Chemical Transport

A chemists view of fluid flow

Batch Reaction
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Transportation in the liquid state just by pouring. Transportation of gases by small bore tubes through induced pressure differentials A typical chemical plant consists of:
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Processing equipment Pumps Blowers Compressors Pipes to transfer fluid

Chemists are involved in fluid flow problems on a smaller scale.

Fluid Flow
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Movement of materials such as liquids, gases or dispersed solids through certain bounded regions. Application of energy balance, material balance with laws of fluid friction provides the method for determining relationships between rates of flow and pressure drops in a given system which can be used to determine power requirements or flow rates for different types of equipments

Types of steady flow

mass of fluid in = mass of fluid out
Mass of fluid passing any total cross-sectional area of a pipe Mass of fluid flowing past any = other total cross-sectional area of the pipe

Flow of fluid can be divided into 2 classes: 1. Streamline flow when the flow of all the fluid particles is along lines parallel to the axis of the pipe. (viscous or laminar) 2. Turbulent flow when the course followed by the fluid particles deviate from the straight line forming vortices and eddies

Experimental
Streamline Steady low velocity No mixing

Turbulent Fast velocity Complete mixing Eddies/whirls

Identification of flow type Reynold number (no dimension)

Reynold number = Re =

D = inside diameter of tube (ft)/(cm) = velocity of flowing fluid (fts-1)/(cms-1) = density of the fluid (lbft-3)/(gcm-1) M = viscosity of fluid (lbs ft s-1)/(gcm-1) Re > 2100 Re < 2100 turbulent flow

streamline flow (laminar flow)

Streamline can be converted to turbulent flow by increasing Re to > 2100

Role of viscosity in fluid flow

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Viscosity - ability of a material to resist shearing forces Water with low viscosity can resist shearing force better than oil with high viscosities
d Force = ()(A) dx
Viscosity Air at RT = 0.02 centipoise Water at RT = 1 centipoise Oils at var. T = 10 to 5000 centipoise

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x distance between liquid layers For most gases and liquids, is constant if the temperature and pressure are fixed. Fluids of this type is called Newtonian fluids

(force) mass grams = = = = poise A / d / dx (length )( time) cm sec

Velocity distribution in pipes

Vmax

Velocity wall

center

wall

Example: Turbulent Flow

If a fluid flowing at the rate of 6 ft3/min through a pipe having an inside diameter of 2 in, the average linear velocity is

(6 ft /min)(1 min/60 s)
2 2

= 4.59ft / s

(3.14)(1 in) (ft/12 in) If the liquid has a density of 30 lb/ft3 and a viscosity of 0.002 lb/(s)(ft)
Re = D =

(2)(1 ft/12 in)(4.59 ft/s)(30 lb/ft ) = 11,470 (0.002)(lb/s ft)

Turbulent

Constriction Devices Measure flow

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Flowmeter creates a change in fluid velocity that is sensed as a differential pressure which depends on the velocity and density of the flowing fluid
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Venturi Tube Orifice plate Pitot tube Rotometer (Constant P) Magnetic flowmeter

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Velocity devices
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Displacement Devices measure discrete quantities of the flowing fluid and indicate flow in terms of an integrated or totalized flow and volume
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Turbine flowmeter Wet-test meter

The Venturi Tube

It is used to study the flow of liquids or gases. It consists of a Venturi tube (a cylindrical pipe with a narrow constriction) and two meters that measure the pressure of a flowing liquid or gas in the nonconstricted and the constricted parts of the tube. (Other types of meters may measure the speed at which the liquid or gas flows through the tube.)

ORIFICE PLATE

A fluid passing though an orifice constriction will experience a drop in pressure across the orifice. This change can be used to measure the flowrate of the fluid. (The default calculation involves air passing through a medium-sized orifice in a 4" pipe, with answers rounded to 3 significant figures.)

PITOT TUBE
The Pitot Static tube measures the total pressure (or impact pressure) at the nose of the Pitot tube and the static pressure of the gas stream at side ports. The difference of these pressures, i.e. the dynamic or velocity pressure (Pdynamic) varies with the square of the gas velocity.

ROTOMETER

Magnetic flowmeters
Also known as electromagnetic flowmeters or induction flowmeters, obtain the flow velocity by measuring the changes of induced voltage of the conductive fluid passing across a controlled magnetic field.

Turbine Flowmeter - As a substance moves

through a pipe, it acts on the vanes on a turbine to get it to spin. The rate of spin is measured to find out the speed of the flow.

Gas Turbine in Stainless Steel

Liquid Turbine in Stainless Steel

WET TEST METER

Analog and digital wet test meter Installed between the gas source and the fixture or apparatus using the gas, the Digital Wet Test Meter utilizes a liquid-sealed rotating drumtype meter to determine total gas volume. It combines microprocessorcontrol and convenience with the long proven rotating drum gas volume measurement technique to greatly simplify gas volume measurements. Gas volume and temperature are measured automatically.