New Evaporator Build using same pans???

[Pete S]

I really think I can get this done this year,.............prior to the sap run!

I currently have a 2 x 3 flat pan with a 1 x 2 preheater on a 250 gallon oil tank evaporator I built several years ago and it has served us well.

Just received "permission" to construct a bigger more efficient evaporator, but promised to keep a limited budget.

I have room but don't want to go crazy but was considering going with a "gated pan". I read another post and someone weighed in on the pan sections running "with" the evaporator isn't as good, if you will, as a "cross flow" designed pan.

SO, initially I was considering a 2 x 4 gated pan with the sections running "long ways",...............BUT them I thought if I built so I could use my 2 x 3 pan as a preheater of sorts, THEN discharge into a 2 x 2 cross flow I could really improve my production with minimal costs.

My arch will most likely be built out of "re-purposed" material as it presents a nice challenge as well keeps costs down,............ so dimensions are not an issue as I intend to build to suit my pan(s).

Thoughts, comments appreciated!!!!!

[maple flats]

By a graded pan do you mean a pan with dividers, serpentine flow path?
if yes, I have had both front-back and side to side on my syrup pans while the rear pans have always been front to back partitions. Except for how you design the draw off, I see only minor differences. My current rig has cross flow/same side draw, in other words, I can feed either the forward or rear section of my 4 section pan and then I draw off from the other. This leaves my draw off on one pattern at the rear section where it is hotter, and the other draw is at the front section where it is the coolest (relatively speaking). While there is a very slight improvement drawing off the hotter one, the reversed flow I get as I switch flow every 2-3 hrs balances it out. I still like the cross flow pattern better.
My draws don't vary that much since I added air over fire (AOF), I still get a real good boil even in the forward section, however I can see a difference in how hard the pans boil.