Falling film evaporators

Falling-type evaporators, also known as thin-film falling-type evaporators, have been standard equipment in evaporation stations in sugar plants for decades. They operate continuously and are used to evaporate and concentrate sugar juices. ŚFUP offers a variety of apparatus configurations to suit individual needs and operating conditions. Operational experience with falling film evaporators in the sugar industry clearly demonstrates the benefits for sustainable sugar production. Recent studies on the heat transfer coefficients ‘k’ for different evaporators, as well as the evaluation of limescale deposition on sieve bottoms and stainless-steel heating tubes, as well as the reduction in exhaust steam requirements and sucrose losses in evaporating stations using these apparatuses, confirm the advantages of these solutions over other types of apparatus.

Advantages of Falling-type evaporators:

• operation at a lower effective temperature difference due to the absence of a hydrostatic column of juice,
• the juice distribution system used, with a tube distributor ensuring even distribution and inflow of juice to the heating tubes,
• lower juice volume, which reduces the average residence time of juice at higher temperatures and reduces losses and the increase in sugar colouration,
• more favourable heat transfer conditions, especially for higher-concentration juices,
• possibility to build apparatus with a large heat transfer surface area, allowing installation in a small footprint,
• the relocation of the steam collector ensures uniform steam distribution over the entire chamber surface,
• in order to facilitate cleaning of the evaporator, a raised juice distribution dome was used, making it possible to clean the juice distributor and heating tubes with a high-pressure water jet.