Experience with a (pilot) rising film plate evaporator and new mist eliminator in Louisiana

In all 18 of Louisiana's raw sugar factories, Robert evaporators are in use . However, a pilot EC-500 WTFL Alfa Laval rising film plate evaporator unit (RPFE) was installed at the CoraTexas mill for trials recently, together w ith associated equipment and controls. Vapours are fed through a new Munter s vertical flow mist eliminator (a T-271 model) to minimise sucrose entrain ment, Results showed that the RPFE unit evaporated twice as fast as a Rober t evaporator per unit area. It also had a much lower hold-up time, reduced colour formation and its start-up time was just five minutes, compared to 4 5 minutes for the Robert system, Furthermore, it is more compact and its ov erall heat transfer coefficients are higher.