Volume: 5, 2026
5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland:
ENVIRONMENT – PLANT – ANIMAL – PRODUCT
Abstract number: T007
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.T007
Published online: 22 April 2026
Investigation of heat transfer processes in liquid egg pasteurisation using a three-section PHE
Wojciech Łużpiński*1, Maksymilian Galiński1, Agata Bieńczak1, Paweł Woźniak1,Łukasz Ignasiak1 and Tomasz Kiczek1,2
1 Research Group of Mechanical Engineering, Łukasiewicz Research Network – Poznań Institute of Technology, 6 Estkowskiego St., 61-755 Poznań, Poland
2 Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Poznań University of Technology, Piotrowo 3, 60-965 Poznań, Poland
* Corresponding author: wojciech.luzpinski@pit.lukasiewicz.gov.pl
Plate heat exchangers (PHEs) are extensively applied in the food industry for large-scale thermal processes. When pasteurising liquid egg, egg white, and yolk, PHEs are vital for achieving consistent product safety and quality. Their core function is to rapidly heat the flowing medium to the required pasteurisation temperature and then cool it efficiently to microbiologically safe levels. Energy efficiency is a key design consideration. In this study, one section of the exchanger was equipped for heat recovery, enabling cold raw material to be preheated using the thermal energy from counter-flowing pasteurised streams. The system must accommodate a wide range of flow rates and handle three different egg products, each exhibiting non-Newtonian flow behaviour. Compliance with food-contact regulations necessitates using approved materials, such as stainless steel, which combines durability with lower thermal conductivity.
The PHE comprises corrugated plates that enhance turbulence and maintain mechanical stability under pressure differences. Due to potential uneven flow distribution, empirical correlations alone are insufficient, making experimental validation of the heat transfer model essential. In the three-section configuration, three independent streams require active balancing of internal energy through flow and temperature control.
In this study, liquid egg, egg white, and yolk were subjected to two-stage heating and two-stage cooling while passing through the three-section PHE. Temperatures and volumetric flow rates were measured, and heat fluxes for each stream were calculated. Comparison with numerical simulations allowed the derivation of correction factors, ensuring the model can reliably predict process performance. The outcomes show clear practical advantages: energy consumption was reduced by 68–84%, depending on the type of egg mass, and validated model parameters were applied to optimise the selection of a three-section PHE for a prototype installation. The study also defined boundary conditions for the design of associated process components, providing guidance for full-scale implementation
Keywords: egg pasteurization; heat exchange; plate heat exchanger
How to cite
Łużpiński W., Galiński M., Bieńczak A., Woźniak P., Ignasiak Ł., Kiczek T., 2026. Investigation of heat transfer processes in liquid egg pasteurisation using a three-section PHE. In: 5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: Environment – Plant – Animal – Product. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.T007