A numerical study on the absorption of water vapor into a film of aqueous LiBr falling along a vertical plate

Absorber is an important component in absorption machines and its characteristics have significant effects on the overall efficiency of absorption machines. This article reports a model of simultaneous heat and mass transfer process in absorption of refrigerant vapor into a lithium bromide solution of water––cooled vertical plate absorber in the Reynolds number range of 5 < Re < 150. The boundary layer assumptions were used for the transport of mass, momentum and energy equations and the fully implicit finite difference method was employed to solve the governing equations in the film flow. Dependence of lithium bromide aqueous properties to the temperature and concentration and film thickness to vapor absorption was employed. This model can predict temperature, concentration and properties of aqueous profiles as well as the absorption heat and mass fluxes, heat and mass transfer coefficients, Nusslet and Sherwood number of absorber. An analysis for linear distribution of wall temperature condition carries out to investigation the reliability of the present numerical method through comparing with previous investigation.     

Experimental studies on heat and mass transfer performance of a coiled tube absorber for R134a-DMAC based absorption cooling system

Absorber is an important component in vapor absorption refrigeration system and its performance has greater influence in overall efficiency of absorption machines. Falling film heat and mass transfer in an absorber is greatly influenced by fluid properties, geometry of heat exchanger and its operating parameters. This paper presents on the results of experimental studies on the heat and mass transfer characteristics of a coiled tube falling film absorber, using 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluroethane(R-134a) and N-N Dimethyl Acetamide (DMAC) as working fluids. The effects of film Reynolds number, inlet solution temperature and cooling water temperature on absorber heat load, over all heat transfer coefficient and mass of refrigerant absorbed are presented and discussed. Normalized solution and coolant temperature profiles and refrigerant mass absorbed along the height of absorber are also observed from the experimental results. The optimum over all heat transfer coefficient for R-134a–DMAC solution found to be 726 W/m²K for a film Reynolds number of 350. The R-134a vapour absorption rate is maximum in the normalized coil height of 0.6 to 1.     

Exergy analysis of absorber using water/lithium bromide solution

It is necessary to understand the heat and mass transfer processes and determine the variation of the exergy destruction in the absorber for improving the performance. In this study, the exergy analysis of a coil absorber using water/lithium bromide solution pair is carried out. By using the developed simulation, the effects of variation of parameters affecting the performance of the absorber on the exergy destruction are investigated. The results show that the exergy destruction increases with increasing coolant flow rate, inlet concentration of solution, absorber vapor pressure, total coil turn and dead state temperature but decreases with increasing inlet temperatures of coolant and vapor. The dead state and vapor temperatures do not affect more when compared to other parameters. The variation of the solution flow rate produce an optimum point of absorber performance.     

Heat and mass transfer characteristics of absorption of R134a into DMAC in a horizontal tube absorber

In this paper the heat and mass transfer characteristics of a horizontal tube absorber for the mixture R134a/DMAC in terms of experimentally gained heat and mass transfer coefficients are presented. The heat transfer coefficient is mainly dependent on the solution’s mass flow rate. The mass transfer coefficient is strongly related to the subcooling of the solution. The data are compared to experimental absorption characteristics of water into aqueous lithium bromide in an absorption chiller. The mass transfer coefficients are of similar size whereas the heat transfer coefficients are about one order of magnitude smaller for R134a-DMAC.     

A simple physical model for steam absorption into a falling film of aqueous lithium bromide solution on a horizontal tube

For one horizontal tube in an absorber the Nusselt solution for film thickness and velocity distribution was applied, assuming steady state in heat transfer and a semi-infinite body’s concentration profile with unsteady state mass transfer. The model was applied to the absorption of steam into aqueous lithium bromide in absorption chillers. The results are compared to published experimental values and show fair agreement.     

Buoyancy effects on the mass transfer in absorption with a nonabsorbable gas

This paper describes the vapor side buoyancy effects on the mass transfer in absorption in the presence of a nonabsorbable gas. Experimental results on a diffusion-absorption refrigerator (DAR) indicate that the vapor side buoyancy effects on the mass transfer are significant when the density of the nonabsorbable gas is significantly less than that of the absorbable gas. A rectangular enclosure absorption problem is first solved to demonstrate the buoyancy effects without the presence of a forced flow. Then, mixed convection heat transfer in a circular pipe is simulated in such a way as to be analogous to the mixed convection mass-transfer problem in the DAR absorber. Finally, the vapor side mixed convection absorption between parallel plates is simulated including the effects of the absorbed mass on the mass balance. The Sherwood number dependence on the mass transfer Grashof number and Reynolds number as well as the effects of the suction boundary conditions are discussed. Each of these simulations had individual limitations, but, taken together, they illuminate the major aspects of the absorption physics.     

Modeling of Heat and Mass Transfer in Absorption in Two–Phase Binary Systems used in Heat Pumps

Results of modeling of heat– and mass–transfer processes proceeding simultaneously in vapor absorption on tube banks are described. Theoretical models of film absorption are presented. The calculation results are compared with experimental data on steam absorption by the lithium bromide solution on a vertical tube. In calculation of transfer processes in absorption on horizontal tubes, the possibility of using solutions for the initial thermal length and for the section with a linear temperature profile is substantiated. The calculations are illustrated by the example of a multipass absorber.     

Numerical simulation on vapor absorption by wavy lithium bromide aqueous solution films

Numerical simulation has been made on heat and mass transfer of vapor absorption by wavy lithium bromide aqueous solution films. The velocity fields and interface positions are obtained by VOF model. Solitary waves are generated by periodically disturbed inflow boundary. Based on these, the temperature and concentration fields are obtained with a stationary interface shape. The effect of solitary waves on the heat and mass transfer across the film is investigated. It is shown that due to the mixing of circulation and stretch of large film thickness, the gradient of concentration and absorption rate decrease for solitary wave region. The region of capillary waves shows a significant amount of absorption enhancement. The percentage of absorption for the different regions is quantified.     

Experimental characterization of the spreading and break-up of liquid flat-fan sheets discharging in a low-density atmosphere and application to BrLi solutions

This work presents and characterizes the existence of two different regimes in the spreading and break-up of liquid flat-fan sheets when discharging in low-density atmospheres. The motivation of the study is the improvement on the absorption phenomena of lithium bromide aqueous solution when discharging in a 600–1,500 Pa water vapor environment. This corresponds to the absorber conditions in current absorption closed-cycle cooling machines. Despite this, the dimensionless characterization obtained has universal validity. The conditions that define the change in the break-up regime, the dimensionless sheet break-up length and the break-up time are given as a function of the parameters involved. Digital particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) has been applied to measure the velocity field and additional visualization techniques have been used to further characterize the break-up process. The experiments verify the existence of critical gas-to-liquid density and viscosity ratios below which gas to liquid interaction becomes negligible. The article also offers expressions that define their values as a function of the other dimensionless parameters.     

A numerical and experimental analysis of the process of water vapour absorption by a static lithium bromide solution

This paper describes a numerical and experimental analysis of the process of water vapour absorption by a static lithium bromide solution. In the experiment, the temperature evolution of the absorbent solution is measured at different heights. The numerical model solves the set of governing equations for the simultaneous heat and mass transfer inside the absorbent by means of the finite-volume method. An iterative method is used to take into account the strong coupling of heat and mass transfer at the interface and variations of thermophysical properties. A moving grid technique is employed to represent the increase of the solution volume. Model results are compared with our measurements and data reported in the literature. The influence of using constant properties is analysed by comparison with the variable properties and experimental results. It is found that this assumption provides acceptable results in the investigated pool absorption cases despite a strong underestimation of the increase of the solution volume in the course of the absorption process.     

Heat and mass transfer characteristics of organic sorbent coated on heat transfer surface of a heat exchanger

This paper describes heat and mass transfer characteristics of organic sorbent coated on heat transfer surface of a fin-tube heat exchanger. The experiments in which the moist air was passed into the heat exchanger coated with sorption material were conducted under various conditions of air flow rate (0.5–1.0 m/s) and the temperature of brine (14–20°C) that was the heat transfer fluid to cool the air flow in the dehumidifying process. It is found that the sorption rate of vapor is affected by the air flow rate and the brine temperature. Meanwhile, the attempt of clarifying the sorption mechanism is also conducted. Finally the average mass transfer coefficient of the organic sorbent coated on heat transfer surface of a fin-tube heat exchanger is non-dimensionalzed as a function of Reynolds number and non-dimensional temperature, and it is found that the effect of non-dimensional temperature on them is larger than Reynolds number .     

Numerical study of mixed convection and conduction in a 2-D square ventilated cavity with an inlet at the vertical glazing wall and outlet at the top surface

A steady state numerical study of combined laminar mixed convection and conduction heat transfer in a ventilated square cavity is presented. The air inlet gap is located at the bottom of a vertical glazing wall and air exits the cavity via a gap located at the top surface. Three locations for the opening at the top surface: left (case a), center (case b) and right side (case c) are considered. All the remaining surfaces are considered adiabatic. The mass, momentum and energy conservation equations were solved using the finite volume method for different Rayleigh numbers in the interval of 10⁴ < Ra < 10⁶ and Reynolds number in the interval of 100 < Re < 700. Temperature, flow field, and heat transfer rates are analyzed. The effect of the interaction between ambient conditions outside the glazing and the air inlet gap at the bottom for different air outlet gap positions at the top surface modifies the flow structure and temperature distribution of the air inside the cavity. The Nusselt number as a function of the Reynolds number was determined for the three cases. It was found that configuration for case (a) removes a higher amount of heat entering the cavity compared to cases (b) and (c). This is due to the short distance between the main stream and the glass wall surface. Thus, the forced airflow entering the cavity is assisted by the buoyancy forces, and most of the cavity remains at the inlet flow temperature, which should be appropriate for warm climates. These results may provide useful information about the heat transfer and fluid flow for future studies.     

Heat and mass transfer characteristics of a new combined absorber-evaporator exchanger operating near the triple point of water

The present experimental study investigates the controlling mechanism involved in a new combined vertical film-type absorber-evaporator exchanger operating near the condition of the triple point of water. This peculiar exchanger plays the most important role in the VFVPE process that can be utilized in many industrial applications, water pollution prevention, desalination, and purification of chemicals, for example. The method of analogy of the heat and mass transfer near the film surface is used to calculate the interfacial concentration and temperature, and thus determining the heat and mass transfer coefficients. It is shown that the working temperature level has the negligible effect on the characteristics of the mass transfer. The mass transfer coefficients are higher than those obtained in the case of isothermal absorption due to the convective effect arisen from vapor absorption in the falling solution film. The water flow rate in the evaporator side has a minor effect on the performance of this combined exchanger. The overall mean heat transfer coefficient remains nearly constant in the lower range of the solution flow rate of the absorber; however, it would increase with increasing solution flow rate in the higher range. The correlating equations for both the heat and mass transfer coefficients are suggested.     

Investigation of the different base fluid effects on the nanofluids heat transfer and pressure drop

A numerical study of laminar forced convective flows of three different nanofluids through a horizontal circular tube with a constant heat flux condition has been performed. The effect of Al₂O₃ volume concentration 0 ≤ φ ≤ 0.09 in the pure water, water-ethylene glycol mixture and pure ethylene glycol as base fluids, and Reynolds number of 100 ≤ Re ≤ 2,000 for different power inputs in the range of 10 ≤ Q(W) ≤ 400 have been investigated. In this study, all of the nanofluid properties are temperature and nanoparticle volume concentration dependent. The governing equations have been solved using finite volume approach with the SIMPLER algorithm. The results indicate an increase in the averaged heat transfer coefficient with increasing the mass of ethylene glycol in the water base fluid, solid concentration and Reynolds number. From the investigations it can be inferred that, the pressure drop and pumping power in the nanofluids at low solid volumetric concentration (φ < 3%) is approximately the same as in the pure base fluid in the various Reynolds numbers, but the higher solid nanoparticle volume concentration causes a penalty drop in the pressure. Moreover, this study shows it is possible to achieve a higher heat transfer rate with lower wall shear stress with the use of proper nanofluids.     

Soret and Dufour effects on unsteady MHD flow past an infinite vertical porous plate with thermal radiation

The objective of the present study is to investigate the effect of flow parameters on the free convection and mass transfer of an unsteady magnetohydrodynamic flow of an electrically conducting, viscous, and incompressible fluid past an infinite vertical porous plate under oscillatory suction velocity and thermal radiation. The Dufour （diffusion thermo） and Soret （thermal diffusion） effects are taken into account. The problem is solved numerically using the finite element method for the velocity, the temperature, and the concentration field. The expression for the skin friction, the rate of heat and mass transfer is obtained. The results are presented numerically through graphs and tables for the externally cooled plate （Gr 〉 0） and the externally heated plate （Gr 〈 0） to observe the effects of various parameters encountered in the equations.     

Evaluation of coil absorber performance

A model was developed to determine the performance of the counter and parallel flow absorbers using water-lithium bromide solution. The simulation method of heat and mass transfer in the coil absorber is explained and a computer program was generated and applied. The effects of the main parameters on the absorber performance were determined and the results were presented in graphical form. It has been proved that the model explained in this study is capable of predicting an estimated wetted area and can approximate heat transfer coefficients and so can predict the absorber performance.     

Experimental investigation of mixed convection in a rectangular duct with a heated plate in the middle of cross section

The flow and heat transfer in an inclined and horizontal rectangular duct with a heated plate longitudinally mounted in the middle of cross section was experimentally investigated. The heated plate and rectangular duct were both made of highly conductive materials, and the heated plate was subjected to a uniform heat flux. The heat transfer processes through the test section were under various operating conditions: Pr ≈ 0.7, inclination angle ϕ = −60° to +60°, Reynolds number Re = 334–1,911, Grashof number Gr = 5.26 × 10²–5.78 × 10⁶. The experimental results showed that the average Nusselt number in the entrance region was 1.6–2 times as large as that in the fully developed region. The average Nusselt numbers and pressure drops increased with the Reynolds number. The average Nusselt numbers and pressure drops decreased with an increase in the inclination angle from −60° to +60° when the Reynolds number was less than 1,500. But when the Reynolds number increased to over about 1,800, the heat transfer coefficients and pressure drops were independent of inclination angles.     

Air-side performance of louver-finned flat aluminum heat exchangers at a low velocity region

The heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of heat exchangers having louver fins were experimentally investigated. The samples had small fin pitches (1.0–1.4 mm), and experiments were conducted up to a very low frontal air velocity (as low as 0.3 m/s). Below a certain Reynolds number (critical Reynolds number), the fall-off of the heat transfer coefficient curve was observed. The critical Reynolds number was insensitive to the louver angle, and decreased as the louver pitch to fin pitch ratio (L _p /F _p ) decreased. Existing correlations on the critical Reynolds number did not adequately predict the data. The heat transfer coefficient curves crossed over as the Reynolds number decreased. Possible explanation is provided considering the louver pattern between neighboring rows. Different from the heat transfer coefficient, the friction factor did not show the fall-off characteristic. The reason was attributed to the form drag by louvers, which offsets the decreased skin friction at low Reynolds numbers. The friction factor increased as the fin pitch decreased and the louver angle increased. A new correlation predicted 92% of the heat transfer coefficient and 94% of the friction factor within ±10%.     

Numerical analysis of turbulent convection heat transfer from an array of perforated fins

Numerical investigation is made for three-dimensional fluid flow and convective heat transfer from an array of solid and perforated fins that are mounted on a flat plate. Incompressible air as working fluid is modeled using Navier–Stokes equations and RNG based k ? ? turbulent model is used to predict turbulent flow parameters. Temperature field inside the fins is obtained by solving Fourier’s conduction equation. The conjugate differential equations for both solid and gas phase are solved simultaneously by finite volume procedure using SIMPLE algorithm. Perforations such as small channels with square cross section are arranged streamwise along the fin’s length and their numbers varied from 1 to 3. Flow and heat transfer characteristics are presented for Reynolds numbers from 2 × 10⁴ to 4 × 10⁴ based on the fin length and Prandtl number is taken Pr = 0.71. Numerical computations are validated with experimental studies of the previous investigators and good agreements were observed. Results show that fins with longitudinal pores, have remarkable heat transfer enhancement in addition to the considerable reduction in weight by comparison with solid fins.