Commercial Evaporator Types – An Overview

Generally, most Unit Operations courses in Chemical Engineering curricula cover basics in fluids, heat transfer, and distillation very well, but the average engineer upon graduation may find that he or she has to deal with a unit operation that was in their text books but was never covered or discussed in class. Evaporators for removing water or other solvents from solutions are such operations that are used in numerous chemical, pulp & paper, food, agricultural, power, and waste treatment applications. Evaporators are available in different types and may be configured in many ways to increase steam efficiency. This presentation summarizes the various evaporator types and basic configurations available for different process needs.