I think propane/butane recovery is the wrong place for a wiped film evaporator.
It sure is fancy and jangly though, probably expensive too, but of course you can’t find a price anywhere.
A wiper is generally used when you have thermally sensitive compounds that you are trying to distill at the lowest possible temps. Since the compounds are sensitive you want to distribute them in as thin of a film as possible to facilitate the the gentlest boiling possible.
I hear you, “But Tech1145 we DO have thermally sensitive compounds!”
When we are recovering with propane, as this system uses, the solution temperatures will never even come close to temperatures that would thermally degrade our compounds. Even at a collection side pressure of 100 PSIG the solution temperature is only 65F (16C).
This fact really makes the complication (rotary bearing and electric motor+controls) and extra cost of a wiper vs a FFE (tube-in-shell) really unnecessary.
A tube-in-shell heat exchanger setup as a FFE would be a much more cost effective and simpler solution that fits better with what we’re trying to accomplish. A tube-in-shell offers much more evaporative surface area over a wiper.
Speaking of this subject, I don’t believe I ever got a straight answer from you last year about this quote of yours talking about your wiper vs a FFE:
Care to explain this little gem again? I believe you said something about the wiping action creating more “effective” surface area when compared to a FFE. I’d love to hear it.