Vertical thin film evaporator

We design vertical and horizontal thin film evaporators to separate a multitude of mixtures, including very high viscous and fouling substances.

Vertical thin film evaporators consist of a cylindrical, heated, vertical vessel and a high-speed rotor that maintains a film of product against the heated wall in highly turbulent conditions. A high evaporation rate and short contact time are achieved making processing also thermal sensitive products possible.

A distributor, mounted in front of the top product inlet, distributes the product on the periphery to be collected by the rotor; a dynamic droplet separator removes droplets from the vapour avoiding subsequently contaminating the condensate substance.

 

Features and options

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Rangeability

  • Standard sizes from 0,15 m2 to 40 m2, smaller and larger depending on process needs
  • Feed flow from 0,1 t/h to 50 t/h
  • Operating pressure from 1 mbarg to 2 barg
  • Wide range of operating temperatures depending on product limitations and operating pressure
  • Compatible with various types of heating media (steam, hot oil and hot water)
  • No recirculation
  • Heat recovery configuration

Rotors

  • Non contacting lobed rigid rotors (L, LV, R, HHV, UHV type): positioned with a fixed and well-defined clearance from the heated wall dependent on the product and process properties
    Available with special toothed lobes (HV, HHV and UHV type) for processing high viscosity products

rotator

  • Contacting type rotors (P, PHV types): wiped blade type rotors in contact with the heated surface


vertical1 vertical3
vertical2 vertical4

Selected for:

  • Streams with high solids content and fouling products
  • When targeting high concentration ratios, up to crystallization and drying

Special execution (PHV type) for high viscosity applications, combining hinged blades and fixed toothed blades that scrape critical sections of the evaporator, facilitating the outflow of the product while avoiding deposits.

Material
The most suitable material is selected depending on the nature of the process stream, wastewater and operating conditions.
The main materials usually selected are the following:

  • Glass lined carbon steel
  • 316L stainless steel
  • Super duplex stainless steels
  • Nickel alloys (e.g., Hastelloy® HC22)
  • Titanium

Configurations to optimise energy consumption are listed below:

  • Using hot water from cogeneration
  • Using waste energy (e.g., exhaust gas, steam condensate, process condensate)
  • Combining the abovementioned technologies

To learn more about our design, production and service capabilities check the DBO section.

Options

  • Heating

  • Bottom cone:
    • Simple, non-heated
    • Simple, heated (refer to heating options)
    • Simple, heated and scraped
  • Double cone

  • Driving group motor configurations:
    • Coaxial gearbox
    • Parallel gearbox
    • Orthogonal gearbox
  • Driving group shaft seal:
    • Double wet mechanical seal including flushing pot and circulation pump on request
    • Lip seal:
      • Only when liquid contamination of the product is tolerated
      • Not for vacuum application

Accessories

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  • Bottom guides with lubrication package upon request:
    • Pin and bearing
    • Spider
  • Condenser:
    • Shell and tube type
    • Mixing type
    • Cold traps
  • Vacuum pump (selected based on process pressure operating range)
  • Chilling units
  • Inverter
  • Cleaning features:
    • Flooding
    • Spray nozzles

Applications

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Thanks to the various features and options and our many years of process expertise in thermal separation, our vertical thin film evaporators are used across multiple industries in a wide range of applications, from purification and concentration in industrial processing to wastewater treatment and waste recovery.

Optimally suited to handle very high viscous and fouling products, they are operated to treat mixtures with different properties:

  • Viscosity: low to very high
  • Temperature sensitivity: low to high
  • Boiling point: low to high
  • Fouling: low to high
  • Foaming: low

Whenever extreme drying performances are requested or for space constraints, the horizontal thin film evaporator can be used instead of the vertical one.

Thin film evaporators can be provided as a standalone operation unit or, as the majority of applications require, as part of a plant consisting of several units, including other evaporator types. They can be operated in combination with natural or forced circulation evaporators or falling film evaporators used in previous stages, or before a final treatment with short path evaporators.

More about plants

More about processes

For new or innovative applications or to assess the correct sizing even for consolidated processes, we provide support to customers with software simulations and testing operations to determine which type of evaporator (or which plant concept) is most suitable for the performances sought.

More about R&D

Want to know more about the vertical thin film evaporator?

Contact us