Topic 4.

0 Convective Mass Transfer Problem Solving

P 4.1 (Natural or Free Convection Mass Transfer)
Calculate the molar flux of O2 in a fermenter from air bubbles at 1 atm abs pressure having
diameters of 100 µrn at 37℃ into water having a zero concentration of dissolved O2, The
solubility of O2 from air in water at 37℃ is 2.26 x 10 -7 g mol O2/cm3 liquid or 2.26 x 10-4 kg
mol O2/m3. The diffusivity of O2 in water at 37°C is 3.25 x 10-9 m2/s. Agitation is used to
produce the air bubbles.

2𝐷𝐴𝐵 −2/3
∆𝜌𝜇𝑐 𝑔 1/3
𝑘𝐿 = + 0.31𝑆𝑐 ( 2 )
𝐷𝑝 𝜌𝑐

SOLN
The mass-transfer resistance inside the gas bubble to the outside interface of the bubble can
be neglected since it is negligible. Hence, the mass-transfer coefficient kL outside the bubble
is needed.
The given data are: Dp = 100 µrn = 1 x 10-4 m and DAB = 3.25 x 10-9 m2/s
At 37℃: µc (water) = 6.947 x 10-4 Pa.s = 6.947 x 10-4 kg/m.s, ρc(water) = 994 kg/m3 and
ρp(air) 1.13 kg/m3
𝜇𝑐 6.947 x 10−4 kg/m.s
Calculation of Schmidt number (Sc): 𝑆𝑐 = 𝜌 = 994𝑘𝑔/𝑚3 𝑥3.25 𝑥 10−9 𝑚2 /𝑠 = 215
𝑐 𝐷𝐴𝐵

𝑆𝑐 2/3 = 2152/3 = 35.9; ∆𝜌 = 𝜌𝑐 − 𝜌𝑝 = 994 − 1.13 = 992.87𝑘𝑔/𝑚3

Calculation of kL:
2𝐷𝐴𝐵 ∆𝜌𝜇𝑐 𝑔 1/3
𝑘𝐿 = + 0.31𝑆𝑐 −2/3 ( 2 )
𝐷𝑝 𝜌𝑐
1/3
2𝑥3.25 𝑥 10−9 𝑚2 /𝑠 0.31 992.87𝑘𝑔/𝑚^3𝑥6.947 𝑥 10−4 𝑘𝑔/𝑚. 𝑠𝑥9.81𝑚/𝑠 2
= + ( )
1 𝑥 10−4 𝑚 35.9 9942
= 𝟐. 𝟐𝟗𝒙𝟏𝟎−𝟒 𝒎/𝒔

Calculation of the flux (NA):

𝑁𝐴 = 𝑘𝐿 (𝑐𝐴1 − 𝑐𝐴2 ) = 2.29𝑥10−4 𝑚/𝑥(2.26𝑥10−4 − 0) = 𝟓. 𝟏𝟖𝒙𝟏𝟎−𝟖 𝒌𝒈𝒎𝒐𝒍 𝑶𝟐 ⁄𝒔. 𝒎𝟐

P4.2 (Forced Convection Mass Transfer)

A wetted wall column of inside diameter (2 in) contains air and CO 2 flowing at 3 ft/s. at a
certain point in the column, the CO2 concentration in the air is 0.1 mol fraction, at the same
point in the column, the concentration of CO2 in the water at the water – air interface is 0.005
mole fraction. The column operates at 10 atm and 25 ℃. Calculate the mass transfer
coefficient and the mass flux at the point of consideration, given the following data:
The diffusivity of CO2 in air at 25 ℃ and 1 atm = 0.164 cm2/s.
The density of air at STP = 1.296 kg/m3.

1
The viscosity of air at 25 ℃ and 10 atm = 0.018 cP
Henry constant = 1640 atm / mol fraction.
𝑘𝑐 𝑃𝐵𝐿𝑀 𝐷
𝑆ℎ = = 0.023𝑅𝑒 0.833 𝑆𝑐 0.333
𝑃𝑇 𝐷𝐴𝐵
SOLN
To calculate the dimensionless groups we must first correct the physical properties from their
conditions to the operation condition (10 atm and 25 ℃), also we must convert all the units of
all the quantities to the SI system.
3𝑓𝑡 1𝑚 2,54𝑐𝑚 1𝑚
𝑣= = 0.915𝑚/𝑠; 𝐷 = 2𝑖𝑛 = 0.0508𝑚
𝑠 3.28𝑓𝑡 𝑖𝑛 100𝑐𝑚

𝜇 = 0.018𝑐𝑃 = 0.018𝑥10−3 𝑘𝑔/𝑚. 𝑠

𝑃2
(𝜌2 )298𝐾,10𝑎𝑡𝑚 ( ⁄𝑇2 ) (10⁄298)
= =
𝜌𝑆𝑇𝑃 𝑃 (1⁄273)
( 1⁄𝑇 )
1

𝑘𝑔 10𝑥273 𝑘𝑔
𝜌2 = 1.296 3
= 11.973 3
𝑚 298 𝑚
(𝐷𝐴𝐵 )2 𝑃1 𝑇2 1.5 1 298 1.5
= ( ) = ( )
(𝐷𝐴𝐵 )1 𝑃2 𝑇1 10 273
1 298 1.5 2
(𝐷𝐴𝐵 )2 = 1.64 𝑥10−5 𝑚2 /𝑠 𝑥 𝑥( ) =. 1.64𝑥10−6 𝑚 ⁄𝑠
10 273
𝑃𝐴1 = 𝑦1 𝑃𝑇 = 0.1𝑥10𝑎𝑡𝑚 = 1𝑎𝑡𝑚; 𝑃𝐵1 = 10 − 1 = 9𝑎𝑡𝑚
𝑃𝐴2 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒 𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝐻𝑒𝑛𝑟𝑦 ′ 𝑠 𝑙𝑎𝑤:
𝑃𝐴2 = 𝑥𝐴 . 𝐻 = 0.005𝑥1640 = 8.2𝑎𝑡𝑚; 𝑃𝐵2 = 10 − 8.2 = 1.8 𝑎𝑡𝑚
𝑃𝐵2 − 𝑃𝐵1 1.8 − 9
𝑃𝐵𝐿𝑀 = = = 4.474𝑎𝑡𝑚
𝑃 1.8
𝑙𝑛 (𝑃𝐵2 ) 𝑙𝑛 ( 9 )
𝐵1

Calculation of the mass transfer coefficient (kc):

𝑃𝑇 𝐷𝐴𝐵 𝜌𝑣𝐷 0.833 𝜇 0.333
𝑘𝑐 = 0.023 ( ) ( )
𝐷𝑃𝐵𝐿𝑀 𝜇 𝜌𝐷𝐴𝐵
0.333
10𝑥1.64𝑥10−6 11.973𝑥0.915𝑥0.0508 0.833 0.018𝑥10−3
𝑘𝑐 = 𝑥0.023 ( −3
) ( ) = 𝟖. 𝟖𝟔𝟖𝒙𝟏𝟎−𝟑 𝒎/𝒔
0.0508𝑥4.474 0.018𝑥10 11.973𝑥1.64𝑥10−6

Calculation of the molar flux (N A): 𝑁𝐴 = 𝑘𝐺 (𝑃𝐴1 − 𝑃𝐴2 )

𝑘𝑐 𝟖. 𝟖𝟔𝟖𝒙𝟏𝟎−𝟑 𝒎/𝒔 𝑘𝑚𝑜𝑙
𝑘𝐺 = = = 3.626𝑥10−4
𝑅𝑇 𝑎𝑡𝑚. 𝑚3 𝑚2 . 𝑠. 𝑎𝑡𝑚
0.082 𝑘𝑚𝑜𝑙. 𝐾 298𝐾

2
 𝑘𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝒌𝒎𝒐𝒍
𝑁𝐴 = 𝑘𝐺 (𝑃𝐴1 − 𝑃𝐴2 ) = 3.626𝑥10−4 (1 − 8.2)𝑎𝑡𝑚 = −𝟐. 𝟔𝟏𝟏𝒙𝟏𝟎−𝟑
𝑚2 . 𝑠. 𝑎𝑡𝑚 𝒎𝟐 . 𝒔
NOTE: Process taking place from the liquid phase to the gas phase (negative value)