The evolution of evaporator stations in the beet-sugar industry

The main structural features of a multistage evaporator station are identified and their dependence on the requirements relating to the beet-sugar process is discussed. Developments in the scheme of multistage evaporation and preferred evaporator design over the recent decades are reviewed. Approaches making it possible to optimise the multistage evaporator station are mentioned and two examples of advanced stations implemented in beet-sugar factories by retrofitting outdated evaporation equipment are presented. It is stressed that the optimum retrofit results can be achieved by simultaneously reconstructing the evaporator station and the associated heat exchanger network.