Evaporating temperature

When an atom or molecule receives sufficient thermal energy to escape from a Hquid surface, it carries with it the heat of vaporization at the temperature at which evaporation took place. Condensation (return to the Hquid state accompanied by the release of the latent heat of vaporization) occurs upon contact with any surface that is at a temperature below the evaporation temperature. Condensation occurs preferentially at all poiats that are at temperatures below that of the evaporator, and the temperatures of the condenser areas iacrease until they approach the evaporator temperature. There is a tendency for isothermal operation and a high effective thermal conductance. The steam-heating system for a building is an example of this widely employed process. 

The operating variables for a dmm or roHer dryer iaclude coadeasatioa of incoming product ia an evaporator, temperature of incoming product, steam pressure (temperature) ia dmm, speed of dmm, and height of product over dmm. The capacity of the dryer is iacreased by increa sing the steam pressure, the temperature of the milk feed, the height of milk over the dmms, the gap between dmms (double), and the speed of rotation of the dmms. Increasing the capacity is limited by the effect on the product quaHty. 

An important characteristic of solvents is rate of evaporation. Rates of solvent loss are controUed by the vapor pressure of the solvent(s) and temperature, partial pressure of the solvent over the surface, and thus the air-flow rate over the surface, and the ratio of surface area to volume. Tables of relative evaporation rates, in which -butyl acetate is the standard, are widely used in selecting solvents. These relative rates are deterrnined experimentally by comparing the times required to evaporate 90% of a weighed amount of solvent from filter paper under standard conditions as compared to the time for -butyl acetate. The rates are dependent on the standard conditions selected (6). Most tables of relative evaporation rates are said to be at 25°C. This, however, means that the air temperature was 25°C, not that the temperature of the evaporating solvent was 25°C. As solvents evaporate, temperature drops and the drop in temperature is greatest for solvents that evaporate most rapidly. 

Sindlady, heating surface area needs are not direcdy proportional to the number of effects used. For some types of evaporator, heat-transfer coefficients decline with temperature difference as effects are added the surface needed in each effect increases. On the other hand, heat-transfer coefficients increase with temperature level. In a single effect, all evaporation takes place at a temperature near that of the heat sink, whereas in a double effect half the evaporation takes place at this temperature and the other half at a higher temperature, thereby improving the mean evaporating temperature. Other factors to be considered are the BPR, which is additive in a multiple-effect evaporator and therefore reduces the net AT available for heat transfer as the number of effects is increased, and the reduced demand for steam and cooling water and hence the capital costs of these auxiUaries as the number of effects is increased. 

If the refrigerating requirement at a low-evaporating temperature is Qi and at the medium level is then mass flow rates (mi and m, respectively) needed are ... 

FIG. 11-78 Typical two-stage system with two evaporating temperatures, flash-gas removal, and intercooling. 

Two-stage systems should be seriously considered when the evaporating temperature is below—20°C. Such designs will save on power and reduce compressor discharge temperatures, but will increase initial cost. 

Condenser performance should be expressed as evaporating effect to enable matching with compressor and evaporator performance. Condenser evaporating effect is the refrigeration capacity of an evaporator served by a particular condenser. It is the function of the cycle, evaporating temperature, and the compressor. The evaporating effect could be calculated from the heat-rejection ratio qc / e -... 

FIG. 11-98 Performance of complete refrigeration system (1), when there is reduction in heat load (2), and when for the same ambient (or inlet in evaporator) evaporation temperature is maintained constant hy reducing capacity of compressor/condenser part (3). 

Absorption Refrigeration Systems Two main absorption systems are used in industrial application lithium bromide-water and ammonia-water. Lithium bromide-water systems are hmited to evaporation temperatures above freezing because water is used as the refrigerant, while the refrigerant in an ammonia-water system is ammonia and consequently it can be applied for the lower-temperature requirements. 

While theoretical compressor power requirements are reduced slightly by going to lower evaporating temperatures, the volume of vapor to be compressed and hence compressor size and cost increase so rapidly that low-temperature operation is more expensive than high-temperature operation. The requirement of low temperature for fruit-juice concentration has led to the development of an evaporator... 

Superheaters and Reheaters A superheater raises the temperature of the steam generated above the saturation level. An important function is to minimize moisture in the last stages of a turbine to avoid blade erosion. With continued increase of evaporation temperatures and pressures, however, a point is reached at which the available superheat temperature is insufficient to prevent excessive moisture from forming in the low-pressure turbine stages. This condition is resolved by removing the vapor for reheat at constant pressure in the... 

The family of short curves in Fig. 29-45 shows the power efficiency of conventional refrigeration systems. The curves for the latter are taken from the Engineering Data Book, Gas Processors Suppliers Association, Tulsa, Oklahoma. The data refer to the evaporator temperature as the point at which refrigeration is removed. If the refrigeration is used to cool a stream over a temperature interval, the efficiency is obviously somewhat less. The short curves in Fig. 29-45 are for several refrigeration-temperature intervals. A comparison of these curves with the expander curve shows that the refrigeration power requirement by expansion compares favorably with mechanical refrigeration below 360° R (—100° F). The expander efficiency is favored by lower temperature at which heat is to be removed. 

Example. A water-cooled unit with an evaporator temperature of-40°F will require 3 horsepower/ton of refrigeration. A ton of refrigeration is equal to 12,000 BTU/hr. Here are equations for these curves in the fonn ... 

Evaporator temperature, "F Figure 19. Single-stage ethylene refrigeration system. 

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