November 2003 – After only a short project period GEA Wiegand received an
order for a multiple-effect evaporation plant for the concentration of process
water from a Dutch company at the beginning of this year.
Until then, the company, a producer of detergent additives, had concentrated
the process water in evaporation plants heated by live steam and thermal vapour
recompressor, using large amounts of energy.
Preliminary testing of
product samples showed that the process water had a high boiling point
elevation which initially ruled out the application of an energetically
sensible plant concept.
The GEA Wiegand engineers however succeeded in
implementing an efficient solution by cleverly connecting the evaporator
effects and in reducing the energy costs to a minimum by using exhaust steam
for heating of the evaporator.
At the beginning of October, the plant
was commissioned in record time and, since the performance test, it has been
running to the customer’s complete satisfaction.