Today, more than ever, the cost of energy represents a very significant part of the cost of operating a rendering plant. The recent rapid rise in energy costs has caused rendering plant operators to look for ways of improving the energy efficiency of plant operations. There are many ways of accomplishing this goal, and one of the most effective ways is to use the energy present the in-waste vapor from the cooking operation.

By using a waste heat evaporator, this energy can be used to help evaporate the water in the raw material prior to the cooker. The result is a reduction in the amount of boiler steam required to cook the raw material and a corresponding increase in energy efficiency.

The use of an evaporator is key in implementing this strategy. Evaporators come in many different shapes and sizes. Selecting the best evaporator for a given application can sometimes be a confusing and even intimidating task. Technical terms like falling film, forced circulation flash, and multiple effect can add to the confusion.