3. A plate evaporator is concentrating milk from 10% solids to 30% solids at a feed rate of 1500 kg h-1. Heating is by steam at 200 kPa absolute and the evaporating temperature is 75°C. (a) Calculate the number of plates needed if the area of heating surface on each plate is 0.44 m2 and the overall heat-transfer coefficient 650 J m-2 s-1 °C-1. (b) If the plates, after several hours running become fouled by a film of thickness 0.1 mm, and of thermal conductivity 0.1 J m-1 s-1 °C-1, by how much would you expect the capacity of the evaporator to be reduced?
[ (a) 50 (b) 13% of its former value ]