ChE

130
Convective
Mass
Transfer
Prepared by:
Engr. Sandra Enn
Bahinting

CONVECTIVE MASS-TRANSFER COEFFICIENT

In previous chapter emphasis molecular
diffusion in stagnant fluids or fluids in laminar
flow.
So, to achieved it the fluid velocity is increased
until turbulent mass transfer occurs.
To have fluid in convective flow usually
requires the fluid to be flowing past another
immiscible fluid or a solid surface.

convective mass transfer coefficient kc,

similar to a convective heat-transfer
coefficient,hc is defined as:

where

kc = mass-transfer coefficient in m/s

cL1 = bulk fluid concentration in kmol A/m3
cLi = concentration in the fluid just adjacent to the surface
of the solid.

It

is a parameter that is used to describe the

ratio between the actual mass (or molar) flux of
a species into or out of a flowing fluid and the
driving force that causes that flux.

 Three

regions of mass transfer can be

visualized when a solute is dissolving
from a solid to a fluid:

Laminar sub-layer:
a thin viscous
sublayer which is
adjacent to the
surface
Characterized by
molecular diffusion
No eddies present
Large concentration
drop

Transition or buffer zone: a

region adjacent to the laminar
layer where gradual transition
from molecular diffusion to
mainly turbulent at the end
occurs.
Some eddies present
Mass transfer is the sum of
turbulent + diffusion

Turbulent region: adjacent to

the buffer zone where most of
the transfer is by turbulent with
very small diffusion
concentration decrease very
small
eddies motion

Definition of Mass-Transfer
coefficient
For turbulent flow, mass transfer is increased by mass

eddy diffusivity, (m2/s)

is normally used which is flux of A on surface area A1 (since

the cress sectional area may vary) relative to the whole bulk
surface.

In terms of convective mass transfer

coefficient:
where kc is mass transfer
coefficient:

1.The Mass Transfer Coefficient for

Equimolar Counterdiffusion:

In equimolar counterdiffusion NA=-NB, hence,

when the concentration is defined in terms of
mole fraction of a liquid or gas in terms of
partial pressure of a gas: (for equimolar
counterdiffusion).

2. Unicomponent Diffusion, A is diffusing in

stagnant B,
NB=0:

SUMMARY
o

Flux Equation for Equimolar CouterDiffusion

Flux Equation for A Diffusing Through

Stagnant B, Non-Diffusing B

Conversion Between Mass Transfer

Coefficients

Units of Mass Transfer Coefficients

*EXAMPLE: Vaporizing A and Convective Mass

Transfer
A large volume of pure gas B at 2 atm pressure is
flowing over a furnace from which pure A is
vaporizing. The liquid A completely wets the
surface, which is a blotting paper. Hence, the partial
pressure of A at the surface is the vapor pressure of
A at 298K, which is 0.20 atm. The k y has been
estimated to be 6.78 x 10-5 kgmol/s-m2-mol frac.
Calculate NA, the vaporization rate, and also the
value ky and kG.

Example 2

In a wetted-wall tower, an air-H2S mixture is flowing by a film of

water which is flowing as a thin film down a vertical plate. The
H2S is being absorbed from the air to the water at a total
pressure of 1.50 atm abs and 30C. The value of kc of
9.56710-4 m/s has been predicted for the gas-phase masstransfer coefficient. At a given point the mole fraction of H2S in
the liquid at the liquid-gas interface is 2.010-5 and pA of H2S
in the gas is 0.05 atm. The Henrys law equilibrium relation is
pA(atm) = 609xA (mole fraction in liquid). Calculate the rate of
absorption of H2S

Mass-Transfer Coefficients for Various

Geometries
Mass transfer coefficients depends
1. relevant physical properties of the fluid
2. the geometry used along with relevant
dimensions
3. the average velocity of the fluid if we
are considering flow in an enclosed
conduit
4. the approach velocity if the flow is over
an object.

Mass-Transfer Coefficients for Various

Geometries
Dimensionless

Numbers

Use to correlate
the
degree
of
turbulence

it physically relates the relative thickness of the hydrodynamic

layer and mass-transfer boundary layer.
It is analogous to Prandtl number in heat-transfer.

 Analogous to Nusselt number in heat transfer

For heat transfer the dimensionless JH factor is:

Analogies
Heat Mass (sometimes)
Momentum
Analogies are useful tools
1.An aid to understand transfer phenomena
2.A sound means to predict behavior of
systems for which limited quantitative
data are available

Molecular Transport Equations

RECALL:

driving force
rate of transport =
resistance
d(vx )
yx
dy
MOMENTUM
Newtons law

qy
A

d( cpT)
dy

HEAT
Fouriers law

*
Ay

dcA
DAB
dy

MASS
Ficks law

Analogous Quantities
in transport phenomena

Reynolds Analogy

The general transport equation can be written in the form

where = flux of a property at any value of x

= molecular diffusivity
E = eddy diffusivity
= volume concentration of transferent property

Turbulent diffusion equations

The Reynolds analogy

Substituting and

Note that the Reynolds analogy assumes that

1. the turbulent diffusivities are equal and
2. the molecular diffusivities are negligible.

Stanton number

Dimensionless Groups
Dim. Group

Ratio

Prandtl, Pr

molecular diffusivity of
momentum / molecular diffusivity
of heat

Schmidt, Sc

momentum diffusivity/ mass

diffusivity

Lewis, Le

thermal diffusivity/ mass

diffusivity

Stanton, St

heat transferred/ thermal

capacity

Equation

The Reynolds analogy

Experimental results show that the above equation

1.Correlate data approximately for gases in
turbulent flow
2. DOES NOT correlate experimental data for
liquids in turbulent flow
3. DOES NOT correlate experimental data for any
fluids in laminar flow
* 0.6 < NPr for gases < 2.5
It was concluded that the Reynolds analogy
is valid ONLY at NPr = 1

The Reynolds analogy

CONCLUSIONS
1. At NPr = NSc = 1, the mechanisms for mass, heat,
and momentum are identical
2. For other fluids, transfer processes differ in some
manner functionally related to the Pr and Sc
numbers.

Analogies among Mass, Heat and

Momentum transfer

Why analogies?

Similarity of molecular diffusion equation for momentum,

Fouriers for heat and Fick for mass
Data for pressure drop and heat transfer are available more
than mass transfer
In case of turbulent flow, the differential equations will contain
time average velocities and in addition the eddy diffusivities of
momentum (), mass (D ), and heat transfer (H ). The resulting
equations can not be solved for lack of information about the
eddy diffusivities, but one might expect results of the form:

Equations or correlations for heat transfer can be used for mass

transfer by replacing dimensionless number of the former by the
latter.

Corresponding dimensionless groups of mass

and heat transfer

1. Reynolds Analogy

Experimental data for gas streams agree with

this relation if the Schmidt and Prandtl
numbers are near 1.0 and only skin friction
is present in flow past flat plate or inside a
pipe.
Molecular diffusivities are neglected and
the turbulent diffusivities for momentum,
heat and mass transfer are assumed equal.

2. Prandtl Analogy
Reynolds

analogy breaks down when the

viscous sublayer becomes important since the
eddy diffusivities diminish to zero and the
molecular diffusivities become important.
Modified Reynolds equation by considering
the molecular diffusion equation for the
viscous sublayer and a Reynold-analogy
equation for the turbulent core region.

3. Von Karman Analogy

further modified the Prandtl analogy by
considering the buffer region in addition to the
viscous sublayer and the turbulent core.
Both the molecular and eddy diffusivity are
used in an equation for the buffer layer, where
the velocity in this layer is used to obtain an
equation for the eddy diffusivity.

4. Chilton-Colburn J-factor Analogy

The

most successful and most widely used

analogy. This analogy is based on experimental
data for gases and liquids in both the laminar
and turbulent flow regions.

For

flow past a flat plate or in a pipe where no

form drag is present, f/2 = JH = JD. When form
drag is present such as in flow in packed beds
or past other blunt objects, f/2 is greater than
JH or JD and JH JD.

wall

Example: Mass Transfer Inside a Tube

A tube is coated on the inside with naphthalene and has an inside

diameter of 20 mm and a length of 1.1 m. Air at 318 K and an
average pressure of 101.3 kPa flows through this pipe at a velocity
of 0.8 m/s. Vapor pressure of napthhalene is 74.0 Pa and diffusivity
is 6.92 x 10-6 m2/s. Assuming that the absolute pressure remains
essentially constant, calculate the concentration of naphthalene in
the exit air.
Data: viscosity of air at 318 K = 1.932 x 10-5 Pa-s
density = 1.114 kg/m3

Example:

A large volume of pure water at 26.1C is flowing parallel

to a flat plate of solid benzoic acid, where L = 0.244 m in
the direction of flow. The water velocity is 0.061 m/s. The
solubility benzoic acid in water is 0.02948 kgmol/m3. The
diffusivity of benzoic acid is 1.245 10-9 m2/s. Calculate
the mass transfer coefficient kL and the flux NA .

Data H2O at 26.1 C: viscosity = 8.71 x 10-4 Pa-s

density = 996 kg/m3

Seatwork

Example: Mass Transfer from a Sphere

Calculate the value of the mass-transfer
coefficient and the flux for mass transfer from
a sphere of naphthalene to air at 45 C and 1
atm flowing at a velocity of 0.305 m/s. The
diameter of the sphere is 25.4 mm. The
diffusivity of naphthalene in air at 45 C is
6.9210-6 m2/s and the vapor pressure of
solid naphthalene is 0.555 mm Hg.
Determine also the total amount of
naphthalene evaporated?
Properties : viscosity = 1.93 x 10-5 Pa-s
density = 1.113 kg/m3

Models for Mass Transfer Coefficients

1. Film Theory

The simplest and most elementary theory, assumes

the presence of a fictitious laminar film next to the
boundary. In this case mass transfer is assumed to
occur through a thin film next to the wall of thickness
f and by molecular diffusion.

The actual mass transfer coefficient kc is related to

this film thickness f by:

The mass transfer coefficient is proportional to DAB1.0

2. Penetration Theory
This

theory as derived by Higbie for the

diffusion or penetration into a laminar falling
film for short contact times.

Where

tL is the time of penetration of the

solute in seconds.

3. Danckwerts (Surface Renewal

Theory)
modified

the penetration theory for turbulent

mass transfer and postulated that a fluid eddy
has a uniform concentration in the turbulent
core and is swept to the surface and
undergoes unsteady-state diffusion.

The

mass transfer coefficient is proportional to

DAB0.5. This is true for systems such as when
liquid flows over packing and semi-stagnant
pockets.

4. Boundary Layer Theory

This is useful in predicting and correlating
data for fluids flowing past solid surfaces. For
laminar and turbulent flow the mass transfer
coefficient kc DAB2/3.