CH2035 FOOD ENGINEERING 2 SEMESTER 1, 2024/2025

TUTORIAL 7 – Evaporation system

Q1: A feed of 4535 kg/h of a 2.0 wt % salt solution at 311 K enters continuously a single-effect evaporator and is
being concentrated to 3.0%.
The evaporation is at atmospheric pressure and the area of the evaporator is 69.7 m2. Saturated steam at
383.2 K is supplied for heating.
Since the solution is dilute, it can be assumed to have the same boiling point as water.
The heat capacity of the feed can be taken as cp=4.10 kJ/kg.K.
(a) Calculate the amounts of vapor and liquid product and the overall heat-transfer coefficient, U.
(b) Calculate the amounts of liquid and vapor leaving and the liquid outlet concentration if the feed rate is
increased to 6804 kg/h.

Q2: Determine the boiling temperature of the solution and the boiling point rise for the following cases:
(a) A 30% NaOH solution boiling in an evaporator at a pressure of 172.4 kPa.
(b) A 60% NaOH solution boiling in an evaporator at a pressure of 3.45 kPa.

Q3: In order to concentrate 4536 kg/h of an NaOH solution containing 10 wt% NaOH to a 20 wt% solution, a single-
effect evaporator is being used with an area of 37.6 m2.
The feed enters at 21.1oC. Saturated steam at 110oC is used for heating and the pressure in the vapor space
of the evaporator is 51.7 kPa. Calculate the rate of stream used and the overall heat-transfer coefficient.

Q4: A single effect evaporator is concentrating a feed solution of organic colloids from 5 to 50 wt %.
• The solution has a negligible boiling-point elevation. The heat capacity of the feed is cP=4.06 kJ/kg.K and the
feed enters at 15.6oC.
• Saturated steam at 101.32 kPa is available for heating, and the pressure in the vapor space of the evaporator
is 15.3 kPa.
• A total of 4536 kg/h of water is to be evaporated.
• The overall heat-transfer coefficient is 1988 W/m2.K.
What is the required surface area in m2 and the steam consumption?

Q5: A stream of 4 kg/s of a liquor containing 10% solids is fed at 294 K to the first effect of a triple-effect evaporator
unit. Liquor with 50% solids is to be withdrawn from the third effect, which is at a pressure of 13 kPa. The
liquor may be assumed to have a specific heat of 4.18 kJ/kg.K and to have no boiling point rise. Saturated dry
steam at 205 kPa is fed to the heating element of the first effect and the condensate is removed at the steam
temperature in each effect.
If the three unit are to have equal areas, estimate the area, the temperature differences and the steam
consumption. Heat transfer coefficients of 3.1, 2.0 and 1.1 kW/m2.K for the first, second, and third effects
respectively.

Fig Q5: Forward-feed

arrangement for a triple
effect evaporator

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CH2035 FOOD ENGINEERING 2 SEMESTER 1, 2024/2025

SUGGESTED SOLUTION:
Q1:

A = 69.7 m2, cp,F = 4.10 kJ/kg.K

F=L+V
F xF = L xL + V yv
4535 (0.02) = L (0.13) + V (0)
L = 3023 kg/h
V = 1512 kg/h

Heat balance: Datum temperature, T1 = 373.2 K

From steam table, At 383.2K, λs = 2230.2 kJ/kg
At 373.2K, λ = 2257.06 kJ/kg
From 𝐹ℎ𝐹 + 𝑆𝜆 = 𝐿ℎ𝐿 + 𝑉𝐻𝑣 ,
F [cp (311-T1)] + Sλs =L cp (373.2 – T1) + Vλv
F [cp (311-T1)] + S(2230.2) = 0 + (1512)(2257.06)
S = 2049 kg steam/h

Q = Sλs = UA∆T
= (2049)(2230.2 x 103)(1/3600) = U (69.7)(383.2 – 373.2)
U = 1823 W/m2.K

(b): F = 6804 kg/h, Sλs = (2049)(2230.2),

Heat balance, Datum temperature T1 = 373.2 K,
(6804)(4.10)(311.0-373.2)+(2049)(2230.2) = 0 + V (2257.06)
V = 1256 kg/h
L = 6804 – 1256 = 5548 kg/h

From mass balance on solid, F xF = L xL + V yV

6804 (0.02) = 5548 (xL) + V (0)
xL = 0.0245 or 2.45%

Q2:
(a) From steam table, for 172.4 kPa, boiling point, H2O = 115.6oC
From Durling line chart, For 30% NaOH, boiling point = 130.6oC
Boiling point rise = 130.6 - 115.6 = 15oC

(b) From steam table, for 3.45 kPa (Table A.2-9), boiling point, H2O = 26.7oC
From Durling line chart, For 60% NaOH, boiling point = 81.7oC
Boiling point rise = 81.7 - 26.7 = 55oC

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CH2035 FOOD ENGINEERING 2 SEMESTER 1, 2024/2025

Q3:

Material balance:
F=L+V
FxF = L xL + V yN
4536 = L + V
4536 (0.10)=L(0.20)+V(0)
L = 2268 kg/h
V = 2268 kg/h
At 51.7 kPa, boiling point H2O = 82.2oC (from steam table)
From Durling chart, boiling point 20% NaOH = 88.9oC
Boiling point rise = 88.9 – 82.2 = 6.7 oC
From Fig. 4: Enthalpy-concentration chart for NaOH-water system,
10% NaOH at 21.1oC, hF = 74.4 kJ/kg
20% NaOH at 88.9oC, hL = 321.0 kJ/kg
From steam table, Steam λ (saturated at 100oC) = 2230.2 kJ/kg
Hv (superheated at 88.9oC and 51.7 kPa) = 2660.6 kJ/kg

Heat balance: Datum temperature, T1 = 0oC,

From 𝐹ℎ𝐹 + 𝑆𝜆 = 𝐿ℎ𝐿 + 𝑉𝐻𝑣 ,
(4536)(74.4) + S (2230.2) = (2268)(321.0) + 2268 (2660)
S = 2880 kg steam/h

Q = Sλ = (2880)(2230 x 103) (1/3600) = U A ∆T = U (37.6)(110-88.9)

U = 2249 W/m2.K

Q4:

V = 1988 W/m2.K
Material balance, F = L + 4536
From FxF = L xL + V yN, F (0.05) = L(0.50) + 4536(0)

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CH2035 FOOD ENGINEERING 2 SEMESTER 1, 2024/2025

Solving, L = 0.10 F
F = 0.10 F + 4536
F = 5040 kg/h, L = 504 kg/h
From steam table,
Saturated, no boiling point rise, at 15.3 kPa, T1 = 54.3oC
Hv (54.3 oC) = 2372.4 kJ/kg

Heat balance, Datum temperature, T1 = 54.3 oC

From 𝐹ℎ𝐹 + 𝑆𝜆 = 𝐿ℎ𝐿 + 𝑉𝐻𝑣 ,
(5040)(4.06)(15.6-54.3) + S (2257.1) = 0 + 4536 (2372.4)
S = 5119 kg steam/h

Heat transfer rate:

Q = Sλ = (5119)(2257.1 x 103) (1/3600) = (5119)(2257.1 x 103)(1/3600) W
Q = (5119)(2257.1 x 103)(1/3600) = U A ∆T = (1988) A (100 – 54.3)
A = 35.35 m2

Q5:

Temperature of dry saturated steam at 205 kPa = 394 K

At a pressure of 13 kPa, the boiling point of water is 325 K, so that the total temperature difference, ∆T = 394 -
325 = 69K

First approximation:
Assuming that: U1∆T1 = U2∆T2 = U3∆T3
Substituting the values of U1, U2, U3, and ∑∆T = 69K,
∆T1 = 13K, ∆T2 = 20K, ∆T3 = 36K

Since the feed is cold, it will be necessary to have a greater value ∆T1 than given by this analysis.
It will be assumed that ∆T1 = 18K, ∆T2 = 17K, ∆T3 = 34K.

From the steam table,

For steam supply to 1st effect: T0 = 394 K, λ0 = 2200 kJ/kg
For ‘steam’(vapor) to 2nd effect: T1 = 376 K, λ1 = 2249 kJ/kg
For ‘steam’(vapor) to 3rd effect: T2 = 359 K, λ2 = 2293 kJ/kg
For ‘steam’(vapor) from the 3rd effect: T3 = 325 K, λ3 = 2377 kJ/kg

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CH2035 FOOD ENGINEERING 2 SEMESTER 1, 2024/2025

Assuming that the condensate leaves at the steam temperature, then heat balances across each effect may be
made as follows:
From 𝐹ℎ𝐹 + 𝑆𝜆 = 𝐿ℎ𝐿 + 𝑉𝐻𝑣 ,
1st Effect: 𝑆0 𝜆0 = 𝐹𝑐𝑝 (𝑇1 − 𝑇0 ) + 𝑆1 𝜆1 or S0 (2200) = (4)(4.18)(376-294) + S1 (2249)
2nd Effect: 𝑆1 𝜆1 = (𝐹 − 𝑆1 )𝑐𝑝 (𝑇1 − 𝑇2 ) = 𝑆2 𝜆2 or 2249 S1 + (4 - S1)(4.18)(376-359) = 2293 S2
3rd Effect: 𝑆2 𝜆2 + (𝐹 − 𝑆1 − 𝑆2 )𝑐𝑝 (𝑇2 − 𝑇3 ) = 𝑆3 𝜆3 or 2293 S2 + (4-S1-S2)(4.18)(359-325)= 2377 S3

A material balance over the evaporator is:

Solid (kg/s) Liquor (kg/s) Total (kg/s)
Feed 0.4 3.6 4.0
Product 0.4 0.4 0.8
Vapor 3.2 3.2

Make use of the fact that (S1 + S2 + S3) = 3.2 kg/s, the evaporation in each unit is S1 ≈0.991, S2 ≈1.065, S3 ≈1.144,
S0 ≈1.635 kg/s.
The area of the surface of each effect necessary to transmit the necessary heat under the given temperature
difference may be obtained as:
𝑆0 𝜆0 (1.635𝑥2200)
𝐴1 = = = 64.5𝑚2
𝑈1 ∆𝑇1 (3.1 𝑥18)
𝑆1 𝜆1 (0.991𝑥2249)
𝐴2 = = = 65.6𝑚2
𝑈2 ∆𝑇2 (2.0 𝑥17)
𝑆2 𝜆2 (1.085𝑥2293)
𝐴3 = = = 65.3𝑚2
𝑈3 ∆𝑇3 (1.1 𝑥34)

In practice, ∆T1 would have to be a little larger since A1 is the smallest area.
It may be noted that, on the basis of these calculations, the economy is given by:
ε = 3.2/1.635 = 2.0
Thus, a triple effect unit working under these conditions gives a reduction in steam utilisation compared with a
single effect, though not as large an economy as might be expected.