There is a requirement to cool 200,000 kg/h of a dilute solution of potassium carbonate from 70 to 30°C. Cooling water will be used for cooling, with inlet and outlet temperatures of 20 and 60°C. A gasketed-plate heat exchanger is available with the following specifications: 

Number of plates 329. 

Effective plate dimensions: length 1.5 m, width 0.5 m, thickness 0.75 mm. 

Channel width 3 mm. 

Flow arrangement two pass: two pass. 

Port diameters 150 mm. 

Check whether this exchanger is likely to be suitable for the thermal duty required and estimate the pressure drop for each stream. 

Take the physical properties of the dilute potassium carbonate solution to be the same as those for water.