Continuous Solids Measurement for Evaporation and Dewatering Processes
Efficient Water Removal Starts with Accurate Measurement
Water removal from substances is commonly achieved through two primary methods: Evaporation and mechanical separation. These processes are among the most demanding stages in industrial production across food and beverage, sugar, mining, and other process industries.
Inmec’s Total Solids and Brix Sensors have proven to be the most effective tools for optimizing water removal processes—whether through evaporation, mechanical dewatering, or both—across food and beverage, sugar, and other industrial applications.
In these applications, instrumentation must meet exceptionally high demands. Measurement needs to cover a wide range, from initial concentration levels to the final target. At the same time, devices must remain stable without frequent recalibration and continue to perform reliably despite material buildup on sensor surfaces between cleaning cycles.
The Challenge: Why Water Removal Processes Are Demanding
Wide Concentration Range
Measurements must remain accurate across a broad range—from dilute feed (8–15 %TS) to highly concentrated product (60–70 %TS). The wide span challenges most conventional sensors.
Extended Production Campaigns
Evaporators often operate continuously for extended periods, with limited opportunities for shutdown. Sensors must therefore maintain long-term stability without the need for frequent recalibration.
Buildup Tolerance
Concentration processes inherently lead to material accumulation, such as mineral deposits on wetted surfaces. These deposits can form over relatively short periods, degrading sensor performance or even rendering them unusable. The high buildup tolerance of Inmec sensors is therefore essential for reliable long-term measurement.
Mechanical Water/Solids separation
Mechanical units, such as belt presses and decanters, are widely used for physical separation of water-solids. Total solids measurement is vital for efficient process control. The solids content of sludges and slurries entering separation presses or decanters must be accurately controlled to ensure efficient water/solids separation. Poor performance can result in significant energy loss, excessive additive consumption, and increased environmental impact.
How Inmec Sensors Perform in Water Removal Applications
| Process Condition | Typical Measurement Environment | Inmec Sensor Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Brix range | 8-70% (feed to concentrate) | Stable measurement across full range |
| Campaign duration | Weeks to months of continuous operation | No drift, no recalibration needed |
| Operating temperature | 50-120°C across effects | Automatic temperature compensation |
| Coating | Sugar, protein, or product deposits | Measurement unaffected by surface coating |
| Measurement locations | Feed, inter-effect, discharge | Consistent performance across all points |
| Product variations | Suspended solids, pulp, particles | Measures dissolved + suspended components |
Wide Brix range coverage
Accurate from dilute feed streams to highly concentrated discharge—one sensor platform handles the full evaporation spectrum.
Stable despite coating and buildup
Maintains reliable readings throughout long production campaigns, even as product deposits accumulate on sensor surfaces.
No campaign interruptions
Drift-free measurement allows continuous operation without cleaning breaks or recalibration stops that reduce production time.
Water removal Applications Across Industries
Industrial processes almost without exception begin with a stage where dissolved or suspended, organic or inorganic solids components are mixed with water. From these basic raw materials and recipe-specific ingredients, a low-solids mixture is formed — a slurry, juice, broth, wort, sap, or another process compound depending on the application. Further on, these mixture substances are commonly concentrated by removing water.
Inmec sensors provide solids measurement in diverse processes—from evaporators in the food & beverage industry to sludge and slurry decanters and presses in other industries.
Sugar Industry Applications
Continuous Brix measurement is used through evaporators in both cane and beet sugar production. As juice is concentrated in multiple evaporating stages, the final target Brix is obtained and uniform juice feed for vacuum pans offers stability in crystallization.
Sugar crystallizing in vacuum pans is another typical evaporating process using sequential stages to obtain optimum juice concentration and subsequently crystallizing towards the final panful of crystals to be discharged into centrifuges. Inmec sensors are widely used for controlling crystallization in both batch and continuous vacuum pans.
Juice & Beverage Concentration
Total solids measurement of fresh juice evaporation through to final concentrate, supports product quality control, energy efficiency, and consistent concentrate for storing and further utilizing in consumer product production. Inmec sensors measure total solids including dissolved sugars and suspended fruit pulp.
Whey and Lactose Total solids
Measurement and control of Whey and Lactose evaporators in dairy industry supports consistent process efficiency, and uniform target concentration.
Inmec’s 3-A certified sensors meet sanitary requirements and withstand CIP cycles without performance degradation.
Why Digital Microwave Measurement Works Better in Evaporators
Surface-dependent optical sensors struggle in evaporators
Coating from sugar, protein, or product deposits on optical windows causes drift over time. High-temperature operation and long campaigns accelerate optical surface degradation.
Inmec sensors measure bulk product properties
Microwave measurement extends into the product volume—unaffected by coating on sensor surfaces. Temperature compensation maintains accuracy across varying evaporator conditions.
The practical difference:
Optical sensors often require cleaning between campaigns or deliver unreliable data during extended runs. Inmec sensors maintain stable measurement throughout, supporting better control and reducing maintenance interruptions.
Stable Brix Measurement for Your Evaporation and Dewatering Process
From juice concentration to multi-effect sugar evaporators—reliable measurement technology that handles coating, wide Brix ranges, and extended campaigns without drift.