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Journal of Science and Engineering
Vol. 08 / Nº 01
e – ISSN: 3028-8533
ISSN – L: 3028-8533
Chemical Engineering and Development
University of Guayaquil | Faculty of Chemical Engineering
Guayaquil – Ecuador
https://revistas.ug.edu.ec/index.php/iqd
Email: inquide@ug.edu.ec
francisco.duquea@ug.edu.ec
Pag. 19
Thermo-hydraulic design of a gasketed-plate heat exchanger for liquid
cow’s milk cooling.
Diseño térmico-hidráulico de un intercambiador de calor con placa con junta para refrigeración
líquida de leche de vaca.
Amaury Pérez Sánchez
1
*; Laura de la Caridad Arias Águila
2
; Lizthalía Jiménez Guerra
3
Received: 14/06/2025 – Accepted: 28/09/2025 – Published: 01/01/2026
Research
Articles
X
Review
Articles
Essay
Articles
* Corresponding
author.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0
International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license. Authors retain the rights to their articles and are free to share,
copy, distribute, perform, and publicly communicate the work, provided that proper attribution is given,
the use is non-commercial, and any derivative works are licensed under the same terms.
Abstract.
Plate heat exchangers offer greater compactness compared to tubular exchangers. The plate configuration enhances heat exchange by creating an extensive and
fully compact area that allows for the efficient heat transfer between two fluids. The present paper aims to design, from the thermo-hydraulic point of view, a
gasketed-plate heat exchanger to cool down a stream of hot liquid cow’s milk using chilled water as coolant. Several important parameters were determined such
as the total number of plates (3), the heat load (163.79 kW), the required mass flowrate of chilled water (5,638 kg/h), the required surface area (2.21 m
2
) and the
overall heat transfer coefficient calculated (2,194.06 W/m
2
.K). Likewise, the values of the pressure drops for the water (48,558 Pa) and milk (14,720 Pa) streams
are below the maximum permissible values set by the process. The designed plate heat exchanger will cost USD $ 2,692 and can be successfully implemented in
this heat transfer service from the thermo-hydraulic perspective.
Keywords.
Gasketed-plate heat exchanger; area; overall heat transfer coefficient; pressure drop; purchase cost.
Resumen.
Los intercambiadores de calor de placas ofrecen una mayor compactación comparado con los intercambiadores tubulares. La configuración de la placa mejora el
intercambio de calor mediante la creación de un área extensiva y completamente compacta que permite la transferencia de calor eficiente entre dos fluidos. El
presente artículo aspira a diseñar, desde el punto de vista térmico-hidráulico, un intercambiador de calor de placas con juntas para enfriar una corriente de leche de
vaca liquida caliente usando agua fría como agente de enfriamiento. Varios parámetros importantes fueron determinados tales como el número total de placas (3),
la carga de calor (163,79 kW), el caudal másico requerido de agua fría (5 638 kg/h), el área superficial requerida (2.21 m
2
) y el coeficiente global de transferencia
de calor calculado (2 194,06 W/m
2
.K). Asimismo, los valores de las caídas de presión de las corrientes de agua (48 558 Pa) y la leche (14 720 Pa) están por debajo
de los valores máximos permisibles fijados por el proceso. El intercambiador de placas diseñado costará USD $ 2 692 y puede ser implementado satisfactoriamente
en este servicio de transferencia de calor desde la perspectiva térmico-hidráulica.
Palabras clave.
Intercambiador de calor de placas con juntas; área; coeficiente global de transferencia de calor; caída de presión; costo de adquisición.
1. Introduction
Heat exchangers (HX) consist of devices designed to
transfer thermal energy between two fluids as a result of a
temperature difference. The primary categories of HX are
divided based on their structural geometries, which include
tubular, plate, and extended surface types [1].
A plate heat exchanger (PHE) is a compact type of heat
exchanger that utilizes multiple thin plates for transferring
heat between two fluids. There are primarily four types of
PHE: gasketed, brazed, welded, and semi-welded. The
gasketed or plate-and-frame heat exchanger is composed
essentially by of a series of thin rectangular plates bordered
by gaskets and secured together within a frame. Initially
designed for milk pasteurization in 1923, plate heat
exchangers are now widely utilized in various industries,
including chemicals, petroleum, HVAC systems,
refrigeration, dairy production, pharmaceuticals, beverages,
1
University of Camagüey; Faculty of Applied Sciences; amaury.perez84@gmail.com; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0819-6760, Camagüey;
Cuba.
2
University of Camagüey; Faculty of Applied Sciences; aguilaariaslaura@gmail.com; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6494-9747, Camagüey;
Cuba.
3
University of Camagüey; Faculty of Applied Sciences; lizthalia.jimenez@reduc.edu.cu; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2471-7263, Camagüey;
Cuba.
liquid food processing, and health care. This widespread use
arises from the distinct benefits offered by PHEs, like
adaptable thermal configurations (where plates can be
easily added or removed to adjust for varying thermal
requirements), simplicity of cleaning necessary for
maintaining high hygiene standards, effective temperature
regulation (essential for cryogenic uses), and improved heat
transfer efficiency [2]. Similarly, plate heat exchangers are
preferred for their high surface area relative to volume and
superior heat transfer rates [3].
A typical PHE is made up of a set of corrugated plates
designed to enhance heat transfer, featuring gaskets
positioned in a way that seals off a pathway between the
plates when they are compressed within a framework. These
pathways enable fluids, which can enter from the same or
opposite directions within the apparatus, to transfer heat as
they move through the plates in either parallel or
INQUIDE
Chemical Engineering and Development
Journal of Science and Engineering
Vol. 08 / Nº 01
e – ISSN: 3028-8533
ISSN – L: 3028-8533
Chemical Engineering and Development
University of Guayaquil | Faculty of Chemical Engineering
Guayaquil – Ecuador
https://revistas.ug.edu.ec/index.php/iqd
Email: inquide@ug.edu.ec
francisco.duquea@ug.edu.ec
Pag. 20
counterflow setups. As a result, a PHE can accommodate a
variety of flow arrangements, such as single, multiple
passes, series, parallel, and their various combinations [1].
Because the design process of heat exchangers is
complicated, it requires subjective choices at each design
step. Additionally, the design methodology consists of
multiple stages and relies on provisional information until
the objectives are achieved. Typically, a heat exchanger's
design encompasses these components: heat transfer to
meet the necessary performance, total expenses, the actual
geometrical dimensions, and the overall pressure drop [3].
As noted in [4], a lot of the design information related to
plate heat exchangers is kept proprietary. A step-by-step
approach for calculating the size and internal structure of
the exchanger from available process information is not
commonly found. Existing commercial software does not
allow users to access the underlying mathematical models,
and engineers typically lack familiarity with the specific
terms and configurations of these exchangers. This
reference also emphasizes that experimental findings in the
literature regarding heat transfer and pressure drop are
limited. Nonetheless, there are dimensionless correlations
available for heat transfer coefficients as well as pressure
drop within the channels of plate heat exchangers.
Recommendations for constant and exponents values in the
correlating equations are based on limited data and insights
from manufacturers. Proper sizing of a plate heat exchanger
relies on the required thermal duty and the characteristics of
the exchanger itself. Its adaptability and operational benefits
are accompanied by the challenge of creating a model for its
steady flow behavior [1].
A considerable amount of studies has been carried out so far
to investigate the characteristics of heat transfer and
pressure drop in plate heat exchangers, which are
continuously being improved and developed by scholars
and technologists [5].
Various researchers have explored and evaluated the design
of plate heat exchangers. In this regard, [3] conducted an
investigation aimed at obtaining a clearer understanding of
various plate characteristics, like Chevron angles, channel
spacing, plate heights, and type on heat transfer and pressure
drop calculations, employing PHEx
®
software as a
computational resource to assess and illustrate the impact of
each parameter through the simulation of an industrial case
study. In [6], an experimental arrangement was developed
and built to examine the influence of using nanofluids
within a plate heat exchanger. The tests involved three
distinct working fluids: tap water and nanofluids containing
1 and 0.5 wt. % Al
2
O
3
in water, during a hot cycle, with flow
rates between 100 to 450 L/h in every case. Additionally,
[1] conducted a performance assessment supported by the
principles of the first and second laws of thermodynamics
for various operational arrangements of viable gasketed-
plate heat exchangers. To ensure this, 40 simulations were
performed utilizing the distributed-U differential model
reported by various researchers, applying an adaptive
damped secant shooting technique. The effectiveness of
heat and exergy transfer, dimensionless entropy generation,
potential entropic losses, and energy efficiency indices were
computed when both fluids were either above or below
ambient temperature, as well as when at least one fluid
crossed the room temperature threshold.
In [7], the efficiency of a transformed corrugated plate heat
exchanger was analyzed numerically through ANSYS-
Fluent 20R1. A pressure-based transient model was
implemented for the analysis. The k-ω SST turbulence
model was utilized for this study. A nanofluid composed of
water mixed with metallic oxide nanoparticles (Al
2
O
3
) was
employed to improve thermal conductivity, and a broad
range of Reynolds numbers ranging from 1,000 to 12,000
was considered. In another investigation [8], the researchers
aimed to enhance the heat transfer efficiency between plates
and minimize the pressure loss during fluid movement
within the system. The numerical simulations conducted
enabled the assessment of thermal flow within the heat
exchanger, as well as the pressure drop and overall
performance while altering the flow speeds and the spacing
of the plates. Other authors [9] explored various methods to
increase the thermal efficiency of plate heat exchangers
utilized in processing vegetable oils by conducting multiple
calculations. This research initiated from a baseline scenario
where vegetable oils were cooled by water within plate heat
exchangers, all featuring a Chevron angle of 30º along with
varying channel numbers and plate surface areas. Similarly,
in [10], the numerical study examined convective heat
transfer, energy efficiency, and pressure drop of γ-
Al
2
O
3
/water nanofluid in a gasketed plate heat exchanger
across a varied concentration range of particles (0% to 6%),
while the thermo-physical characteristics of γ-Al
2
O
3
/water
nanofluid were obtained from established empirical
relationships.
Similarly, [5] carried out the initial design of gasketed plate
heat exchangers for single-phase flow using MATLAB as a
computational platform. Subsequently, a software
application was created for performing thermal and
hydraulic calculations of gasketed plate heat exchangers,
relying on established correlations found in existing
research. The developed design program was then evaluated
for precision and dependability compared to several
approved designs of gasketed plate heat exchangers. In [4],
a straightforward design approach for plate heat exchangers
was introduced, which emphasized the use of uniform plates
while neglecting various factors such as heat conduction
along the plates and in flow passages, along with fluid
properties that change with temperature. In [11], a design
optimization for multi-pass plate-and-frame heat
exchangers utilizing a mixed arrangement of plates was
explored, where the approach was structured as a
mathematical problem to determine the minimum value of
an implicit nonlinear discrete/continuous objective function
constrained by inequalities. The optimizing parameters
assessed in this research included the number of passes for
INQUIDE
Chemical Engineering and Development
Journal of Science and Engineering
Vol. 08 / Nº 01
e – ISSN: 3028-8533
ISSN – L: 3028-8533
Chemical Engineering and Development
University of Guayaquil | Faculty of Chemical Engineering
Guayaquil – Ecuador
https://revistas.ug.edu.ec/index.php/iqd
Email: inquide@ug.edu.ec
francisco.duquea@ug.edu.ec
Pag. 21
both fluid streams, the numbers of plates featuring different
corrugation types in each pass, and the type and size of the
plates.
In [12], advancements in the design principles of plate heat
exchangers were examined, focusing on how they can
enhance heat recovery and improve energy efficiency, while
evaluating the ideal arrangement of a multi-pass plate-and-
frame heat exchanger featuring mixed plate configurations.
The variables considered for optimization in this analysis
included the number of passes for each fluid stream, the
quantity of plates with varying corrugation designs in every
pass, as well as the type and dimensions of the plates. A
mathematical model was created to estimate the value of the
objective function within the optimization variable space
for the plate heat exchanger. In [13], a plate and frame
system was developed to reduce the temperature of a slurry
stream, for which multiple parameters like the heat transfer
rate and the necessary number of plates for the PHE were
calculated, and cost optimization for the designed PHE were
also examined. Other researchers [14] introduced a
straightforward CAE approach for quickly designing and
optimizing the dimensions of plate heat exchangers aimed
at heat recovery. In this investigation, the flow dynamics
and heat transfer processes in an air-to-air recuperative
counter-flow plate heat exchanger were analyzed using
numerical methods, while the pressure drop and
effectiveness were assessed based on inlet velocity for three
different sizes of actual heat exchangers.
Finally, [15] introduced an innovative and comprehensive
methodology for the ideal design of gasket and welded plate
heat exchangers, accommodating various plate shapes and
flow patterns. This method combines a new design strategy
with an optimization system aimed at achieving the best
solution that minimizes the overall transfer area by creating
a series of relationships between the temperatures in each
single-pass block while using known inlet and outlet
temperatures from the process streams. A MINLP
mathematical model was consequently established in this
research to determine the optimal combination of flow pass
configurations and commercially available plate shapes
while adhering to feasible design limitations. The
distinctions in the design strategies for gasket and welded
PHEs were then emphasized.
In a certain Cuban dairy factory it is desired to cool down
2,500 kg/h of a liquid cow’s milk stream from 85 ºC to 25
ºC using chilled water as a coolant available at 5 ºC.
Accordingly, a gasketed plate heat exchanger was proposed
to carry out this heat transfer service. In this context, the
objective of this study is to design a gasketed plate heat
exchanger from the thermo-hydraulic point of view by using
the design methodology reported by [16], where several
important design parameters such as the total number of
plates, heat load, overall heat transfer coefficient, surface
area and the pressure drops of both fluids were calculated.
Also, the purchase cost of the designed gasketed plate heat
exchanger was estimated and updated to 2025 year.
2. Materials and methods.
2.1. Problem statement.
It’s required to cool down 2,500 kg/h of a hot liquid cow’s
milk stream from 85 ºC to 25 ºC using chilled water at 5 ºC.
The values for the effective plate, effective length and
effective width are 0.75 m
2
, 1.5 m and 0.5 m, respectively,
while the plate spacing, plate thickness and plate material
are 0.003 m, 0.0006 m and stainless steel, respectively. A
maximum permissible pressure drop of 50,000 Pa and
20,000 Pa are set for the water and milk streams,
respectively. Design, from the thermo-hydraulic point of
view, a suitable gasketed-plate heat exchanger for this heat
transfer service having a 1:1 flow arrangement and using the
methodology reported by [16].
2.2 Design methodology.
Preliminary design
Step 1. Definition the initial data available for the two
fluids:
Table 1 presents the initial data that must be defined for the
two fluids.
Table 1. Initial data to be defined for the two fluids.
Parameter
Units
Cold
fluid
Hot
fluid
Mass flowrate
kg/h
Inlet temperature
ºC
Outlet temperature
ºC
Maximum permissible pressure
drop
Pa
Fouling factor
W/m
2
.ºC
Source: Own elaboration.
Step 2. Average temperature of both streams:
• Cold fluid (
):
(1)
• Hot fluid (
):
(2)
Step 3. Physical properties of both fluids at the average
temperature:
Table 2 presents the physical properties that must be defined
for both fluids at the average temperature calculated in the
previous step.
Table 2. Physical properties to be defined for both fluids.
Property
Units
Cold
fluid
Hot
fluid
Density
kg/m
3
Viscosity
Pa.s
Heat capacity
kJ/kg.ºC
Thermal conductivity
W/m.K
Source: Own elaboration.
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Vol. 08 / Nº 01
e – ISSN: 3028-8533
ISSN – L: 3028-8533
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University of Guayaquil | Faculty of Chemical Engineering
Guayaquil – Ecuador
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Email: inquide@ug.edu.ec
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Pag. 22
Step 4. Heat load ():
• For the hot fluid:
(3)
Where the unit of is kW.
Step 5. Required mass flowrate of the cold fluid (cooling
water) (
):
(4)
Where is given in kW and
is given in kJ/kg.K.
Step 6. Assumption of the overall heat transfer coefficient
(
).
The overall heat transfer coefficient will be assumed based
on values reported by [16] for plate heat exchangers.
Step 7. Log mean temperature difference ():
• For a countercurrent arrangement:
(5)
Step 8. Number of transfer units :
(6)
Step 9. Log mean temperature correction factor (
:
The log mean temperature correction factor will be selected
based on a figure reported by [16] based on the value of
NTU and the flow arrangement.
Step 10. Corrected mean temperature difference ():
(7)
Step 11. Surface area required
(8)
Where is given in kW and
is given in W/m
2
.K.
Step 12. Selection of the several parameters for the plates:
• Effective plate area (
• Effective length
• Effective width
Step 13. Number of plates required
:
(9)
Step 14. Flow arrangement and number of passes (
):
Step 15. Number of channels per pass (
):
(10)
Step 16. Assumption of the plate spacing ().
Step 17 . Cross-sectional area (
):
(11)
Step 18. Equivalent (hydraulic) mean diameter (
:
(12)
• Hot fluid:
Step 19. Channel velocity for the hot fluid
:
(13)
Where
is given in kg/s.
Step 20. Reynolds number for the hot fluid
:
(14)
Step 21. Prandtl number for the hot fluid (
:
(15)
Step 22. Nusselt number for the hot fluid
:
(16)
Where the viscosity correction factor
= 1
according to [16].
Step 23. Heat-transfer coefficient for the hot fluid (
):
(17)
• Cold fluid:
Step 24. Channel velocity for the cold fluid
:
(18)
Where
is given in kg/s.
Step 25. Reynolds number for the cold fluid
:
(19)
Step 26. Prandtl number for the cold fluid (
:
(20)
Step 27. Nusselt number for the cold fluid
:
(21)
Where the viscosity correction factor
= 1
according to [16].
Step 28. Heat-transfer coefficient for the cold fluid (
):
INQUIDE
Chemical Engineering and Development
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Vol. 08 / Nº 01
e – ISSN: 3028-8533
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Chemical Engineering and Development
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Guayaquil – Ecuador
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Pag. 23
(22)
Step 29. Select the plate thickness (
):
Step 30. Select the plate material and, therefore, its thermal
conductivity (
):
Step 31. Overall heat transfer coefficient calculated (
):
(23)
The calculated value of the overall heat transfer coefficient
must be compared with the assumed overall heat transfer
coefficient of Step 6. If the percentage error calculated
through equation (24) is between -0% and +10%, the design
is satisfactory, and then the designer should proceed to
calculate the pressure drop of both fluids.
(24)
Pressure drop:
Step 32. Define port diameter (
:
Step 33. Port area (
:
(25)
• Hot fluid:
Step 34. Friction factor for the hot fluid (
:
(26)
Step 35. Plate pressure drop for the hot fluid (
:
(27)
Step 36. Velocity through port for the hot fluid
:
(28)
Step 37. Port pressure drop for the hot fluid
:
(29)
Step 38. Total pressure drop for the hot fluid (
):
(30)
• Cold fluid:
Step 39. Friction factor for the cold fluid (
:
(31)
Step 40. Plate pressure drop for the cold fluid (
:
(32)
Step 41. Velocity through port for the cold fluid
:
(33)
Step 42. Port pressure drop for the cold fluid
:
(34)
Step 43. Total pressure drop for the cold fluid (
):
(35)
2.3. Purchased cost of the designed gasketed-plate heat
exchanger
According to [16], the purchase cost of a stainless steel
gasketed-plate and frame heat exchanger can be calculated
using the following correlation [16]:
(36)
Where:
•
- Purchased equipment cost referred to January
2007.
• - Area of the plate heat exchanger [m
2
].
Once the purchase cost of the plate heat exchanger is
calculated for January 2007 using equation (36), it was then
updated to March 2025 using the following equation:
(37)
Where:
•
– Purchased equipment cost referred to March
2025.
•
– Chemical Engineering Cost Index in
March 2025 = 791.6 [17].
•
– Chemical Engineering Cost Index in
January 2007 = 509.7 [16].
3. Analysis and Interpretation of Results.
3.1. Preliminary design.
Step 1. Definition the initial data available for the two
fluids:
Table 3 shows the values of the initial data for the two
fluids.
Table 3. Values of the initial data for the two fluids.
Parameter
Units
Water
Milk
Mass flowrate
kg/h
-
2,500
Inlet temperature
ºC
5
85
Outlet temperature
ºC
30
25
Maximum permissible
pressure drop
Pa
50,000
20,000
Fouling factor
W/m
2
.ºC
8,000
1,000
Source: Own elaboration.
Step 2. Average temperature of both streams:
• Cold fluid (
):
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Pag. 24
(1)
• Hot fluid (
):
(2)
Step 3. Physical properties of both fluids at the average
temperature:
Table 4 displays the values of the physical properties for
both fluids at the average temperature calculated in Step 2,
which were taken from data reported by [18] for the milk,
and from [19] for the water.
Table 4. Values of the physical properties for both fluids.
Property
Units
Water
Milk
Density
kg/m
3
998.7
1,015.4
Viscosity
Pa.s
0.00107
0.002127
Heat capacity
kJ/kg.ºC
4.184
3.931
Thermal conductivity
W/m.K
0.599
0.559
Source: Own elaboration.
Step 4. Heat load ():
• For the hot fluid:
(3)
Step 5. Required mass flowrate of the cold fluid (chilled
water) (
):
(4)
Step 6. Assumption of the overall heat transfer coefficient
(
).
Taking into account the values reported by [16] between the
range of 2,000-4,500 W/m
2
.K, it was assumed a preliminary
value of 2,200 W/m
2
.K for
.
Table 5 presents the values of the parameters included in
steps 7-18.
Table 5. Values of the parameters included in steps 7-11.
Step
Parameter
Value
Units
7
Log mean temperature difference
34.60
ºC
8
Number of transfer units
1.73
-
9
Log mean temperature correction
factor
1
0.975
-
10
Corrected mean temperature
difference
33.73
ºC
11
Surface area required
2.21
m
2
1
As reported by [16].
Source: Own elaboration.
Step 12. Selection of several parameters for the plates:
Based on suggestions reported by [16] for typical plate
dimensions, it was selected the following values for several
parameters of the plates:
• Effective plate area
= 0.75 m
2
.
• Effective length
= 1.5 m.
• Effective width
= 0.5 m.
Step 13. Number of plates required
:
(9)
Step 14. Flow arrangement and number of passes (
):
The flow arrangement will be 1:1, with a number of passes
(
) of 1.
Step 15. Number of channels per pass (
):
(10)
Step 16. Assumption of the plate spacing ():
It was assumed a plate spacing of 3 mm = 0.003 m, a typical
value according to [16].
Step 17 . Cross-sectional area (
):
(11)
Step 18. Equivalent (hydraulic) mean diameter (
:
(12)
Table 6 displays the results of the parameters included in
steps 19-28, where the heat transfer coefficients are
calculated for each fluid.
Table 6. Results of the parameters included in steps 19-28.
Parameter
Milk
Water
Units
Channel velocity
0.456
1.045
m/s
Reynolds number
1,306
5,852
-
Prandtl number for the hot
fluid
14.96
7.47
-
Nusselt number
81.34
163.36
-
Heat-transfer coefficient
7,578
16,309
W/m
2
.K
Source: Own elaboration.
Step 29. Select the plate thickness (
):
A value of 0.0006 m was selected for the plate thickness.
Step 30. Select the plate material and, therefore, its thermal
conductivity (
):
It was selected stainless steel for the plate material,
therefore
= 16 W/m.K [16].
Step 31. Overall heat transfer coefficient calculated (
):
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Pag. 25
(23)
Percentage error
(24)
3.2. Pressure drop.
Step 32. Define port diameter (
:
The select value for the port diameter (
was 0.1 m.
Step 33. Port area (
:
(25)
Table 7 shows the results of the parameters included in steps
34-43 for each fluid:
Table 7. Results of the parameters included in steps 34-43.
Parameter
Milk
Water
Units
Friction factor
0.0697
0.0445
-
Plate pressure drop
14,716.33
48,532
Pa
Velocity through port
0.087
0.1997
m/s
Port pressure drop
4.996
25.888
Pa
Total pressure drop
14,720
48,558
Pa
Source: Own elaboration.
3.3. Purchase cost of the designed gasketed-plate heat
exchanger.
By using equation (36), where – surface area required =
2.21 m
2
, the purchase cost of the plate heat exchanger,
referred to January 2007, is:
(36)
Then, to update this purchase cost to March 2025, equation
(37) was used:
(37)
4. Discussion
According to the results, the heat load () had a value of
163.79 kW, thus requiring a mass flowrate for the cooling
water (
) of 1.5659 kg/s (5,637.24 kg/h). Also, the surface
area required was 2.21 m
2
, with a corrected mean
temperature difference of 33.73 ºC and a required number
of plates of 3. This low quantity of plates is because the
relatively low value of the heat load and the high value of
the assumed overall heat transfer coefficient (2,200
W/m
2
.K), which influences then in the low value of the
calculated surface area, and thus, in the required number of
plates. In the 1:1 plate heat exchanger designed in [16] in
order to cool 27.8 kg/s of a methanol stream from 95 ºC to
40 ºC using brackish water at 25 ºC, the heat duty is 4,340
kW, the required mass flowrate of brackish water is 68.9
kg/s and the required surface area is 72.92 m
2
, therefore
needing 97 plates.
The heat-transfer coefficient for the cooling water (16,309
W/m
2
.K) was 2.15 times higher than the value of this
parameter for the milk (7,578 W/m
2
.K), which is due to the
fact that the mass flowrate of the cooling water (5,637.24
kg/h) is 2.25 times higher than the mass flowrate for the
milk (2,500 kg/h). This influences then in that the channel
velocity for the water (1.045 m/s) is higher than the channel
velocity for the milk (0.456 m/s), thus obtaining that the
Reynolds number for the water (5,852) is 4.48 times higher
than the Reynolds number for the milk (1,306), which
influences in this difference. This agrees with the reported
by [16], where the heat transfer coefficient for the brackish
water (16,439 W/m
2
.K) is 3.37 times higher than the heat
transfer coefficient for the methanol (4,870 W/m
2
.K). The
values of the Reynolds number obtained in the present study
agrees with the reported by (Mehrabian, 2009), where it is
indicated that the fluid flow in plate heat exchanger
channels is usually at low Reynolds numbers, and at the
same time in turbulent regime.
A value for the calculated overall heat transfer coefficient
of 2,194.06 W/m
2
.K was obtained, which agrees very close
with the assumed overall heat transfer coefficient (2,200
W/m
2
.K), while a calculated percentage error of -0.27% was
obtained that corresponds with the range proposed by [16]
for this parameter, thus indicating that the design is
satisfactory, there is no need to perform additional iterations
and that we must proceed to calculated the pressure drops
for both fluids. In the plate heat exchanger designed in [16],
the initial value assumed for the overall heat transfer
coefficient was 2,000 W/m
2
.K.
Regarding the pressure drops, the value of the friction factor
for the milk (0.0697) was 1.57 times higher than the friction
factor for the water (0.0445), which is because the lower
value obtained for Reynolds number of the milk compared
to the Reynolds number of the water. The plate pressure
drop for the water (48,532 Pa) was 3.29 times higher than
the value of this parameter for the milk, which is largely due
to the higher value obtained for the channel velocity of the
INQUIDE
Chemical Engineering and Development
Journal of Science and Engineering
Vol. 08 / Nº 01
e – ISSN: 3028-8533
ISSN – L: 3028-8533
Chemical Engineering and Development
University of Guayaquil | Faculty of Chemical Engineering
Guayaquil – Ecuador
https://revistas.ug.edu.ec/index.php/iqd
Email: inquide@ug.edu.ec
francisco.duquea@ug.edu.ec
Pag. 26
water (1.045 m/s) as compared to the channel velocity of the
milk (0.456 m/s). Likewise, the velocity through port is
higher for the water (0.1997 m/s) as compared to the value
of this parameter for the milk (0.087 m/s) because water has
a higher mass flowrate, while the port pressure drop for the
water (25.888 Pa) is 5.18 times higher than the port pressure
drop for the milk (4.996 Pa) mainly because the water has a
higher value of the velocity through port. The total pressure
drop for water (48,558 Pa) is 3.29 times higher than the total
pressure drop for the milk (14,720), because both the plate
pressure drop and the port pressure drop are higher for the
water as compared to the values of these parameters for the
milk.
The above agrees with the results of the gasketed-plate heat
exchanger designed in [16], where the plate pressure drop
(26,547 Pa), the port pressure drop (50,999 Pa) and the total
pressure drop (77,546 Pa) are higher for the cold fluid
(water) compared to the value of the plate pressure drop
(5799 Pa) the port pressure drop (10,860 Pa) and the total
pressure drop (16,659 Pa) for the hot fluid (methanol).
Lastly, in the heat exchange service studied in this paper the
calculated values of the total pressure drops for both fluids
are below the maximum pressure drops set by the process,
which are 50,000 Pa for water and 20,000 Pa for milk. Thus
it is concluded that the designed plate heat exchanger in this
study is suitable and appropriate from the thermo-hydraulic
point of view, and can be successfully implemented in the
requested heat transfer application of cow’s milk cooling.
In [13] a plate heat exchanger was designed to cool down
231,000 kg/h of a slurry stream from 86.6 ºC to 66 ºC using
cooling water at 34 ºC. In this study, the total number of
plates was 108, the area of the plate heat exchanger was
110.377 m
2
, the heat load was 1,132,500 kcal/h and the
overall heat transfer coefficient was 327.17 kcal/h.m
2
.°C.
The purchase cost of the gasketed-plate heat exchanger,
referred to January 2007, was USD $ 1,733, while the
purchase cost of the same gasketed-plate heat exchanger
updated to March 2025 was USD $ 2,692.
5. Conclusions.
A gasketed-plate heat exchanger was designed to carry out
the cooling of a hot milk stream using chilled water as
coolant. Several important design parameters were
computed, being the most important the heat load, the
required mass flowrate of chilled water, the surface area and
the number of plates. Similarly, the heat transfer
coefficients for both fluids were estimated based on well-
established correlations, as well as the overall heat transfer
coefficient. Finally, the pressure drops of both fluid streams
were also calculated and compared to the maximum values
set by the heat exchanger process. The designed heat
exchanger will present three plates, a flow arrangement of
1:1, a surface area of 2.21 m
2
, a heat load of 163.79 kW, a
required mass flowrate of chilled water of 1.5659 kg/s
(5,638 kg/h) and a calculated overall heat transfer
coefficient of 2,194.06 W/m
2
.K. Both the total pressure
drop of chilled water (48,558 Pa) and milk (14,720 Pa) are
below the maximum permissible values set by the process,
i.e. 50,000 Pa for the water and 20,000 Pa for the milk. It is
concluded that the designed PHE will cost USD $ 2,692 and
could be satisfactorily implemented, from the thermo-
hydraulic point of view, in the heat transfer service.
6.- Author Contributions (Contributor Roles
Taxonomy (CRediT))
1. Conceptualization: (Name and surname of the author)
2. Data curation: (Name and surname of the author)
3. Formal Conceptualization: Amaury Pérez Sánchez.
4. Data curation: Laura de la Caridad Arias Aguila.
5. Formal analysis: Amaury Pérez Sánchez Lizthalía
Jiménez Guerra.
6. Acquisition of funds: Not applicable.
7. Research: Amaury Pérez Sánchez, Laura de la Caridad
Arias Aguila.
8. Methodology: Amaury Pérez Sánchez, Lizthalía
Jiménez Guerra.
9. Project management: Not applicable.
10. Resources: Not applicable.
11. Software: Not applicable.
12. Supervision: Amaury Pérez Sánchez.
13. Validation: Amaury Pérez Sánchez, Laura de la
Caridad Arias Aguila.
14. Display: Not applicable.
15. Wording - original draft: Lizthalía Jiménez Guerra,
Laura de la Caridad Arias Aguila.
16. Writing - revision and editing: Amaury Pérez Sánchez.
7.- Appendix
Nomenclature.
Surface area required
m
2
Cross-sectional area
m
2
Effective plate area
m
2
Port area
m
2
Plate spacing
-
Heat capacity
kJ/kg.ºC
Equivalent (hydraulic) mean
diameter
m
Port diameter
m
Thermal conductivity
W/m.K
Log mean temperature
correction factor
-
Heat-transfer coefficient
W/m
2
.K
Friction factor
-
Plate thermal conductivity
W/m.K
Effective length
m
Mass flowrate
kg/h
Number of plates required
-
Number of passes
-
Number of channels per pass
-
INQUIDE
Chemical Engineering and Development
Journal of Science and Engineering
Vol. 08 / Nº 01
e – ISSN: 3028-8533
ISSN – L: 3028-8533
Chemical Engineering and Development
University of Guayaquil | Faculty of Chemical Engineering
Guayaquil – Ecuador
https://revistas.ug.edu.ec/index.php/iqd
Email: inquide@ug.edu.ec
francisco.duquea@ug.edu.ec
Pag. 27
Number of transfer units
-
Nusselt number
-
Prandtl number
-
Plate pressure drop
Pa
Port pressure drop
Pa
Total pressure drop
Pa
Heat load
kW
Fouling factor
W/m
2
.ºC
Reynolds number
-
Temperature cold fluid
ºC
Average temperatura cold
fluid
ºC
Temperature hot fluid
ºC
Average temperatura hot
fluid
ºC
Log mean temperature
difference
ºC
Corrected mean temperature
difference
ºC
Velocity through port
m/s
Overall heat transfer
coefficient calculated
W/m
2
.K
Overall heat transfer
coefficient assumed
W/m
2
.K
Channel velocity
m/s
Effective width
m
Plate thickness
m
Greek symbols
Density
kg/m
3
Viscosity
Pa.s
Viscosity of the fluid at the
wall temperature
Pa.s
Subscripts
Inlet
Outlet
Cold fluid
Hot fluid
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INQUIDE
Chemical Engineering and Development
Journal of Science and Engineering
Vol. 08 / Nº 01
e – ISSN: 3028-8533
ISSN – L: 3028-8533
Chemical Engineering and Development
University of Guayaquil | Faculty of Chemical Engineering
Guayaquil – Ecuador
https://revistas.ug.edu.ec/index.php/iqd
Email: inquide@ug.edu.ec
francisco.duquea@ug.edu.ec
Pag. 28
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