C0NVECTIVE MASS TRANSFER

OBJECTIVES
Students should be able to :
1.Understand the concept of convective mass transfer
2.Understand the concept of mass transfer coefficient
3.Apply mass transfer coefficient in various geometries
 INTRODUCTION OF CONVECTIVE MASS
TRANSFER
• Molecular diffusion – rate of diffusion is slow
• More rapid transfer desired – increased fluid velocity – turbulent
mass transfer occurs.
• To have a fluid in convective flow usually requires the fluid to be
flowing past another immiscible fluid or a solid surface.
 INTRODUCTION OF CONVECTIVE MASS
TRANSFER
• Mass transfer by convection involves the transport of material
between a boundary surface (such as solid or liquid surface) and a
moving fluid or between two relatively immiscible moving fluids
• There are two different cases of convective mass transfer:
• Mass transfer takes place only in a single phase either to or from a phase
boundary (sublimation of naphthalene ball into the moving air)
• Mass transfer takes place in the two contacting phases as in
extraction/absorption
• Convective mass transfer is the collective motion of particles in a fluid
and actually encompasses both diffusion and advection
 MASS TRANSFER COFFICIENT
• Mass transfer coefficient is a diffusion rate constant that relates the
mass transfer rate, mass transfer area and concentration change as
driving force
• Can be used to quantify the mass transfer between phases, between
a fluid and a porous solid
• Quantifying mass transfer allows for design and manufacture of
separation process equipment
• Mass transfer coefficients can be estimated from many different
theoretical equations, correlations and analogies that are functions of
material properties, intensive properties and flow regime (laminar or
turbulent flow)
 FLUX EQUATIONS & MASS TRANSFER COFFICIENT
(Table 7.2-1)
• Flux equation for equimolar counterdiffusion

• Flux equation for A diffusing through stagnant, nondiffusing B

 MASS TRANSFER COFFICIENT
• Conversions between mass transfer coefficients
 MASS TRANSFER COFFICIENT
• Units of mass transfer coefficients
Example 7.2-1
Example 7.2-1
Example 7.2-1
Example 7.2-1
Tutorial
• Problem 7.2-3 (Textbook, page 520)
 MASS TRANSFER COFFICIENTS FOR VARIOUS
GEOMETRIES – Dimensionless number
• The experimental data for mass transfer coefficients obtained using
various kind of fluid, different velocities and different geometries are
correlated using dimensionless number.
• 1 of the important dimensionless number is Reynolds number, NRe –
indicates degree of turbulence
L= diameter;
• Dp= diameter for sphere
• D= diameter for pipe
• L= length for a flat plate
ᴠ= velocity;
• Mass average velocity if in a pipe
• In a packed bed; v=v’/ε; v’=superficial velocity, ε=void fraction of bed
 MASS TRANSFER COFFICIENTS FOR VARIOUS
GEOMETRIES – Dimensionless number
• Schmidt number, NSc

µ= viscosity and ρ=density are

for actual flowing mixture of
solute A and fluid B. If the
mixture is dilute, properties of
the pure fluid B can be used.
 MASS TRANSFER COFFICIENTS FOR VARIOUS
GEOMETRIES – Dimensionless number
• Sherwood number, NSh
Other
substitutions
for Table 7.2-
1 can be
made for kc’
• Stanton number, NSt
 MASS TRANSFER COFFICIENTS FOR VARIOUS
GEOMETRIES – Dimensionless number
• Mass transfer coefficient often correlated as a dimensionless factor, JD
which is related to kc’ and Nsh as follows;
 MASS TRANSFER COFFICIENTS FOR VARIOUS
GEOMETRIES – Flow inside pipe/tube
• 1. Laminar flow

• The fluid flows in stream lines

• Nre < 2100 for gases or liquids
flowing inside a pipe
 MASS TRANSFER COFFICIENTS FOR VARIOUS
GEOMETRIES – Flow inside pipe/tube
• 1. Laminar flow
For liquids that have small DAB, data follow the
parabolic flow line, which is as follows for W/DABρL
over 400;

Dimensionless
W=flow in kg/s
L= length of mass transfer section in meter
 MASS TRANSFER COFFICIENTS FOR VARIOUS
GEOMETRIES – Flow inside pipe/tube

• 2. Turbulent flow

• NRe > 2100 for gases or liquids flowing inside a pipe;

• NSc : 0.6 – 3000 , for gases (0.5 – 3) and for liquid (>100)
Example 7.3-1
Example 7.3-1
Tutorial
• Problem 7.3-2 (Textbook, page 520)
 MASS TRANSFER COFFICIENTS FOR VARIOUS
GEOMETRIES – Flow outside solid surface
1. Flow parallel to flat plate
-mass transfer and vaporization of liquids from a plate or flat surface to a flowing stream is of interest
 in the drying of inorganic and biological materials
 in evaporation of solvents from paints
 for plates in wind tunnels
 in flow channels in chemical process equipment.

- For gases or evaporation of liquids in the gas phase and for laminar region (NRe,L < 15000), the data
can be represented within +- 25%.

- In term of Sherwood number

MASS TRANSFER COFFICIENTS FOR VARIOUS
GEOMETRIES – Flow outside solid surface
• For gases : NRe,L = 15000 – 300000 ; the data can be represented within +-
30%

• For liquid : NRe,L = 600 – 50000 ; the experimental data can be correlated
within +-40%.
Example 7.3-2
Example 7.3-2
Example 7.3-2
Tutorial (Test 1, April 2015)
MASS TRANSFER COFFICIENTS FOR VARIOUS
GEOMETRIES – Flow outside solid surface
2. Flow past single sphere
• For gases : NRe = 1 – 48000 , NSc = 0.6 – 2.7

• For liquids : NRe = 2 – 2000

• For liquids : NRe = 2000 – 17000

Example 7.3-3
Example 7.3-3
Example 7.3-3
Example 7.3-3
Example 7.3-3
Tutorial (Test 1, April 2015)
 MASS TRANSFER COFFICIENTS FOR VARIOUS
GEOMETRIES – Flow outside solid surface
3. Flow to packed beds
- mass transfer to and from packed beds occurs often in processing operations, including drying process,
adsorption or desorption of gases or liquids by solid particles such as charcoal, and mass transfer of gases
and liquids to catalyst particles.
- Using packed bed –large amount of mass transfer area in a relatively small volume. Superficial mass
average velocity in
- Void fraction, ε= volume void space/(total volume of void space +solid)
the empty tube
without packing
• For gases : NRe = 10 – 10000 N = D ᴠ’ρ/µ = volumetric flowrate
Re p through packed bed/
cross sectional area
of packed bed tower
Diameter of sphere
 MASS TRANSFER COFFICIENTS FOR VARIOUS
GEOMETRIES – Flow outside solid surface
3. Flow to packed beds
• For liquids : NRe = 0.0016 – 55 ; Nsc = 165-70 000

• For liquids : NRe = 55 – 1500 ; Nsc = 165-10 690

 MASS TRANSFER COFFICIENTS FOR VARIOUS
GEOMETRIES – Flow outside solid surface
3. Flow to packed beds
• For liquids : NRe = 10 – 1500 (As an alternate)

• For gases and liquids in fluidized beds of sphere : NRe = 10 – 4000

• For liquids in fluidized beds of sphere : NRe = 1 – 10

 MASS TRANSFER COFFICIENTS FOR VARIOUS
GEOMETRIES – Flow outside solid surface
• Calculation method for packed beds
• To calculate mass transfer rate, the log mean driving force at the inlet and
outlet of the bed should be used. 3
Inlet bulk fluid concentration, kg mol/m a=
A/Vb=surface
area, m2/total
volume of
bed, m3

Outlet bulk fluid concentration, kg mol/m3

Concentration at the surface of the solid, kg mol/m3

V= volumetric flow rate of fluid entering in m3/s

 MASS TRANSFER COFFICIENTS FOR VARIOUS
GEOMETRIES – Flow outside solid surface
4. Flow past single cylinder
-the flow is perpendicular to the cylinder
• NRe = 50 – 50000 and
• NSc = 0.6 – 2.6 (gases), 1000 – 3000 (liquids)
Example 7.3-4
Example 7.3-4
Example 7.3-4
Example 7.3-4
Tutorial (Test 1, Q2, Oct 2017)
QUESTION 2

(PO1, CO1, C3, C4)

Pure water at 37.8°C is flowing through a packed bed of benzoic acid spheres of
0.005 m diameter. The water flowrate is 6.52 x 10-7 m3/s and the tower diameter is
0.07 m. The total surface area of the spheres in the bed is 0.043 m2 with void
fraction of 0.365. The solubility of benzoic acid in water is 2.948 x 10-2 kgmol/m3
and the diffusivity of benzoic acid in water at 37.8°C is 1.21 x 10-9 m2/s. The
properties at 37.8°C, are viscosity 𝜇 = 0.682 x 10-3 kg/m.s and density ρ = 994.7
kg/m3.

i. Determine the mass transfer coefficient, kc (9 marks)

ii. Calculate the outlet concentration of benzoic acid in water (6 marks)
Tutorial (Q2 (c), Final Exam Dec 2015)
Water vapor in air is flowing at 350K and 101.32 kPa with velocity of 4
m/s. Identify the mass transfer coefficient, kG’ in kg mol/s.m2.Pa if
water vapor flows in a packed bed of 25mm spheres with void fraction
of 0.35

Given properties:
DAB (315K)= 0.288 x 10-4 m2/s
µair(350K)= 2.03 x 10-5 Pa.s
ρair (350K)= 1.043 kg/m3
MWair= 29 kg/kg mol
Assignment (10%)
ASSIGNMENT (PO2, CO2, C6)
Discuss the model for mass transfer coefficient:
1. Film Theory
2. Penetration Theory
3. Surface Renewal Theory
4. Boundary Layer Theory
5. Two-film Resistance Theory
6. Surface Stretch Theory

# Form a group of four members.

# Output of the assignment must be in report writing and slide presentation (CD and hardcopy)
# Total page for report: 15 – 20 pages.
# Reference used should be from the books, articles or internet sources. All references used must be
cited. Plagiarism detected will be penalized.
# Date of submission: Week 8 (Friday: 27/4/2018 – at my room).