vaporator

A vaporator is a device designed to convert a liquid into an appropriate vapor by supplying heat, causing the liquid to boil or evaporate. In common usage, the term is sometimes used interchangeably with evaporator, though evaporator is the more widely adopted term in many industries. Vaporators appear in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC); refrigeration; chemical processing; desalination; and laboratory equipment.

In HVAC and refrigeration, the vaporator (often called an evaporator coil) is a heat exchanger located in the indoor unit. Cold, low-pressure refrigerant absorbs heat from the surrounding air or space, causing the refrigerant to evaporate inside the coil. The resulting vapor is then drawn to a compressor, where it is pressurized and circulated through the condenser. The evaporator accomplishes heat transfer and phase change with minimal temperature rise of the air passing over it.

In industrial and chemical processing, evaporators concentrate solutions by boiling off a solvent. They may be configured as single-effect or multi-effect systems, and can use natural or forced circulation. Energy efficiency measures include vapor recompression and heat recovery between stages. Common challenges include fouling, scaling, corrosion, and maintaining stable boiling without excessive pressure drops.

In desalination and other applications, multi-effect evaporators and related vaporization units are used to produce fresh water or to separate components in complex mixtures. Laboratory vaporators or vaporizers are used to generate controlled vapors for reactions, analyses, or distillation.

Design considerations for vaporators include material compatibility with the liquid, heat transfer surface area, operating pressure and temperature, control of vapor quality, and safety related to high-temperature or high-pressure operation.