Short-path evaporator flange assembly for vacuum tightness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Short path evaporators, used for separating temperature-sensitive and high-boiling substances, are challenging to manufacture due to the need for tight vacuum operation, often requiring laborious welding or glass blowing processes for stainless steel or glass structures.
Innovation Solution
A short path evaporator design featuring a double-walled evaporator pipe formed by two simple pipe sections clamped together with flange plates, incorporating channels for product, concentrate, and heating medium, allowing for easy assembly and sealing, and enabling the use of transparent glass for visual monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the evaporator pipe is manufactured as a welded stainless steel structure or integral glass component, then the vacuum tightness is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The evaporator pipe is divided into separate inner and outer pipe sections that can be manufactured independently and then assembled together with flange plates, eliminating the need for complex welding or glass blowing processes while maintaining vacuum tightness through the flange sealing mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
Flange plates with sealing rings act as intermediaries between the inner and outer pipe sections, providing a simple yet effective sealing mechanism that ensures vacuum tightness without requiring complex welding or integral manufacturing processes
2Reliability
If the evaporator pipe is manufactured as a welded stainless steel structure, then the vacuum tightness is improved, but the manufacturing time and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The evaporator pipe is divided into separate inner and outer pipe sections that can be manufactured independently and then assembled together with flange plates, eliminating the need for complex welding or glass blowing processes while maintaining vacuum tightness through the flange sealing mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The use of transparent glass for the pipe sections enables visual monitoring of the distillation process, adding operational benefit while the modular assembly reduces manufacturing time
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If the evaporator pipe is made from transparent glass, then the visual monitoring capability is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The evaporator pipe is divided into separate inner and outer pipe sections that can be manufactured independently and then assembled together with flange plates, eliminating the need for complex welding or glass blowing processes while maintaining vacuum tightness through the flange sealing mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The use of transparent glass for the pipe sections enables visual monitoring of the distillation process, adding operational benefit while the modular assembly reduces manufacturing complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design simplifies the manufacturing process, reduces labor costs, and allows for efficient separation of temperature-sensitive substances while maintaining the ability to monitor the distillation process visually.
Implementation Method 1
a heating medium, such as oil, the rotatable rotor system, by which wipers sweeping along the inner surface of the evaporator pipe
Implementation Method 2
the volatile portion of the product evaporates and deposits on the internal condenser
Implementation Method 3
the rotatable rotor system, by which wipers sweeping along the inner surface of the evaporator pipe, applies the supplied liquid product to the inner surface of the evaporator pipe in the form of a thin, highly turbulent film
Implementation Method 4
the product flows downwards under the action of gravity, during which the volatile portion of the product evaporates
Implementation Method 5
Because the short path evaporators are usually operated under a vacuum of 300 to 0.003 mbar abs. in the evaporator pipe, the evaporation temperature is lowered to such an extent that temperature-sensitive and high-boiling substances can be separated without any damage
Data Source
AI summary
A short path evaporator including a heatable double-walled evaporator pipe having an inner interspace, with a rotatable rotor system disposed within the evaporator pipe and with a condenser disposed centrally in the evaporator pipe, and with an inlet for a product leading into the evaporator pipe, an outlet for a concentrate of the product leading out of the evaporator pipe, and an outlet for distillate accumulating at the condenser, and an inlet and an outlet for supplying and discharging heating medium to or from the interspace of the evaporator pipe, wherein the evaporator pipe is formed by an outer pipe and an inner pipe which, leaving the interspace, is disposed within the outer pipe, which are fixed at their ends in a sealing manner between two flange plates clamped together, wherein an inlet channel for the inlet of the product and an outlet channel for the outlet of the concentrate, which communicate with the interior of the inner pipe, are formed in the flange plates, as well as inlet and outlet channels for supplying and discharging the heating medium, which communicate with the interspace.