Süßstoffproduktion
Alfa Laval supplies well-proven evaporation solutions for all types of starch and sweetener processes – from single components to full evaporation systems. Our solutions provide the benefits of compact installation, minimum colouration and high energy efficiency. Alfa Laval evaporation systems are in service in hundreds of plants around the world, processing a wide variety of different sweeteners.
Compact systems
Alfa Laval AlfaVap evaporation systems are based on a plate-and-frame design specially configured for evaporators. Thanks to the compact design and exceptional thermal efficiency of AlfaVap units, the complete installation is much smaller than corresponding systems based on shell-and-tube technology. You can also easily expand capacity by adding more plates to the plate evaporators.
The compact size and low height of AlfaVap evaporation systems means they require less pumping power to maintain the flow of the medium, thus reducing energy costs.
Energy savings
The most effective way to reduce steam consumption in evaporation systems is to increase the number of effects. Each effect saves steam and cuts energy cost. Because of the compact design, an Alfa Laval system can contain more effects in a given space than any traditional falling film system.
The small size also means existing falling film systems can be retrofitted with an extra Alfa Laval effect, resulting in up to 33% lower steam consumption.
The high thermal efficiency of the plate evaporators makes it possible to use heat from different sources, such as mechanical and thermal compression, as well as waste vapours from dryers.
Less maintenance and more uptime
The highly turbulent flow in a plate evaporator makes it less susceptible to fouling. The evaporation temperature in an Alfa Laval evaporator is also lower than most other designs, which reduces the risk of fouling. The result is a system with significantly less fouling, lower maintenance costs and more uptime.
All surfaces are easily accessible for maintenance and can be cleaned onsite within the physical footprint of the unit.
High product quality
The low temperature combined with short residence time in the plate evaporator (due to a low hold-up volume) secures a high quality end product with minimum colouration.
The low hold-up volume also ensures fast, smooth start-ups with easy control.
Ideal solution for high viscosity fluids
An Alfa Laval evaporation system can easily handle fluids well beyond 300 cP, which is often the limit for falling film evaporators. The higher the viscosity, the higher the relative efficiency of the Alfa Laval system compared to other technologies.
