How healthy is your evaporator calandria? Cracks and other defects can lead to inefficiency on your production line. Left unaddressed, some problems can cause a complete shutdown. Caloris Process Engineering Manager Tom Schappeler recommends checking the following.

Internal Calandria Inspection

Check the following areas inside your calandria, in case they need to be cleaned:

• Under lower tubesheet
• Distribution area, distribution pans (are any distribution holes blocked with deposits?)
• Vapor separators (climb in)

Distribution Inspection

Do the distribution pans sit level like they should?

Inspect Sprayballs

• Are attachment pins worn or coming loose?
• Are any blocked with debris?
• Are they all oriented/clocked correctly?

Gaskets

Inspect for worn gaskets, which can cause vacuum leaks. Read more about vacuum leaks here and here.

Sight Glasses

Are any fouled to the point you can’t see through them anymore? Are any cracked? Cleaning/replacement may be warranted.

Vent Orifices

Check for blockages, which can cause venting issues. Watch our webinar on vacuum and venting here.

Build-Up

Is there any build-up or fouling on the outside of the heat transfer tubes? This is an oft forgotten area — is CIP in order?

Cracked Welds

Inspect high-stress areas for cracked welds (see photo). This should include hard-to-access or hard-to-see areas.

Tube Sheet

A close inspection will help find tubes that are pulling or cracking out of the tube sheet.

Vacuum Check

Conduct a vacuum drop test — pull vacuum and then let the machine sit idle and see how fast vacuum is lost. More helpful hints are available in this webinar.

Are Calandria Repairs Needed?

Contact Caloris if you find problems in your calandria that need to be addressed. Our staff can assist in putting together a repair plan and also help you weigh the costs/benefits of repair vs. replacement. Call us at 410-822-6900 or send email to problem.solved@caloris.com to be connected with one of our engineers.