Evaporation process optimization
Evaporation is a core unit operation used in many industries to concentrate liquids by removing water or other solvents through heating. It’s widely applied in chemical production, food and beverage processing, sugar and pulp industry, pharmaceuticals, and wastewater treatment – but it is also one of the most energy-intensive unit operations.
Integrating Vaisala Polaris™ inline process refractometers into your evaporation process delivers operational advantages and cost savings through improved energy efficiency, consistent product quality, and process stability.
Challenges
High energy consumption
Evaporation is one of the most energy-intensive unit operations in industry, and inefficient concentration control leads to unnecessary steam consumption and higher operating costs
Risk of fouling, crystallization, or off-spec products
Even small concentration deviations can cause scaling, crystallization, or off-spec products, resulting in costly downtime and reduced production.
Fluctuating feed concentrations and process instability
Inconsistent feed composition and flow rates make stable evaporation difficult to maintain.
Need for reliable measurements in demanding conditions
Processes must meet strict food safety or chemical durability requirements, often under harsh temperature and cleaning cycles.
Vaisala Solution: Vaisala Polaris™ process refractometers
Vaisala Polaris™ process refractometers provide continuous, real-time in-line concentration measurement (Brix, dry solids, or TDS). Installed directly in evaporator inlets, outlets, or intermediate stages, they deliver accurate readings unaffected by bubbles, crystals, or undissolved solids. With options for sanitary, chemical, and heavy-duty environments, they fit a wide range of applications — from food, beverage, sugar, and dairy to chemicals and wastewater.
Liquid concentration measurement with refractive index
Vaisala offers a wide range of products tailored to the liquid measuring needs of different industries.
The refractometer operates on the principle of critical angle measurement. Inside the refractometer, there is a light source, a prism, and an image detector.
Learn more about the refractometer technology and its applications, and explore the library of product-related assets.
Benefits
Consistent product quality
Maintain exact concentration targets to ensure downstream processes run smoothly and final products meet specifications.
Lower energy use
Optimize steam and feed flow for efficient, sustainable operations that reduce operating costs.
Maximized yield
Safely push evaporators closer to their capacity limits without risking fouling, product loss, or downtime.
Process reliability
Real-time, accurate data enables automatic control and stable operation even with fluctuating feed conditions.
Applications
Vaisala refractometers support evaporation control in:
Food & Beverage
Juices & coffee and tea processing
Fruit & Vegetable processing
Food Ingredients, Additives and Flavors
Dairy Products
Sugar & Sweeteners
Pulp & Paper
Kraft (Sulfate) Pulp Process
- Black liquor evaporation (Kraft (Sulfate) Pulp: Evaporation)
Chemical & Biochemical Manufacturing
Common chemicals
Fibers & Plastics
Biochemicals
Environmental & Wastewater Treatment
Industrial Wastewater
Vaisala Polaris
With real-time concentration control, evaporation processes become more predictable, efficient, and profitable.
