EVAPORATION

CEDELYN L. INTANO
Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering

Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering and Architecture

Cebu Institute of Technology – University, N. Bacalso Ave. Cebu City, 6000 Philippines

Date Performed: January 14, 2016

ABSTRACT

This is a special case of heat transfer, which deals with the evaporation of a volatile solvent
such as water from a non-volatile solute such as salt or any other material in solution. The
objectives of this experiment are to determine the overall heat transfer coefficient in an
evaporator and to study the effects of temperature drop and liquor level on the capacity and
the over-all heat transfer coefficient of the evaporator.
 I. Introduction

Evaporation is a type of vaporization of a liquid that occurs from the surface of a liquid into a
gaseous phase that is not saturated with the evaporating substance. The other type of vaporization
is boiling, which is characterized by bubbles of saturated vapor forming in the liquid phase. Steam
produced in a boiler is another example of evaporation occurring in a saturated vapor phase.
Evaporation that occurs directly from the solid phase below the melting point, as commonly observed
with ice at or below freezing or moth crystals (napthalene or paradichlorobenzene), is
called sublimation.
On average, a fraction of the molecules in a glass of water have enough heat energy to
escape from the liquid. Water molecules from the air enter the water in the glass, but as long
as the relative humidity of the air in contact is less than 100% (saturation), the net transfer of
water molecules will be to the air. The water in the glass will be cooled by the evaporation
until equilibrium is reached where the air supplies the amount of heat removed by the
evaporating water. In an enclosed environment the water would evaporate until the air is
saturated.
With sufficient temperature, the liquid would turn into vapor quickly (see boiling
point). When the molecules collide, they transfer energy to each other in varying degrees,
based on how they collide. Sometimes the transfer is so one-sided for a molecule near the
surface that it ends up with enough energy to 'escape'.
Evaporation is an essential part of the water cycle. The sun (solar energy) drives
evaporation of water from oceans, lakes, moisture in the soil, and other sources of water.
In hydrology, evaporation and transpiration (which involves evaporation within
plant stomata) are collectively termed evapotranspiration. Evaporation of water occurs when
the surface of the liquid is exposed, allowing molecules to escape and form water vapor; this
vapor can then rise up and form clouds. The tracking of evaporation from its source on the
surface of the earth, through the atmosphere as vapor or clouds, and to its fate as precipitation
closes the atmospheric water cycle, and embodies the concept of the precipitation shed.

II. Materials, Apparatus, and Equipment

Evaporator, Condenser, Steam trap, Steam condensate tank, Westphal balance,
Refractometer, Water, and Steam
 III. Methodology

The feed which was measured by water A was introduced into the evaporator through
valve B to a predetermined level on water gage C. Then, steam was introduced into the
steam chest and the pressure reducing valve D was set for the desired pressure. The steam
condensate from tap E was passed through a cooler and was collected. The feed was
introduced continuously at a rate sufficient to maintain the desired level in the evaporator.
The evaporator was run for approximately 30 minutes to attain equilibrium conditions and
data were taken over to a 10-15 minute interval, during which time the following
measurements are recorded: quantity and temperature of water introduced; temperature and
pressures of the steam and vapor; weight of condensate from condenser; weight of steam
condensate from trap.

The experiment was repeated at various steam pressures and liquid levels. A separate
series of runs was made to determine the radiation losses from the steam chest. During these
runs, the evaporator was operated without introducing feed, and the heat losses were
calculated from the quantities of steam condensed at various pressures.

IV. Data and Results

Given: for Problem 8.4-1 From Geankoplis

F=4535kg/h CP=4.10kJ/kgK
XF=0.02 Ts=383.2 K
XL=0.03 TF=311 K
2
A=69.7 m T1=373.2 K
Ps=101.32kPa
Required: L, V, U
Solution:
Hv @ 373.2 K= 2257 kJ/kg F=L+V
Λ at T= 383.2 K=2230 kJ/kg 4535=L+V
hF=CPF(TF-T1) FxF=LxL
= 4.10kJ/kgK (311-373.2)K 4535(0.02)=L(0.03)
= -255.02 kJ/kg L=3023.33 kg/h liquid
V=1511.67 kg/h vapor
FhF+Sλ=LhL+VHV
4535kg/h (-255.02kJ/kg)+ S(2230 kJ/kg)= 3023.33 kg/h (0)+ 1511.67kg/h (2257 kJ/kg)
S=2048.5896 kg steam/hr
q= Sλ
=2048.5896kg/h (2230kJ/kg)(1000j/kJ)(1h/3600s)= 1,268,987.447
ΔT= Ts-T1
q= 1,268,987.447=UAT1
U= 1820.6420 W/m2
Given: problem 8.4-9
TF=311 K Pv=13.3 kPa abs
XF=0.20 U=1420W/m2K
XL=0.50 A=86.4 m2
Ts=399.3 K
Required: F of the evaporator
OMB: CMB:NaOH balance
F=L+V eqn 2 FXF=LXL+VHV
FXF=LXL 0.2F=0.5L
F(0.20)=L(0.50) L=(2/5)F eqn 3
Via interpolation: T1=51.39 °C
From fig 8.4-2: Tsoln=365.65 K@50 % NaOH
ΔTb=Tsoln-T1=41.11 °C
q= UA(Ts-Tsoln)
= 1420(86.4 m2)(399.3-365.65)K
= 41 284.2 W
From Fig a. 2-9 @ 399.3 K: λS= 2185.2164 kJ/kg
𝑞 𝑘𝑔
𝑆= = 1.889264239
𝜆𝑆 × 1000 𝑠
From fig 8.4-3: hF=130 kJ/kg
hL=400 kJ/kg
λV=2672.736513
λV=HV+CPΔT
= 2594.5464+1.884(41.11)
= 2671.99764 kJ/kg
Heat balance:
FhF+S𝜆𝑆=LhL+ V λV
F(130)+ 4128.451199= L(400)+ V(2671.99764) eqn 1
Substitute eqn 3 to eqn 1 and 2:
F(130)+ 4128.451199= 400(2/5)F+ V(2671.99764) eqn 4
F=(2/5)F+V
(3/5)F=V eqn 5
Substitute eqn 5 to eqn 4:
F(130)+ 4128.451199=400(2/5)F+(3/5)F (2671.99764)
F= 2.527831728 kg/s or 9100.194221 kg/h
V. Discussion and Conclusion

Evaporation is a type of vaporization of a liquid that occurs from the surface of a

liquid into a gaseous phase that is not saturated with the evaporating substance. There are
factors that affect the evaporation, concentration in the liquid, solubility, pressure and
temperature. As a feed to an evaporator is relatively diluted, its viscosity is low then the
heat-transfer coefficient is high. As the evaporation proceeds, the solution becomes
concentrated; resulting to an increase in viscosity thus the heat-transfer coefficient drops.
The density and the boiling point of the solution also increase.

Solubility of the solute determines the maximum concentration of the solute in the
product stream. In most cases, the solubility of the solute increase with temperature. This
means when a hot concentrated solution from an evaporator is cooled to room
temperature, crystallization may occur. The boiling point of the solution is related to the
pressure of the system. The higher the operating pressures of the evaporator, the higher
the temperature at boiling. Also, as the concentration of the dissolved material in solution
increases by evaporation, the temperature of boiling may rise. To keep the temperatures
low in heat sensitive materials, it is often necessary to operate under atmospheric
pressure, or under vacuum.

VI. References

o Foust, et al., Principles of Unit Operations. John Wiley & Sons; Revised edition
(December 1960)

o Geankoplis, Transport Processes and Unit Operations. John Wiley & Sons