Vaporising Liquids in a Plate & Shell Heat Exchanger (PSHE)
In most evaporation applications, vaporisation takes place on the shell side of the JINCHEN Plate & Shell Heat Exchanger. The shell side allows flexible nozzle sizing and provides sufficient volume to accommodate the vapor generated during evaporation—an essential factor, as vapor occupies significantly more volume than liquid.
The JINCHEN PSHE can be fully customized according to the specific volumetric flow requirements of each evaporation duty, making it a uniquely flexible solution among plate-type heat exchangers. In certain applications where process conditions justify it, evaporation can also be arranged on the plate side.
Evaporators are typically designed with vertically oriented heat-transfer plates, allowing vapor to rise naturally. This configuration is particularly advantageous in systems utilizing natural (gravity-driven) circulation.
Different Evaporation Duties
External Circulation
A common evaporation configuration is external circulation, where liquid enters the exchanger at the bottom of the shell and a two-phase mixture of liquid and vapor exits from the top. The liquid is supplied from an external drum or receiver with sufficient static head to enable natural circulation.
The heating medium may be water, glycol, or other liquids, and condensing gases are also frequently used. This type of evaporator is commonly found in refrigeration systems as flooded evaporators, or in process plants operating as reboilers adjacent to distillation columns.
Internal Circulation (Pool Boiling)
In internal circulation evaporators, only vapor exits from the top of the unit. The liquid level is maintained inside the shell, and evaporation occurs via pool boiling. The plate pack is fully submerged in liquid and heated by a liquid medium, gas, or condensing gas.
These evaporators are typically applied in refrigeration plants as combined evaporators, and in the process industry as steam generators or kettle-type reboilers installed next to distillation columns. Kettle-type reboilers and steam generators provide highly flexible solutions capable of meeting a wide range of process requirements.
JINCHEN PSHE Combined Evaporator
The JINCHEN PSHE Combined Evaporator is a compact, single-shell solution featuring an integrated vapor–liquid separator. This design simplifies system layout while ensuring stable and efficient phase separation.
Typical Evaporator Applications
