RESUMO

The heat and momentum transfer of tomato puree through a concentric-tube heat exchanger over a range of generalized Reynolds number (0.05 < Re < 66.5) was experimentally and numerically analyzed. Thermophysical and rheological properties of tomato puree (12°Brix) were measured from 20 to 60°C. The velocity, pressure, and temperature were calculated using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software FLUENTTM with temperature-dependent transport properties. The thermal operation of the concentric-tube exchanger was satisfactorily predicted using CFD, indicating accurate measurement of tomato puree properties with temperature variations. A concordance was found between the calculated Fanning friction factor and generalized Reynolds with the experimental correlation. A modified Sieder-Tate correlation was established, which allows properly expressing the Nusselt number as a function of the Peclet number. Simple correlations for the mechanical work and the heat transfer rate as a function of the volumetric flow rate were derived. The thermal efficiency was high at low puree flow rates but decreased with higher rates. However, at high flow rates, ceased its decline, instead showing a slight improvement. The analysis confirmed higher heat transfer rates in the concentric-tube heat exchanger compared to a plain tube at low puree flow rates. The results offer valuable insights for assessing diverse operational conditions in dairy, beverage, sauce, and concentrated food industries. Additionally, they also enhance the analysis and design of concentric-tube heat exchangers. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The knowledge of the rheological and hydrodynamical behavior of fluids in concentric-tube heat exchangers allows to explore a set of different operating conditions to improve the yield and effectiveness on the system heating/cooling design.