FilmVap
Proven and reliable, the Alfa Laval FilmVap falling film evaporator effectively concentrates large volumes of low- to medium-fouling liquids – economically and energy-efficiently. Robust and easy to operate and maintain, this multiple-effect, shell-and-tube evaporator takes up less than comparable units, due to its innovative arrangement of highly efficient vapour-liquid separators. Uniform liquid distribution and adequate wetting helps reduce fouling, cleaning frequency and downtime.
High volumes of quality concentrate from heat-sensitive, fouling-prone process liquids in a compact, high-efficiency, low-maintenance evaporator
- High quality condensate due to efficient liquid distribution and vapour-liquid separation under vacuum conditions
- Low maintenance requirements due to low temperatures and high heat transfer efficiency, which reduce fouling
- Robust, user-friendly design with broad operating range for more uptime and low maintenance
- Versatile, easy to operate and highly adaptable to a wide variety of applications and capacities up to 50 tons per hour in a single unit
- Enhanced energy efficiency through the use of a multiple-effect arrangement or the addition of thermal or mechanical vapor recompression units
Optimize concentration of temperature-sensitive, low- to medium-viscosity process liquids with the Alfa Laval FilmVap falling-film evaporator. Low temperature differences, high heat transfer efficiency and high fouling resistance due to minimal product surface contact time make this falling film tubular evaporator FilmVap a solid choice for a broad range of evaporation duties.
Compact, economical, and easy to operate and easy to maintain, it is ideal for processing low- to-medium viscosity process liquids at capacities up to 50 tons per hour. Realize additional energy efficiency by using multiple effect configurations or combining the Alfa Laval FilmVap falling film evaporator with thermal vapour recompression (TVR) and/or mechanical vapour recompression (MVR) units.
Pioneer management is very happy with the commitment level, technical competency and dedication of the Alfa Laval team. – Mr. S.S. Tomar, Chief Executive Officer, Pioneer Industries Ltd., Pathankot Punjab, India (Energy savings from concentrating spent wash from grain-based distillery using alcohol vapour from the distillation columns as the only heating medium/fuel.)
After finalizing on our requirement for the new bio methanated spent wash evaporator plant, we discussed our vision of achieving zero liquid discharge with Alfa Laval experts. Alfa Laval came up with the innovative feed degasification and condensate stripping systems. – Mr. H.K.Yadava, General Manager – Distillery, Harinagar Sugar Mills, Bihar, India (Zero liquid discharge from distillery wastewater)
Key products
Service
Food system services
Alfa Laval Food system services help extend the performance of your food systems by maximizing the performance of your processes. This enables you to:
- Continually improve your operations to maintain competitive advantage
- Focus on uptime, optimization and availability
- Maximize return on investment throughout the life cycle of your food systems
Learn more about our service offer for food systems
Platter distributor
Caption: The FilmVap platter distributor ensures uniform liquid flow and complete tube wetting in the vertical heating tubes – minimizing fouling and extending cleaning intervals.
Process liquid enters at the top of the evaporator through a precision-engineered platter distributor. The distributor ensures the uniform liquid flow into, and complete tube wetting of, the vertical heating tubes, minimizing fouling and extending the mean time between cleanings. Integrated vent tubes maintain pressure balance above and below the distributor plate, which keeps the load evenly distributed across all tubes and supports stable, efficient operation.
Optional jet distributor
For high-viscosity or particle-laden fluids, the jet distributor provides a robust alternative to the platter distributor. Solid cone spray nozzles, sized to match the fluid flow rate and tube sheet diameter, and larger nozzle openings reduce the risk of clogging and ensure reliable, uniform distribution in demanding shell-and-tube evaporation applications.
Gravity drives the fluid downward as a thin, continuous film along the inner tube walls. Steam applied to the outer surfaces heats the tubes, causing the liquid to boil as it flows. Vapour generated during this process accelerates the liquid film to the bottom of the tubes, where it moves into the next effect or separator stage.
This gentle, controlled process reduces surface contact time, improving thermal efficiency and minimizing fouling, especially critical for temperature-sensitive products.
Caption: The FilmVap jet distributor handles high-viscosity or particle-laden fluids.
Reduce steam demand with falling film evaporators
To maximize energy efficiency, each stage of the FilmVap system operates under vacuum conditions, which lowers the boiling point and allows vapour from one effect to serve as the heating medium for the next. Vacuum pumps continuously remove non-condensable gases, while a dedicated unit condenses the final vapour to maintain the vacuum.
Using a multiple-effect evaporation setup significantly reduces steam consumption. Adding thermal vapour recompression (TVR) and/or mechanical vapour recompression (MVR) units improves energy efficiency further, cutting steam usage to a fraction of the total evaporation capacity and reducing both operating costs and environmental impact.
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Explore our range of evaporators
Alfa Laval offers a wide range of evaporation systems from plate evaporators, and rising film evaporators to tubular evaporators and falling film evaporators. Find out what would work for your evaporation needs.
