Assam Engineering College

Chemical Engineering Department; MTO-I (CHE181502): 2021-ONLINE TJS

LECTURE – 8
MASS TRANSFER COEFFICIENT

(a) (b)

Diffusion of solute A in a laminar falling film

(a) Velocity profile and concentration profile
(b) Small element for mass transfer
For steady state, Rate input = Rate output

N AZ Z 1 Δy   N Ay y 1 Δz   N AZ ZΔZ 1 Δy   N Ay yΔy 1 Δz  (7.8)

For a dilute solution, the difference equation for A in the z direction is

C A
N AZ  D AB  zero convection (7.9)
z
For the y direction, the diffusion is negligible

N Ay  0  C A u y (7.10)
Dividing equation 7.8 by ∆z ∆y and letting ∆z and ∆y approach zero and substituting in
equation 7.9 and 7.10
N Az N Ay
0 
z y
 C 
0 D AB A  CA u y
z z y

 2CA C
0  DAB  uy A
z 2
y

CA  2CA
 uy  DAB (7.11)
y z 2
Equation 7.11 states that any A added to the liquid running down any location z over an
increment in y, got there by diffusion in z direction.

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The Navier Stokes equation for the y component

 u y u y u y u y    2 u y  2 u y  2 u y  ρ
  ux  uy  uz   
ρ
θ      μ x 2  y 2  z 2   y  ρg
 x y z   

under the above conditions the equation of motion for the liquid film in fully developed
laminar flow in the downward y – direction is

 2u y
μ  ρg  0 (7.12)
z 2

The solution of 7.12 with the conditions; uy = 0 at z = 0 is

ρgδ 2   z 2  3   z 2 
uy  
   
1  u y 1     (7.13)
2μ   δ   2   δ  

Where, u y is the bulk average velocity. The film thickness is then

1 1
 3u yμ  2  3  3
δ      2 
 (7.14)
 ρg  ρg

Where, Γ  ρδu yav (gamma, M/Lθ) is the mass rate of liquid flow per unit film width in x
direction. Substituting equation 7.13 in equation 7.11

3   z   C A  2CA
2

u y 1      D AB (7.15)
2   δ   y z 2

Equation 7.15 can be solved under the following condition

1. At z = 0; CA = CAi at all values of y.

C
2. At z = δ ; A  0 at all values of y. (Since no diffusion takes place into the solid wall)
z
3. At y = 0, CA = CAO at all values of z.
The solution results in a general expression (an infinite series) giving C A for z and y. Thus
providing CA(z) at y = L as shown in figure 5.3. The bulk average CA at y = L can be found in
the same manner as equation 7.2
S
1
Ux S 0
CA  U x CA dS (7.2)

The result is
 C Ai  C AL 
   0.7857e 5.1213 η  0.1001e 39.318 η
 C Ai  C AO 
 0.03599e 105.64 η  .............. (7.16)

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Chemical Engineering Department; MTO-I (CHE181502): 2021-ONLINE TJS

8 8
2D L 3 3
where, η  2AB  
3δ u y δ δ
N Re NSc   N PeM  
L L
momentum diffusivity  
NSC  Schmidth number 

  
DAB mass diffusivityDAB 

The Schmidth number is analogous to the prandtl number used in heat transfer
  
CP  
 
momentum diffusivity
N Pr  
k k  Thermal diffusivity
 C 
 P

4 u y
N PeM  N Re .N SC  Peclet number for mass transfer 
DAB
The Peclet number for mass transfer is analogous to Peclet number, used in heat transfer

4 u y CP 
N PeH  N Re .N Pr 
k
The total rate of absorption 

Uyδ C AL  C AO 
unit width of liquid film

 W Uyδ CAL  CAO  

W is the width of the film.

Alternatively, to obtain a local mass transfer co-efficient we can combine equation 2.18 for
the case of negligible bulk flow in the z direction with equation 7.4
NA  K x x A1  x A2   KL CA1  CA2  (7.4)
0
C   C 
N A  N A  N B  A   D AB  A  (2.18)
 C   z 
mass flux at z = 0 (phase interface)
 C 

N A  - DAB  A   K L CAi  CAL  (7.17)
 z  z 0

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In the falling film case because of the nature of the series which describes C A, the derivative
is undefined at z = 0. It is better to proceed with an average coefficient for the entire gas
surface.

The rate at which A is carried by the liquid at any y, per unit width in the x direction is
 mol 
U A δC A  
 time 

Over a distance dy, per unit width therefore, the rate of solute absorption is in mol/time


U y δC A  K L C Ai  C AL dy  (7.18)
C AL L
dC A
U yδ 
C AO C Ai  C AL
 K Lav  dy
 0
(7.19)

U y δ  CAi  CAO 
K Lav  ln   (7.20)
L  CAi  CAL 
which defines the average co-efficient
For small rate of flow or long times of contact of the liquid with the gas i.e. for film Reynolds
4Γ
Number, Re  100only the first term of the series of equation 7.16 is used.
μ
Thus equation 7.20 can be written as

U y δ  e5.1213η 
K Lav  ln  
L  0.7857 

U yδ
K Lav  0.241  5.1213η
L

U yδ U yδ  2D L 
K Lav  0.241  5.1213 2AB 
L L  3δ u y 
0
U yδ D 
K Lav  0.241  3.41 AB 
L  δ 

D 
K Lav  3.41 AB  (7.21)
 δ 

K Lavδ
 Sh av  3.41 (7.22)
D AB
Where, Sh represent Sherwood number, analogous to Nusselt number in heat transfer.

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Chemical Engineering Department; MTO-I (CHE181502): 2021-ONLINE TJS

For large Reynolds number or short contact time

1
 6D Γ  2
K Lav   AB  (7.23)
 πρδL 
1
 3 δ 2
Sh av   ReSc  (7.24)
 2π L 

The average flux Nav for the entire gas-liquid surface, per unit width, is the difference in rate
of flow of A in the liquid at y = L and at y = 0, divided by the entire liquid surface. This can be
used by some mean concentration difference.
N Aav 
u yδ
L
  
C AL  C AO  K Lav CAi  C A M (7.25) 
C  CA  
C Ai  C AO   C
Ai  C AL 
Ai M
C  C AO  (7.26)

C
ln Ai
 C AL Ai 
An experimental value of KLav is substantially larger than theoretical values even for low
mass transfer rates due to ripples and waves not considered in the analysis which form at
value of Re beginning at about 25.

The equation can also be applied for Re upto 1000 provided ripples are suppressed by
addition of wetting agents. Discrepancies also arise due to rapid absorption or flow of gas. If
both fluids move KL would depend on both flow rates.

Average velocity to use in overall mass balance

Average bulk velocity is defined as

1
u av   udA
A A

for a surface over which u is normal to A and the density ρ is assumed constant
Wδ
1
Wδ 0 0
u av  u y dzdW
δ
W
Wδ 0
u av  u y dz (7.27)

ρgδ 2   z  
2
Now,
uy  1     (7.13)
2μ   δ  

Substituting uy from equ.7.13 in equ. 7.27

ρgδ 2
u av  (7.28)
3μ

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Chemical Engineering Department; MTO-I (CHE181502): 2021-ONLINE TJS

Velocity will be maximum at z = 0 from equ. 7.13.

ρgδ 2
u ymax  (7.29)
2μ

Substituting equation 7.28 in equation 7.29

2
u yav  u ymax (7.30)
3

Problem 1: Estimate the rate of absorption of CO 2 into a water film flowing down a vertical
wall 1 m long at the rate of 0.05 kg/s per width at 25 0C. The gas is pure CO2 at 1 std atm.
The water is essentially CO2 free initially.
Solution:
Data: Solubility of water at 25 0C, 1 atm (STP) is CAi = 0.0336 kmol/m3, solution.
DAB = 1.96 x 10-9 m2/s
Solution density, ρ = 998 kg/m3
Viscosity, μ = 8.94 x 10-4 kg/m.s
L = 1m

kg
Γ  0.05
m.s
1 1
 3μ  3  3  8.94 104  0.05  3
δ   2    
 ρ g   998 9.807  
2

= 2.396 x 10-4 m

4Γ 4  0.05
Re    223
μ 8.94 10 4

Since Re > 100 equation 7.23 should be applied.

1 1
 6D Γ  2  6 1.96 10 - 9  0.05  2
  AB   
K Lav
 πρδL  
 π998 2.396 10 
4 

= 2.798 x 10 -5 m/s
At the top
kmol
C Ai  C A  C Ai  C AO  C Ai  0  0.0336
m3
At the bottom

C Ai  C A  C Ai  C AL  0.0336  C AL  kmol
m 3

The flux of absorption is given by equation 7.25 and 7.26.

u yδ
  C  CAO   CAi  CAL
CAL  CAO  K Lav Ai 53
 
L  CAi  CAO 
ln  

 Ai
C  C AL 
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Chemical Engineering Department; MTO-I (CHE181502): 2021-ONLINE TJS

0.209  2.396 10-4

C AL 
2.798 105  CAL  
1 ln 0.0336  ln 0.0336  C AL  


 5 10 5
C 
2.798 105 C AL  
AL

- 3.393  ln 0.0336  C AL 

 -3.393  ln 0.0336  C AL  3.9526 

 0.0336  C AL  0.01920 
kmol
 C AL  0.01439 3
m
Rate of absorption is estimated to be


Uyδ C AL  C AO  7.2 10 7  kmol
s.m of width

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