour present on the shell side. The further increased volume resulting from this condition compresses the liquid against the walls of the tubes that form the tubenest and add to the mixture speed inside the pipes, so enhancing heat exchange. The speed of the mixture so accelerated reaches some hundred miles/hour at tubenest outlet. All these features are clearly summarised in the meaning of the acronym T.A.S.T.E. (Thermally Accelerated Short Time Evaporator). b Tubenest heat exchanger Conventional tubenest heat exchanger inside which water evaporation takes place for product concentration. Vapours then separates in the chamber at the bottom of the exchanger. c Separation chamber Here vapours separates from the liquid-vapour mixture flowing out of the exchanger. The vapours are then used to drive the product evaporation, hence concentration, in a subsequent effect.

d Transfer pump After the vapour phase has been removed in the chamber described above, the product collected at the bottom of the exchanger is pumped to the following stage. The special product distribution system on top of the heat exchanger of each stage of the T.A.S.T.E. makes the unit highly flexible and allows to vary the process flowrate up to +/-35-40% contrarily to any other falling-film evaporation systems available so far.

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Product Quality and Energy Saving As it is well known, the number of effects installed multiplies the quantity of water evaporated per each weight unit of live steam; roughly, the weight of water evaporated per each weight unit of steam corresponds to the number of the effects.

The technology applied in the T.A.S.T.E. provides maximum energy saving (at least 5 effects are usually adopted in the TASTEs) while preserving the organoleptic characteristics of the processed product, thanks to the extremely short product holding times in the evaporation stages. F.M.C. guarantees live steam requirements not exceeding 0,127 kg/ kg of evaporated water in the 8-effect models. The maximum operating temperature of the first effect does not usually exceed 74-76C and product total holding time in the concentration stage is less than 23 minutes.

Total installed power is average 5-6 Kw per ton of evaporated water (5-10 for smaller plants, 2-5 for high-capacity models) Assuming an average cost for live steam of 20 Euro per ton and a cost of electric energy of 0,08 Euro per Kw-h, the cost of 1 ton of evaporated water will range between 2,8 and 3,2 Euro. Excellent results have been obtained with the T.A.S.T.E. Evaporator also under very severe conditions: 3032Brix concentrates have been produced starting from HotBreak tomato juice and fruit puree, where thermal damage was considerably lower than with any other known system of production, while obtaining at the same time the well known energy savings.