1.

INTRODUCTION

• In molecular transport processes we are concerned

with the transfer of a given property by molecular
transport through a medium.
• The medium can be a fluid (gas or liquid) or a solid.
• The property that is being transferred can be
momentum, thermal energy (heat) or mass.
 2. GENERAL MOLECULAR TRANSPORT EQUATION
• All three of the molecular transport processes of
momentum, heat and mass are characterized in
the elementary sense by the same general type of
transport equation, which can be expressed as:
𝐷𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒
• Rate of transfer process ∝ (1)
𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒
• This is similar to Ohm’s law in electricity, where the rate of flow of
electricity is proportional to the voltage drop (driving force) and
inversely proportional to the resistance.
• Equation (1) for molecular transport of a property can be written
mathematically as:
𝑑Γ
𝜓𝑧 = -𝛿 (2)
𝑑𝑧
• Where 𝜓𝑧 is the flux of the property, that is, amount of property being
transferred per unit time per unit cross-sectional area perpendicular to
the z direction of flow, in units of (amount of property/s.m2);
• 𝛿 is a proportionality constant called diffusivity, in units of (m2/s);
• Γ is the concentration of the property, in units of (amount of
property/m3); and
• z is distance in the direction of flow, in units of (m).
• If the process is at steady state, then the flux,
𝜓𝑧 , is constant. Rearranging equation (2) and
integrating we have:
𝑧2 Γ2
• 𝜓𝑧 𝑧 𝑑𝑧 = -𝛿 Γ1
𝑑Γ (3)
1

𝛿 Γ1 −Γ2
• 𝜓𝑧 = (4)
𝑧2 −𝑧1
• A plot of Γ versus z is shown in Fig. 1 below.
 Γ1

Γ2
Γ

z1 z2

Fig. 1: Molecular transport of a property

Example
•A transport property
( 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑦/𝑚3 ) is
being transported through a fluid at steady state
through a constant cross-sectional area. At point 1,
the concentration Γ1 is 3.54 𝑋 10−2
𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑦 𝑚3 and at point 2, at a
distance 2 .6 𝑚 away, the concentration is Γ2 =
1.98 𝑋 10−2 𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑦 𝑚3 .
• The diffusivity depends on concentration Γ as follows:
• 𝛿 = 𝐴 + 𝐵Γ = 0.160 + 1.71Γ
• Derive the integrated equation for the flux 𝜓𝑧 in terms of Γ1 and Γ2
and calculate the flux.
• Calculate Γ at 𝑧 = 1.3 𝑚.
 3. General property balance for unsteady state
molecular transport
• A general property balance for unsteady state is
written as:
• (Rate of property IN) + (Rate of GENERATION of
property) = (Rate of property OUT) + (Rate of
ACCUMULATION) (5)
• Rate of property IN has units of (amount of
property/s.m2).(m2);
• Rate of GENERATION of property has units of
(rate of generation of property/s.m3).(m3);
• Rate of property OUT has units of (amount of
property/s.m2).(m2); and
• Rate of ACCUMULATION of property has units of
3 3
(amount of property/s.m ).(m ).
• Consider a system which is an element of unit area (1m2)
perpendicular to the direction of flux, and volume (∆z.1) m3, shown in
Fig. 2 below.

Motion of fluid

solid surface
Fig. 2: System for unsteady state general property balance
• Using Fig. 2 we can write equation (5) as:
𝜕Γ(∆z.1)
(𝜓𝑧 │z).1 + 𝑅 Δ𝑧. 1 = (𝜓𝑧 │z + ∆z).1 + (6)
𝜕𝑡
• Dividing equation (6) by ∆z and letting ∆z tend to zero,
we have
𝜕Γ 𝜕𝜓𝑧
• + = R (7)
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑧
• Substituting equation (2) for 𝜓𝑧 into equation (7) and
assuming δ is constant, we have
𝜕Γ 𝜕 𝑑Γ
• - δ = R
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑧 𝑑𝑧
𝜕Γ 𝜕2 Γ
• That is - 𝛿 2 = R (8)
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑧
• If rate of generation, R, is zero, then
𝜕Γ 𝜕2 Γ
• = 𝛿 2 (9)
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑧
• Equation (9) relates Γ to z and t.
 4. Molecular Momentum Transport and
Newton’s Law
• When a fluid is flowing in the x- direction parallel
to a solid surface, a velocity gradient exits where
the velocity vx in the x-direction decreases as it
approaches the surface in the z-direction. This is
illustrated in Fig. 3 below.
 Unit area

IN
OUT
𝜓𝑧 |𝑧 𝜓𝑧 |𝑧+Δ𝑧

Δ𝑧

z
Z+Δ𝑧

• Fig. 3: Direction of motion and flux in a flowing fluid

• The equation for this molecular transport of momentum is
similar to the general equation (2) and is Newton’s law of
viscosity written as follows for constant density, ρ:
𝑑(𝑣𝑥 𝜌)
• 𝜏𝑧𝑥 = −𝜈 (10)
𝑑𝑧
• where 𝜏𝑧𝑥 is the flux of momentum in the z-direction and the motion of the
fluid is in the x-direction, in (kg.m/s)/s.m2.
• [Note that momentum = mass x velocity];
𝑚 1
• 𝑣𝑥 𝜌 is the concentration of momentum in (momentum/m ) = (kg )( 3) =
3
𝑠 𝑚
kg/s.m2;
• 𝜈 is momentum diffusivity or kinematic viscosity = 𝜇/𝜌 in m2/s;
• 𝜇 is the dynamic viscosity in kg/m.s;
• 𝜌 is density in kg/m3; and
• z is distance of transport in m.
 5. Molecular Heat Transport and Fourier’s Law
• Fourier’s law for molecular heat transport (conduction) in a fluid or
solid can be written as follows for constant density ρ and heat
capacity 𝑐𝑝 :
𝑞𝑧 𝑑(𝜌𝑐𝑝 𝑇)
• = -𝛼 (11)
𝐴 𝑑𝑧
𝑞𝑧
• where is heat flux in J/s.m2;
𝐴
• 𝛼 is the thermal diffusivity in m2/s;
• 𝜌𝑐𝑝 𝑇 is the concentration of heat in J/m3;
• 𝑐𝑝 is the specific heat capacity in J/kg.K;
• ρ is density in kg/m3; T is temperature in Kelvin, K; and
• z is distance of transport in m
 6. Molecular Mass Transport and Fick’s Law
• Fick’s law for molecular mass transport (diffusion) in
a fluid or solid for constant total concentration in the
fluid is:
∗ 𝑑𝑐𝐴
• 𝐽𝐴𝑧 = -𝒟𝐴𝐵 (12)
𝑑𝑧
∗
• where 𝐽𝐴𝑧 is the flux of A in kg mol A/s.m2;
• 𝒟𝐴𝐵 is molecular diffusivity of the molecule A in B in m2/s; and
• 𝑐𝐴 is concentration of A in kg. mol A/m3.
• Thus we have an analogy or similarity among equations 2,
9, 10 and 11.