Transport Phenomena/ 1

Transport Phenomena

In chemical engineering, we study three transfer processes (rate processes),

namely
• Momentum transfer or Fluid flow
• Heat transfer
• Mass transfer
The study of these three processes is called as transport phenomena.

Transfer processes are either:

• Molecular (rate of transfer is only a function of molecular activity), or

• Convective (rate of transfer is mainly due to fluid motion or convective

currents). Unlike momentum and mass transfer processes, heat transfer
has an added mode of transfer called as radiation heat transfer.

Summary of transfer processes

 Transport Phenomena/ 1

Molecular rate laws

are concentration terms and are

momentum, heat, and mass (molar) concentrations having SI units of
(kg·m·s‒1)/m3, J/m3, and mol/m3, respectively

Each transport diffusivity has the SI unit of m2/s

Ratios of transport diffusivities

Prandtl number is the ratio of molecular diffusivity of momentum (kinematic

viscosity) to molecular diffusivity of heat (thermal diffusivity).

Schmidt number is the ratio of molecular diffusivity of momentum (kinematic

viscosity) to molecular diffusivity of mass.
 Transport Phenomena/ 1

Lewis number is the ratio of molecular diffusivity of heat (thermal diffusivity)

to molecular diffusivity of mass.

The Prandtl numbers of gases are about 1, which indicates that both
momentum and heat dissipate through the fluid at about the same rate. Heat
diffuses very quickly in liquid metals (Pr  1) and very slowly in oils (Pr
1) relative to momentum. Consequently the thermal boundary layer is
much thicker for liquid metals and much thinner for oils relative to the
velocity boundary layer.
The corresponding quantity in mass convection is the dimensionless Schmidt
number, defined as Schmidt number:

which represents the relative magnitudes of molecular momentum and mass

diffusion in the velocity and concentration boundary layers, respectively.
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The relative growth of the velocity and thermal boundary layers in laminar
flow is governed by the Prandtl number, whereas the relative growth of the
velocity and concentration boundary layers is governed by the Schmidt
number.
A Prandtl number of near unity (Pr  1) indicates that momentum and heat
transfer by diffusion are comparable, and velocity and thermal boundary
layers almost coincide with each other. A Schmidt number of near unity (Sc
 1) indicates that momentum and mass transfer by diffusion are comparable,
and velocity and concentration boundary layers almost coincide with each
other.