Department of Food Engineering

2023/2024 Spring Semester

FDE437 Food Engineering Operations and Process Design

Laboratory Report

Name of the student: Ezginur Yağcı

Student ID: 20190709002

Date of the experiment: 05.03.2024

Title of the experiment: Plate Heat Exchanger Pasteurization

1. Aim of the experiment: In this experiment, it was aimed to observe the pasteurization
stages of cherry juice and to examine the working principle of the pasteurization device with
heat exchanger. As a result of the experiment, it is aimed to calculate the heat transfer
coefficient value for the heating and regeneration unit.

2. Principle of the experiment: Pasteurization is based on the relationship between time and
temperature. The working principle of the pasteurizer is based on the use of plate heat
exchangers in the heating unit and regenerated unit. In the heating unit consisting of 15 plates,
cherry juice flows between the plates on one side, and water used as a heating medium flow
on the other. Meanwhile, heat transfer occurs between the cherry juice and the plates, aiming
to bring the cherry juice to the desired pasteurization temperature. This flow between the
plates occurs on the counter-current principle. According to this principle, liquids move in
opposite directions, providing a more effective heat transfer. According to this principle,
thanks to the plates, the surface area has increased and energy has been used more efficiently.
The heat transfer that occurs in the plates is conduction and forced convection. In this
experiment, HTST (high temperature/short-time) method was used for cherry juice. In this
method, 72 °C pasteurization temperature was selected. Cherry juice that reaches 72°C is
transferred to the holding tube. The cherry juice coming from the regeneration unit increases
the energy efficiency of the pasteurization process by pre-heating the cold cherry juice. In this
way, it recovers the heat in the heated cherry juice and transfers the cold cherry juice coming
to the unit. Thanks to this preheating process, it requires less energy to reach the temperature
required for pasteurization. Then, heat exchangers are used in the cooling stage. Heat
exchangers provide an environment where hot cherry juice meets cold water after the
pasteurization process. During this contact, heat transfer occurs and the cherry juice cools
rapidly and leaves the device. Thanks to this cooling, the quality of the product is preserved
and microbial growth is prevented. The formulae for the overall heat transfer coefficient U
(𝑊/𝑚2℃) (1) and log mean temperature ΔTm (2) are provided below.

Q=U . A . Δ Tm=ṁ .Cp . ΔT (Eq .1)

(ΔT 1− ΔT 2)
ΔTm= (Eq .2)
ln(ΔT 1/ ΔT 2)

3. Results and Discussion

Table 1. Temperature and flow rate records.

Temperatures and time Readouts

T1: Pasteurized sample temperature (regeneration unit

72°C
entrance)

T2: Heating water temperature at heating unit entrance 81°C

T3: Heating water exit temperature 60°C

T4: Sample temperature at regeneration unit entrance (pre-

46.5°C
heating)

T5: Sample temperature at heating unit entrance (pre-

59.5°C
heating)

T6: Sample temperature at cooling unit entrance

51.5 °C
(regeneration unit exit)

Time for 100 ml sample accumulation: 15.58 s

The specific heat value of sour cherry juice is approximately 4.18 J/g°C. The density of
cherry juice is typically close to the density of water and is approximately 1.06 g/cm3.

The volumetric flow rate and mass flow rate of cherry juice were calculated with
equations 3 and 4 using the average time of 15.58 in Table 1.

V
V̇ = (Eq. 3)
T

ṁ=V̇ × ρ (Eq. 4)

3
1L 1m −4 3
V =100 m L× × =1 ×10 m
1000 m L 1000 L
−4 3
1 ×10 m −6 3
V̇ = =6.42 ×10 m / s
15.58 s
6 3
1.065 g 10 cm 1 kg 3
3
× 3
× =1065 kg/m
1 cm 1m 1000 g

−3
ṁ=6.84 ×10 kg /s

Figure 1. Log mean temperature diagram.

The temperature values in Table 1 were used and turned into a diagram in Figure 1 for
heating unit. The Q value and U value in the heating unit are calculated below using
equations 1 and 2. The heating unit of the pasteurizer used in the experiment contains 15
plates, each plate has a surface area of 5.676 ×10−3 m2.

(9−0.5)
ΔTm= =2.939 ° C
ln(9 /0.5)

−3 −3 3
Q=U . (15 x 5.67 x 10 ) ×(2.939)=(6.84 ×10 )×( 4.18 ×10 )×(12.5)

J
Q=357.57
s
2
U =1427.96 W /m ° C

Figure 2. Log mean temperature diagram.

The temperature values in Table 1 were used and turned into a diagram in Figure 2 for
regeneration unit. The Q value and U value in the regeneration unit are calculated
below using equations 1 and 2. The heating unit of the pasteurizer used in the experiment
contains 19 plates, each plate has a surface area of 5.676 ×10−3 m2.

(12.5−5)
ΔTm= =8.192° C
ln(12.5/5)
 −3 −3 3
Q=U ×(19 ×5.67 × 10 )×(8.192)=(6.84 ×10 ) ×(4.18 × 10 ) ×(13)

Q=3 71 . 736 J /s

2
U =421.996 W /m ° C

The heat transfer coefficient in the heating unit was found to be higher. Because the
temperature difference is greater in this unit and thus a faster heat transfer occurs. In the
regenerated unit, the temperature difference is smaller and a slower heat transfer occurs.
Using fewer plates in the heating unit can achieve effective heat transfer by increasing the
flow rate. In the heating unit, "driving force" represents the difference between the inlet
temperature and outlet temperature of the liquid. Therefore, the "driving force" in the heating
unit refers to the thermal gradient that provides the energy transfer required to heat the liquid
to the pasteurization temperature. This gradient determines the efficiency and rate of heat
transfer in the plate heat exchanger. A higher "driving force" provides faster and more
effective heat transfer. The "driving force" in the regenerated unit refers to the thermal
gradient required to cool the liquid after the pasteurization process. In this case, the "driving
force" in the regenerated unit is the difference between the inlet and outlet temperatures of the
cooling water. The temperature difference is less in the regenerated unit, which affects the
heat transfer coefficient.

4. Conclusion:

The results obtained in the experiment are as follows, respectively. The mass flow rate was
calculated as 6.84 × 10−3 kg /s, using this value, the Q value for the heating unit was found to
be 357.57 J/s and the U value was found to be 1427.96 W /m2 °C . In the regeneration unit, the
U value is calculated as 421.996 W /m2 ° C and the Q value is 371.736 J/s. It was observed
that the temperature difference in the heating unit was higher than the temperature difference
in the regenerated unit. This shows that the "driving force" in the heating unit provides a more
effective thermal gradient for heat transfer. Experiments with different plate arrangements or
flow rates can be conducted to improve heat transfer efficiency. These experiments can help
determine optimal conditions to ensure a more effective and rapid pasteurization process.
Experiments focusing on different cooling methods or cooling times can be carried out to
ensure better quality and reliable products. These experiments may be aimed at creating
improved pasteurization procedures to extend the shelf life of the product and reduce the risk
of microbial contamination.