Background and Significance
With the national advocacy for environmental protection and energy conservation, the improvement of extraction and concentration processes in industries such as traditional Chinese medicine, food, and chemicals has become increasingly urgent. Moreover, in food, dairy, traditional Chinese medicine, and chemical enterprises, steam used for concentration is the most energy-consuming part of all production processes. As a result, the selection and transformation of concentration equipment have become a pressing issue for these enterprises.
Equipment Overview and Development
The heat pump double-effect concentrator is an energy-saving concentration equipment improved from the double-effect concentrator. It uses a heat pump to provide steam thermal energy and performs two-stage evaporation on the extraction liquid. Compared with single-effect concentrators, the traditional double-effect concentrator (e.g., 1000-type) can save 3,500 tons of steam, 90,000 tons of water, and 80,000 kWh of electricity annually – a significant progress and substantial energy saving over single-effect models. Building on this traditional design, we have developed and designed the heat pump double-effect energy-saving concentrator.
Unlike the traditional double-effect concentrator (which uses first-effect steam as the heat source for the second effect), the heat pump double-effect energy-saving concentrator employs a low-noise thermal compression pump. This pump serves two key purposes: first, it drives part of the secondary steam (along with high-pressure working steam) into an ejector for mixing, temperature raising, and pressure boosting, then reuses this steam as heating steam in the heating chamber to heat the material liquid; second, it condenses the remaining secondary steam in a condenser for discharge. Additionally, heating steam condenses into water and is discharged from the heating chamber, and this partial reuse of heat sources ultimately achieves energy conservation.
Application Scope
This equipment is suitable for concentrating liquid materials in industries such as traditional Chinese medicine, western medicine, glucose, starch, monosodium glutamate, dairy products, oral liquids, chemicals, and food. Furthermore, it is particularly ideal for low-temperature vacuum concentration of heat-sensitive materials, featuring short processing time and high efficiency. Also known as a heat pump concentrator or TVR concentrator (Thermal Vapor Recompression Concentrator), it realizes thermal energy recycling through steam recompression technology.
Equipment Composition and Structure
The heat pump double-effect energy-saving concentrator consists of a low-noise thermal compression pump, first-effect heating chamber, first-effect evaporation chamber, second-effect heating chamber, second-effect evaporation chamber, condenser, liquid receiver tank, internal connecting pipes and valves, as well as supporting instruments. The low-noise thermal compression pump recompresses steam through jet ejection, operating on the same principle as a steam jet pump.
The heating chambers and evaporation chambers are manufactured similarly to those in traditional double-effect concentrators. All parts in contact with materials are made of stainless steel 304/316L, featuring corrosion resistance, no surface peeling, and an aesthetic appearance. Both the heater and evaporator are equipped with thermal insulation layers enclosed in stainless steel casings, with mirror or matte surface treatments fully compliant with GMP standards. These insulation layers not only preserve heat sources and maintain temperature stability but also prevent scalds and enhance the equipment’s overall aesthetic appeal.
Core Advantages
Energy Efficiency & Environmental Protection
It employs a heat pump to compress secondary steam to higher pressure for reuse, achieving significant energy savings. The steam-to-water ratio is 0.35 kg steam/kg water, reducing energy consumption by ~34% and water usage by 30% compared to conventional double-effect concentrators without thermal compression. Additionally, it utilizes dual-effect simultaneous evaporation, recycling secondary steam to reduce energy consumption by 50% compared to single-effect concentrators.
Low-Temperature Processing for Heat-Sensitive Materials
It operates at a reduced heating steam temperature (75°C in the first effect), enabling low-temperature evaporation that is ideal for heat-sensitive substances.
Sealed & Contamination-Free Operation
It concentrates materials in a sealed, foam-free environment to prevent material loss, minimize contamination, and reduce coking. Moreover, it allows easy cleaning via accessible upper and lower heater covers for in-place maintenance.
Low-Noise Thermal Compression Pump
It is equipped with a proprietary low-noise thermal compression pump developed in-house, which meets pharmaceutical industry noise standards during operation.
