**5. Conclusions**

This work presented two new methods to design cross-flow spiral plate heat exchangers: the first design was to compare the thermal behaviour of the spiral plate heat exchanger versus a car radiator. The radiator is an option to remove the excess of heat; however, this device needs to increase the heat transfer area by installing fins to dissipate the heat, specifically when a gas phase is involved. The constant spiral movement promotes an effective heat transfer, even when a laminar regimen is observed. An additional thermal performance can be proposed by decreasing the spacing plates. The spiral outer diameter will be reduced, and the flow velocity will increase; nevertheless, more energy to pumping flows will be necessary. The studs have not represented a constraint for the flows, but more studs could be installed with a higher diameter to increase heat transfer area and optimise the subcooling zone in spiral plate condensers. The spiral plate heat exchanger has many industrial applications, and this study contributed to expanding the usages by implementing new simple methodologies for cross-flow arrangement particularly for a condenser and for a cooler.

Computational fluid dynamics is a robust instrument to simulate and validate the empirical methods. The results between CFD simulation and the design method approve the accuracy of the method. It allows to extend the service of the spiral plate heat exchangers, as a part of the industrial process, cooling systems, heat networks and recover energy.

### **Conflict of interest**

All authors have contributed in (1) the proposal and design or analysis and interpretation of the data, (2) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content and (3) the approval of the final version.

This manuscript has not been submitted to, nor is under review at, another journal or other publishing institutions.

*Designing Spiral Plate Heat Exchangers to Extend Its Service and Enhance the Thermal… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.85345*
