Plate and Frame HEX sizing
Plate and Frame HEX sizing
(OP)
Hello Gentlemen,
I am working on replacing some existing plate and frame HEX with units that can handle more process flow, about 30 percent more. With that, more steam mass flow will be required to give the desired heating. The steam comes from multiple effect evaps.
What would be the best way to verify our evaporators can supply the new higher mass flows? A mass balance around the evaporators would be the first step, but data for this is hard to obtain as the process is so variable. I do have current gauge pressures at the steam inlets for our existing hex's.
I am working on replacing some existing plate and frame HEX with units that can handle more process flow, about 30 percent more. With that, more steam mass flow will be required to give the desired heating. The steam comes from multiple effect evaps.
What would be the best way to verify our evaporators can supply the new higher mass flows? A mass balance around the evaporators would be the first step, but data for this is hard to obtain as the process is so variable. I do have current gauge pressures at the steam inlets for our existing hex's.





RE: Plate and Frame HEX sizing
Your evaporators will probably be able to provide the bleed steam needed for these Hx's, but possibly at a price to the downstream effects.
Are the Hx's you want to upsize by any chance in the flow of the feed to the multiple evap station? If so and you are increasing the feed by 30%, then in theory, you should generate more vapor from each effect some of which can be used for bleed.
There is a lot of information needed here in order to be able to help you with an answer.
Whether or not your application is sugar, if you know the brix of your feed and concentrate, you can use the evaporator sizing hardware at www.sugartech.co.za . I used it recently to simulate a multi effect sea water evaporator.
rmw
RE: Plate and Frame HEX sizing
Perhaps I will check out the application and toy around with it a bit, thank you for the reference!!