Pan Evaporators
Pan Evaporators are the simplest and oldest form of industrial evaporator — a steam-jacketed, open-to-atmosphere rectangular vessel where the feed is heated by steam until water evaporates and the concentrated product or salt remains. While their low heat-transfer coefficient limits throughput, pan evaporators excel in applications where simplicity, low capital cost, and operational flexibility matter more than steam economy. KWS pan evaporators are commonly used to supplement natural solar evaporation pans during the monsoon season, when sunlight is insufficient, and for small-volume batch processes that do not justify the capital outlay of a multi-effect system. The standard model PAN 100 processes 100 litres per hour with a steam requirement of approximately 120 kg/hr.
Key Advantages
Simple, low-cost design
Open-vessel, steam-jacketed construction with no complex internals — easy to operate, clean and maintain.
Monsoon season solution
Replaces natural solar evaporation pans when sunlight is insufficient, keeping salt production or effluent volume reduction on schedule year-round.
Batch flexibility
Each batch can be handled individually — useful when feed composition varies significantly or when small discrete quantities must be processed.
Salt scraping recovery
Crystallised salt deposits on vessel surfaces are scraped off at the end of each batch — no additional separation equipment required for salt recovery at small scale.
Technical Specifications
| Model | PAN 100 |
|---|---|
| Feed Rate | 100 litres per hour (batch) |
| Steam Requirement | 120 kg/hr (±5%) at 2 kg/cm² (g) |
| Space Requirement | 2.5 m W × 4 m L × 3 m H |
| Vessel Type | Steam-jacketed rectangular, open to atmosphere |
| Construction MOC | SS 304 / SS 316L |
| Delivery Timeline | 4 – 8 weeks |
Applications
- Supplementing solar evaporation pans during monsoon season
- Low-volume salt production from brine
- Effluent volume reduction for small industries
- Pilot and R&D scale evaporation trials
- Batch concentration of process liquors
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main limitation of a pan evaporator?
Low evaporation capacity — the open-vessel, low heat-transfer-coefficient design limits throughput to small batch sizes. For anything above a few hundred litres per hour, a falling film or forced circulation evaporator will be more economical to operate.
When does a pan evaporator make sense over a multi-effect unit?
When the required capacity is small (under ~200 L/hr), when capital cost must be minimised, or when the pan needs to operate only seasonally (e.g., during monsoon) as a supplement to solar pans. For sustained, larger-scale operation, multi-effect systems give far better steam economy.
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