CASE STUDY - PLATE FALLING FILM EVAPORATOR (PFFE)

GANGAKHED SUGAR & ENERGY LIMITED, MAHARASHTRA.

OBJECTIVE
• Reduction in steam consumption using waste vapors.
• Capacity enhancement of the plant.

SOLUTION
• Installation of Plate Falling Film Evaporator (PFEE) between the existing Evaporator bodies.

BACKGROUND OF THE TECHNOLOGY

This Falling Film Evaporator (FFE) is based on Plate type
heat exchangers instead of conventional tube heat exchangers.
Use of Plate Packs increases heating surface density to higher
level and makes evaporator compact in size and light weight
as compared to conventional evaporators.
The shape of Plate Packs is specially developed for
evaporation and condensing applications, which produces two
types of flow ducts viz. tubular and corrugated. This design
uses complete seam welding of Stainless Steel plates and
eliminates the use of seals & gaskets and improves overall
heat transfer coefficient.
Spray nozzles are used to distribute feed material uniformly
from top end of plate packs. Thus feed material flows pack to
pack in thin film form the tube sides of Heat Exchanger trick-
les down from pack to pack as a thin film on the tube side of
the PHE plates.
Concentrated feed and vapors produced in evaporation process
exit together from the bottom of plate pack. This Concentrated
feed is then fed to next effect.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Use of Single Effect Plate Falling Film Evaporator (PFEE) between Evaporators.
• Overall ∆T in the PFFE is ~ 4-6°C.
• Low Retention Time.
* Reduces the Sucrose Inversion.
* Reduces Color Formation.
* Reduces Sugar losses.
• Higher Heating Surface Density.
• Wetting Rate: 3-5 L/cm h against 15-20 L/cm h for Tubular FFE.
• Light Weight and Fully Automated.
• Modular Compact Design.
• Low Capex & Opex.

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 PLANT PERFORMANCE : BEFORE & NOW

Parameters Previous Scenario After PFFE Installation

Crushing 6000 - 6500 TCD 7500 - 8300 TCD

Syrup Brix 50 - 55% 64 - 67%

Steam Consumption 44 - 46% 33 - 34%

PROJECT DETAILS

EXISTING SCENARIO

PROPOSED SCHEME

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PROJECT PARAMETERS: DESIGNED Vs. ACHIEVED
S. NO. PARAMETERS DESIGNED ACHIEVED
A. GENERAL
1 Crushing 312 330 - 350
2 Steam Consumption (%) 35 33 - 34
3 Inlet Juice Brix (%) 13.5 13 - 14
4 Inlet Juice Temperature (˚C) 95 92 - 96
5 Outlet Syrup Brix (%) 66 65 - 68
6 Outlet Syrup Temperature (˚C) 66 64 - 67
B. SPECIFICALLY FOR THE EQUIPMENT
1 CJ Inlet Quantity (t/h) 323 340 - 370
2 Concentrated Juice Outlet Quantity (t/h) 268 270 - 300
3 CJ inlet Brix (%) 13.5 13 - 14
4 Concentrated Juice Outlet Brix (%) 16.5 16 - 19
5 Temperature of Inlet Material (˚C) 95 92 - 96
6 Temperature of Outlet Material (˚C) 101.5 99 - 101
7 Heating Media 2nd body Vapour 2nd body Vapour
8 Quantity of Inlet Vapour (t/h) 58.82 55 - 60
9 Temperature of Inlet Vapour (˚C) 107.5 100 - 105
10 Quantity of Vapour Out (t/h) 55 50 - 58
11 Temperature of Vapour Out (˚C) 101.5 99 - 101
12 Heat Transfer Coefficient (W/m2K) 3000 2500 - 2700
13 Condensate out Quantity (t/h) 59 53 - 62

CONCLUSION
After the addition of SEDL’s PFFE the plant is operating at steam consumption of 32 - 34% on cane which
was previously running on steam consumption of 45% on cane and is now crushing a maximum of 8300
TPD with an average of 7800 TPD, which was previously 6500 TPD.

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