Numerical solutions are presented for the effect of a non-absorbable gas on the heat and mass transfer rates during the absorption of water vapor by a falling laminar smooth film of an aqueous lithium bromide or aqueous lithium chloride solution (absorbent). The geometry consists of a vertical channel with two walls, one of which is isothermal and the other adiabatic. The liquid film of an absorbent flows down over the isothermal wall, while a mixture of water vapor and air flows between the liquid free-surface and the adiabatic wall. The whole system is kept under vacuum pressure. Water vapor is absorbed by the film and air is the non-absorbable gas. The momentum, energy, and concentration equations are written with a set of interfacial and boundary conditions and solved numerically for the two phases. Variable property effects are included, as well as the interfacial shear. Heat and mass transfer results are presented over a wide range of inlet air concentrations. The average mass fluxes showed a continuous reduction with an increase in the amount of air for a concentration of air as high as 40 percent by weight. But the local mass fluxes showed a different behavior from the absorption of a pure vapor case. The decrease was much higher at the entrance than in a pure vapor case. The numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental data available for lithium chloride. The model has promise as means of predicting the heat and mass transfer characteristics of falling film absorber.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Technical Papers
Simultaneous Heat and Mass Transfer in Film Absorption With the Presence of Non-Absorbable Gases
Hamza M. Habib, Assistant Professor,
Hamza M. Habib, Assistant Professor
College of Engineering, El-Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt
Search for other works by this author on:
Byard D. Wood, Professor and Chairman
Byard D. Wood, Professor and Chairman
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno Reno, Nevada, USA
Search for other works by this author on:
Hamza M. Habib, Assistant Professor
College of Engineering, El-Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt
Byard D. Wood, Professor and Chairman
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno Reno, Nevada, USA
Contributed by the Heat Transfer Division for publication in the JOURNAL OF HEAT TRANSFER. Manuscript received by the Heat Transfer Division September 13, 1999; revision received December 4, 2000. Associate Editor: D. A. Kaminski.
J. Heat Transfer. Oct 2001, 123(5): 984-989 (6 pages)
Published Online: December 4, 2000
Article history
Received:
September 13, 1999
Revised:
December 4, 2000
Citation
Habib, H. M., and Wood, B. D. (December 4, 2000). "Simultaneous Heat and Mass Transfer in Film Absorption With the Presence of Non-Absorbable Gases ." ASME. J. Heat Transfer. October 2001; 123(5): 984–989. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1370523
Download citation file:
Get Email Alerts
Cited By
Entropic Analysis of the Maximum Output Power of Thermoradiative Cells
J. Heat Mass Transfer
Molecular Dynamics Simulations in Nanoscale Heat Transfer: A Mini Review
J. Heat Mass Transfer
Related Articles
Performance of Horizontal Smooth Tube Absorber With and Without 2-Ethyl-Hexanol
J. Heat Transfer (February,2002)
A Compact Falling Film Absorber
J. Heat Transfer (September,2005)
Performance of an Absorber With Hydrophobic Membrane Contactor at Aqueous Solution-Water Vapor Interface
J. Thermal Sci. Eng. Appl (September,2010)
Combined Heat and Mass Transfer Under Different Inlet Subcooling Modes During NH 3 - H 2 O Falling Film Absorption Process
J. Energy Resour. Technol (September,2001)
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Chapters
Radiation
Thermal Management of Microelectronic Equipment
Laminar Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer
Applications of Mathematical Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow Models in Engineering and Medicine
Heat and Mass Transfer Enhancement of Falling Film Absorption for Various Surface Geometries
Inaugural US-EU-China Thermophysics Conference-Renewable Energy 2009 (UECTC 2009 Proceedings)