System and process for concentrating Brix in a liquid

A system for concentrating Brix in a liquid, the system comprising:

• a falling film evaporator comprising:
• (i) a housing including an accommodating cavity, a plurality of heat exchange tubes mounted in the accommodating cavity and extending along a longitudinal axis in relation to the housing, a top outlet opening provided on the top of the housing for expelling steam from the housing, a bottom outlet opening provided on the bottom of the housing for expelling a concentrated liquid from the housing, a first inlet opening for receiving a feed liquid into the housing from a preheating unit, a second inlet opening for receiving steam from a mechanical vapor recompression unit, and a first outlet opening for expelling condensed water from the housing;
• (ii) at least one spray tube comprising at least one spraying nozzle for spraying the feed liquid inside the housing;
• and (iii) a heating unit in fluid communication with the at least one spray tube;
• the preheating unit for preheating the feed liquid to a first temperature (T1), the preheating unit comprising:
• a first inlet opening, a first outlet opening, a second inlet opening, and a second outlet opening, wherein the feed liquid flows through the first outlet opening and into the falling film evaporator at the first temperature (T1);
• a first pump, the first pump being in fluid communication with a main inlet pipe and with the first inlet opening of the preheating unit, the first pump being adapted for pumping the feed liquid from the main inlet pipe into the preheating unit via the first inlet opening of the preheating unit, the first outlet opening of the preheating unit being in fluid communication with the heating unit of the evaporator for conveying the feed liquid from the preheating unit into the heating unit of the evaporator where the feed liquid is heated to a second temperature (T2), the feed liquid heated at the second temperature (T2) being then conveyed toward the at least one spray tube of the falling film evaporator;
• a depressurizing tank in fluid communication with the first outlet opening of the housing for receiving condensed water from the evaporator;
• a second pump for draining condensed water from the depressurizing tank through the preheating unit, the second pump being in fluid communication with the depressurizing tank and with the second inlet opening of the preheating unit, the condensed water received in the preheating unit from the depressurizing pump being expelled from the preheating unit via the second outlet opening of the preheating unit;
• the mechanical vapor recompression unit for compressing and decompressing steam, received from the housing, the mechanical vapor recompression unit comprising:
• (i) a first inlet opening in fluid communication with the top outlet opening of the housing;
• (ii) a first outlet opening in fluid communication with the second inlet opening of the housing;
• and (iii) a spraying nozzle for spraying water into the first inlet opening of the mechanical vapor recompression unit to reduce the heat therein;
• a recirculation pump in fluid communication with the bottom outlet opening of the housing and with a main outlet and recirculation pipe, the main outlet and recirculation pipe being in fluid communication with the housing for recirculating at least a portion of the concentrated liquid expelled from the housing back into the housing, the main outlet and recirculation pipe comprising a Brix meter for measuring Brix of the concentrated liquid circulating in the main outlet and recirculation pipe, the main outlet and recirculation pipe being provided with a valve allowing withdrawal of a portion of the concentrated liquid circulating in the main outlet and recirculation pipe;
• wherein the system and/or the mechanical vapor recompression unit is adapted to operate under a nectar mode for producing concentrated nectar product and under a syrup mode for producing concentrated syrup product.