Shell and tube evaporator

vacuumprocessfor sample concentration

This concentration system is engineered to concentrate nicotine from tobacco leaf extracts for industrial and pharmaceutical processing. It combines vacuum-assisted evaporation, energy recovery and configurable condenser stages to maximize solvent recovery while protecting nicotine integrity.

Key features:

• Optimized evaporation and condensation mechanisms to maximize recovery rates while preventing nicotine degradation.
• Energy-efficient layout: integrated energy recovery and vacuum lowering boiling points to reduce energy consumption.
• Vacuum-assisted operation to minimize thermal stress and preserve extract quality.
• Stainless steel construction compliant with food‑grade and pharmaceutical standards for corrosion resistance and cleanability.
• PLC-based automation with real-time monitoring and adjustable parameters (temperature, pressure, concentration).
• Scalable and customizable configurations for small to large production capacities.
• High solvent recovery design (ethanol recovery emphasis) to reduce operational cost and environmental impact.

Applications:

• Concentration of nicotine-rich extracts from tobacco leaves prior to downstream purification (e.g., molecular distillation).
• Pharmaceutical-grade nicotine production and pre-concentration for the vaping and pharmaceutical industries.

Structure and component features:

• Heater: single-effect heater with heat-exchange tubes arranged in a triangular pattern to improve flow and heat transfer; baffle plates induce transverse steam flow; anti-scour steam inlet to prevent erosion; optimized heating area and low shell-side steam pressure to limit fouling; controlled tube length/diameter ratio to avoid dry-steaming.
• Evaporation chamber: tangent inlet with radius transition and involute groove to increase rotational speed for enhanced vapor-liquid separation, reduced foaming and vibration; lower convex-bottom design to improve circulation, heat transfer and reduce overall equipment height.
• Condenser system: combined two-stage tubular condensers, spiral-wound (threaded) tube exchangers and coiled-pipe coolers; double pipe-side flow to improve cooling-water distribution and cleaning; automatic condensate discharge; combined arrangement yields solvent recovery typically above 95–98% for alcohols.

Technical characteristics / specifications:

• Materials: stainless steel compatible with food and pharmaceutical standards (corrosion resistant, hygienic design).
• Operation mode: vacuum-assisted evaporation to lower evaporation temperature and protect product integrity.
• Control: PLC automation with real-time sensors and adjustable temperature, pressure and concentration setpoints.
• Heat exchange: optimized tube bundle and baffle arrangement for enhanced convective transfer and reduced fouling.
• Vapor-liquid separation: tangent inlet grooves and centrifugal action inside evaporator to minimize foaming and vibration.
• Condenser configuration: multi-stage tubular and spiral-wound exchangers plus coiled coolers; cleaning ports on shell and tube sides; double-flow design for improved cooling efficiency.
• Solvent recovery: design focused on minimizing solvent loss and enabling solvent recycling (ethanol recovery highlighted).
• Scalability: modular sizes and customizable options to fit varying production capacities.