Plate Evaporator

What is Plate Evaporator and How Does It Work

What is Plate Evaporator

A plate evaporator is an evaporator heat exchanger used to evaporate liquids. It consists of a series of thin metal plates with channels or passages between them, through which the liquid to be evaporated flows.

The plates are arranged in a stack and separated by small gaps, allowing for efficient heat transfer. There are seals that are placed between the evaporator plates to prevent any leakage of the liquids or hot fluid.

The most common metals used in plate evaporators are stainless steel, titanium, and nickel alloys, which are chosen for their resistance to corrosion and durability. They are arranged in a way that creates a series of parallel channels. It is designed to take advantage of the large surface area of thin plates to maximize the transfer of heat from a hot fluid to a cold fluid. 

Its design provides higher thermal efficiency than the traditional shell-and-tube evaporators and because of this much less heat transfer area is needed. Plate Evaporator are cost-efficient especially when special metal materials are required.

How Does Plate Evaporator Work

The plate evaporators are mainly based on the semi-welding technology of the rising-plate evaporator. One medium evaporates in a channel with a seal, while the steam heating medium condenses in the welded channels.

During operation, the hot fluid flows through the wider channels from the bottom of the evaporator plates, while the liquid being evaporated flows through the narrow channels. Heat is transferred from the hot fluid to the liquid through the evaporator plates, causing the liquid to evaporate and the hot fluid to cool down. 

The product flows upward along the wall of the plate under the action of a large amount of instantaneous steam. The evaporated liquid is then removed as vapor, leaving behind a more concentrated liquid.

It is commonly used in the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries for applications such as concentrating juices, syrups, and other liquids. They are also used in chemical and petrochemical plants for various evaporation and concentration processes.

Typical applications for Plate Evaporator are sugar refinery evaporation systems, sweeteners evaporation systems, bioethanol, and caustic evaporation. It is also suitable as a thermosiphon reboiler.

Structure of Plate Evaporator

Gasketed & Hang-on frame design

Flow section and flow path with rising plate

Non-glued gasket sealing

Advantages of Plate Evaporator

Efficient heat transfer – Arranged in a way that maximizes heat transfer and minimizes temperature difference between two fluids, resulting in a more efficient evaporation process.

Energy Efficient – Plate evaporators are designed to minimize heat loss, which makes them more energy efficient than other types of evaporators.

Compact Size – Allows easy installation and integration into existing production processes, also easy scaled up or down depending on the volume of liquid to be evaporated.

Low maintenance – Do not have any moving parts and require minimal maintenance, making them a cost-effective solution for evaporating liquids.

Reliable – At HFM, we strictly adhere to the highest standards of quality and safety, ensuring all of our products meet the rigorous requirements of GRG, FDA, and SGS certifications.

Basic Parameters of Plate Evaporator

Plate:

AISI304，316L

Gasket:

NBR, EPDM, FKM

Recommended Applications of Plate Evaporator

Sugar

Juice Concentration

Powder Production

Wastewater Treatment