A numerical study of the non-absorbable effects on the falling liquid film absorption

A numerical study for the simultaneous heat and mass transfer in a falling liquid film absorption process with the presence of non-absorbable gases is presented. Water vapor mixed with air as the non-absorbables being absorbed into a falling smooth aqueous lithium chloride film flow was chosen as the model problem for the study. The finite difference numerical calculation was proceeded by marching downward from the top end, owing to the parabolic type energy and concentration equations for both liquid and gas phases. The results indicate that the local non-absorbable gas concentration is much higher at the gas-liquid interface than that in the ambient, hence the local vapor pressure is lowered there such that the absorption driving potential of the vapor pressure difference is reduced. The resulting reduction of the absorption rate due to the presence of the non-absorbables suggests that its effect must be carefully considered in the application of absorption heat pump design. The present study can provide some useful information for this purpose.

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Numerische Studie über die Einwirkung von nicht absorbierbaren Stoffen auf die fallende Flüssigkeitsfilmabsorption

Zusammenfassung Hier wurde eine numerische Studie der Wärmeund Stoffübertragung in einem Absorptionsprozeß eines fallenden Flüssigkeitsfilms in Anwesenheit von nicht absorbierbaren Gasen dargestellt. Ein Wasserdampf-Luft-Gemisch, das in Anwesenheit von nicht absorbierbaren Gasen von einer fallenden glatten flüssigen Lithium-Chlorid-Filmströmung absorbiert wird, wurde als das Modellproblem für diese Studie gewählt. Die numerische Berechnung mit dem Finite Differenzenverfahren wurde schrittweise vom obersten Ende nach unten durchgeführt. Die Berechnung bezieht sich auf den parabolischen Typ der Energie- und Konzentrationsgleichungen für die Flüssigkeits- und Gasphasen. Die Ergebnisse weisen darauf hin, daß die lokale nicht absorbierbare Gaskonzentration bei der Gasflüssigkeitsphase sehr viel höher ist als in der Umgebung. Weiter ist der lokale Dampfdruck so erniedrigt worden, daß sich das Absorptionsbewegungspotential des Dampfdruckunterschiedes reduziert. Die resultierende Reduzierung der Absorptionsrate, die auf die Anwesenheit der nicht absorbierbaren Stoffe zurückzuführen ist, verlangt eine sorgfältige Einbeziehung ihere Einflüsse auf die Gestaltung der Absorptionswärmepumpen. Diese Arbeit kann einige nützliche Informationen für diesen Zweck geben.

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Nomenclature C absorbent concentration in weight fraction of salt - C _a nonabsorbables concentration in molar fraction - C _a at inlet and infinity - C _in C at film inlet - c _p specific heat of liquid - c _{p g} specific heat of gas - D species diffusivity for LiCl-H₂O - D _g species diffusivity for air-water vapor - g gravity - h _o film thickness - H _a heat of absorption - k thermal conductivity of liquid - k _g thermal conductivity of gas - L transformation constant - water vapor mass absorption rate - P _v water vapor pressure - Re film Reynolds number=V ₀ h ₀/ - T film temperature - T _in film temperature at inlet - T _g gas temperature - T _w wall temperature - T gas temperature at inlet and infinity - u velocity inx-direction - U =1.5V ₀ - V ₀ mean film velocity=g h ₀ ² /3µ - x coordinate parallel to the wall - y coordinate normal to the wall in the film region - y _g coordinate normal to the wall in the gas region - transformedy _g Greek letters dynamic viscosity - liquid density - _g gas density     

等热流密度加热垂直下降液膜的研究

利用等热流密度加热条件下降膜流动的三维模型方程进行线性稳定性分析和数值模拟。线性稳定性分析表明,模型方程在小到中等Reynolds数下都适用,并且流向不稳定性增长率随着Reynolds数和Marangoni数增加而增加,展向不稳定性增长率则随着Marangoni数增加而增加,随着Reynolds数增加而减小,流向和展向对扰动波数都存在一个不稳定区间。三维数值模拟表明,在等热流密度加热条件下,液膜在随机扰动的情况下最终会形成带孤立波的三维溪流状结构,液膜与气体的换热也因溪流状结构的出现而加强;在随机扰动的基础上引入占优势地位的展向最不稳定扰动会使得换热增强,液膜会提前破裂;在随机扰动的基础上引入占优势地位的流向最不稳定扰动时,液膜的换热会增强,但不会提前破裂;在随机扰动的基础上同时引入占优势地位的流向和展向最不稳定扰动时,换热会加强且液膜会提前破裂。     

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.     

Developed steady wave motions of a liquid film falling along a vertical plane

The falling of a thin viscous fluid layer (film) along a vertical plane under the effect of gravity is accompanied by wave motions in which capillary forces play an essential part. An equation for the film thickness h(x, t) is used extensively in analyses of these motions. This equation, obtained from the Navier—Stokes equations and the boundary conditions under different assumptions, reduces to an ordinary third-order nonlinear differential equation [1–7] for steady plane motions. Periodic solutions of this equation were sought by the methods of asymptotic expansions in the amplitude or by Fourier series expansions [1–7], which assumes a sequential accounting of the nonlinearity as a small perturbation. This limits the validity of the results obtained to the domain of small amplitudes. The case of arbitrary amplitudes is considered in this paper. A solution of the problem, based on an asymptotic expansion in the parameter ε is constructed. In this expansion the equation for the first approximation remains nonlinear but admits of integration, which discloses the class of bounded periodic solutions. Moreover, strict integral relations (for any ε) are obtained, and a variational problem about seeking the lower bound of values of the mean film thickness and other characteristics of the ultimately developed optimal motions is formulated and solved on their basis. The results obtained agree with experiments.     

Entropy generation in gas absorption into a falling liquid film

The study of mass transfer into falling films constitutes a significant aspect for numerous applications in the chemical technology and is considered the subject of many theoretical and experimental researches. Evaluating the second law of thermodynamics is one of the contemporarily used methods to determine the performances of an industrial process and to study various sources of irreversibility. Expressions of the liquid velocity, the gas concentration, the entropy generation rate as well as the main sources of irreversibility in the case of gas absorption (carbon dioxide) into a laminar falling viscous incompressible liquid film (water) without chemical reaction, are analytically derived and graphically presented and discussed.     

Entropy generation in gas absorption into a falling liquid film

The study of mass transfer into falling films constitutes a significant aspect for numerous applications in the chemical technology and is considered the subject of many theoretical and experimental researches. Evaluating the second law of thermodynamics is one of the contemporarily used methods to determine the performances of an industrial process and to study various sources of irreversibility. Expressions of the liquid velocity, the gas concentration, the entropy generation rate as well as the main sources of irreversibility in the case of gas absorption (carbon dioxide) into a laminar falling viscous incompressible liquid film (water) without chemical reaction, are analytically derived and graphically presented and discussed.     

A numerical study of a hollow water droplet falling in air

Theoretical and Computational Fluid Dynamics - We numerically study the dynamics of a hollow water droplet falling in the air under the action of gravity. The focus of our study is to investigate...     

Entropy generation in a liquid film falling along an inclined porous heated plate

In this paper, the second law analysis of a laminar falling viscous incompressible liquid film along an inclined porous heated plate is investigated. The upper surface of the liquid film is considered free and adiabatic. Based on some simplifying assumptions, analytical solutions for the fluid velocity and temperature are constructed. The expressions for the entropy generation rate and irreversibility ratio are obtained and the results are presented graphically and discussed quantitatively for several values of suction Reynolds number (Re) and group parameter (BrΩ⁻¹).     

Free convective transpiration over a vertical plate: a numerical study

A rarely adopted simple finite difference scheme has been successfully employed to solve the nonlinear coupled partial differential equations, with nonhomogeneous boundary condition, which describe the free convection at a vertical plate with transpiration. The solution is obtained for a Prandtl number of 0.72, in the blowing parameter range of — 1.9 < C_x < 1.9. The effects of suction and blowing on heat transfer and skin friction are discussed. It is concluded that the boundary layer has a better memory of the upstream suction distribution than of the upstream blowing distribution.     

Direct contact condensation of vapor on turbulent, falling liquid film

The problem of condensation of pure vapor on turbulent falling liquid film of the same species is analytically solved. The gradual change in enthalpy of the coolant liquid film in the flow direction is considered to take place in three successive stages. The study brings out the influence of inlet Reynolds number, Prandtl number and degree of subcooling of the coolant on condensation heat transfer coefficients. The heat transfer coefficients predicted from the theoretical analysis are in reasonable agreement with the experimental data available in literature.     

An investigation of falling liquid films on a vertical heated/cooled plate

The temperature field and flow patterns of a liquid film flowing over a vertical uniformly heated surface have been experimentally investigated. Our experiments show that this film flow is sensitive to the heating conditions. When the film is cooled by the substrate, its surface area increases, and when it is heated its surface area decreases. The analysis attributed the changing properties of the flow to lateral Marangoni effect, i.e. to surface tension gradient transverse to the flow. The influence of the viscosity variations on the non-isothermal liquid film flow was also considered and compared with that of the surface tension variations. It was shown that the contraction or extension of the films was mainly caused by the lateral surface tension gradient that might be determined by the viscosity variations.     

Measurement of water falling film thickness to flat plate using confocal chromatic sensoring technique

An experimental investigation of wavy water film falling down a flat plate has been carried out using confocal chromatic sensoring technique to determine the instantaneous and statistical characteristics of the film. The experiments involved three parameters: liquid feed mode, Reynolds number and plate inclination angle. The present time–average film thickness data is compared with the previous experimental and theoretical results showing a good agreement. A new correlation for the average film thickness is suggested. Our results show that the liquid feed mode has a vital influence on the film thickness and that the film thickness increases with Reynolds number and decreased plate inclination angle. The root–mean–square value of the film thickness fluctuations depends non-monotonically on the film Reynolds number. The corresponding mechanisms are analyzed.     

Heat and mass transfer of a water film falling down a tilted plate with radiant heating and evaporation

This paper has concerned the heat and mass transfer of a water film falling down a tilted plate with radiant heating and water evaporation. A cluster of physical models was developed for evaluating the properties of heat and mass transfer. A fully implicit control-volume finite-difference procedure was used to solve the coupling equations. The effects of various parameters on heat and mass transfer were investigated. The results showed that the mass fraction of water vapor in ambient atmosphere and the flow turbulence played key roles in the heat and mass transfer. The ambient atmospheric temperature dramatically affected the sensible heat flux. However its effect on the latent heat flux is negligibly small. The magnitude of solar incident flux had an intense influence on the water film temperature. Received on 29 January 1998     

Numerical study of liquid film cooling along an inclined plate

A numerical method of analyzing liquid film cooling along an inclined plate is presented. A marching procedure is employed for solution of the equations of mass, momentum, energy and concentration in the flow. Results for heat and mass transfer characteristics are presented for air-water system. The effects of the inclined angle , free-stream temperatureT , free-stream velocityu , and inlet film thickness on the heat and mass transfer along the gasliquid interface are examined in detail. Results show that an increase in free-stream temperature and velocity causes an increase in interfacial temperature while an increase in inclined angle and inlet film thickness causes a reduction in interfacial temperature. Additionally, the predicted results with the transport in the liquid film treated are contrasted with those with the transport in the liquid film untreated, showing that the assumption of an extremely thin film is inappropriate for a larger .

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Numerische Untersuchung der Flüssigfilm-Kühlung entalang einer geeigneten Platte

Zusammenfassung Es wird eine numerische Methode zur Untersuchung der Flüssigfilm-Kühlung entlang einer geneigten Platte vorgestellt. Die Lösung der Bilanzgleichung für Masse, Impuls, Energie und Konzentration in der Strömung erfolgt mit Hilfe eines expliziten Verfahrens. Ergebnisse für das Wärme- und Stoffaustauschverhalten werden bezüglich des Systems Luft — Wasser mitgeteilt. Im einzelnen befaßt sich die Untersuchung mit der Ermittlung des Einflusses von Neigungswinkel , FreistrometemperaturT , Freistromgeschwindigkeitu und Eintrittsfilmdicke auf den Wärme- und Stoffübergang entlang der Gas-Flüssigkeitsgrenzfläche. Die Ergebnisse zeigen eine Abnahme der Grenzflächentemperatur bei ansteigender Freistromtemperatur und -geschwindigkeit und eine Erhöhung, wenn Neigungswinkel und Eintrittsfilmdicke zunehmen. Zusätzlich folgt aus den Berechnungen, daß bei größeren Filmdicken die Annahme eines extrem dünnen Films unter Vernachlässigun g der vollständigen Transportmechanismen im Flüssigkeitsfilm zu falschen Ergebnissen führt.

     

Waves on a viscous-fluid film flowing down a vibrating vertical plate

A thin film of a viscous fluid flowing down a vertical plane in a gravitational field is considered. The plane executes harmonic oscillations in the direction normal to itself. An equation that describes the evolution of surface disturbances at small fluid flow rates is obtained. Some solutions of this equation are found. Kutateladze Institute of Thermal Physics, Siberian Division, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090. Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 40, No. 4, pp. 90–98, July–August, 1999.     

Analysis of the film condensation process of vapor on a vertical finely serrated surface

The process of film condensation of vapor on vertical finely serrated surfaces is investigated. The analysis shows that owing to the specific conditions under which the distribution of the condensed film along the cooling surface is in the main affected by surface tension, the effectiveness of such surfaces may be several times higher than that of plain tubes.Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Mekhaniki i Tekhnicheskoi Fiziki, Vol. 10, No. 3, pp. 93–97, May–June, 1969.