Vacuum concentrating plant
US5417084A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 14, 1994 |
| Grant date | May 23, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 14, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02B30/52
- WIPO fieldChemical engineering
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
In a vacuum concentrating plant, a feed liquid supplied into a vacuum pan evaporator is heated indirectly by a latent heat by introducing depressurized vapor into a steam jacket added to an outer periphery of a lower portion of the vacuum pan evaporator. In this manner, the feed liquid in the vacuum pan evaporator is boiled and concentrated in a concentrating zone within the vacuum evaporator. The depressurized vapor used for heating the feed liquid is obtained by heating water in a depressurized vapor generator by means of a heating source in a heat pump. On the other hand, the vapor generated in the vacuum evaporator is cooled and condensed in a vapor condenser by means of a cooling source in the heat pump and removed in the form of a drain outside a circuit system. A concentrate as a product is withdrawn outside the circuit system through a concentrate withdrawing line by an operation of a pump. Thus, in this vacuum concentrating plant, it is possible to provide a high heat efficiency, an excellent stability of the operation and a low running cost by a combination of the vacuum pan evaporator, the depressurized vapor generator and the heat pump. Further, it is possible to concen…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.