TK5102AdvancedTransportPhenomena

SemesterI2009/2010
HomeworkIII
(duedate30September2009)

1. CO2isbeingabsorbedfromagasinasmall
experimentalwettedwalltowerasshownin
the figure. The absorbing fluid is water,
which is moving down the tower with an
average velocity of 17.7 cm/s. CO2 is only
slightlysolubleinwater,sothattheviscosity
ofthewaterisunaffected.Furthermore,the
diffusionofCO2takesplacesoslowlyinthe
liquid film that CO2 will not penetrate very
far into the film (the penetration distance
will be small in comparison with the film
thickness).Whatistheabsorptionrateing
moles/hr,iftheliquidphasediffusivityoftheCO2watersystemis1.5x105cm2/s,andifthe
solubility(saturationconcentration)ofCO2inwateris0.04gmoleperliter(theseareatthe
experimentaltemperature).Thedimensionsofthetoweraregiveninthefigure.
2. Asolidsphereofnaphthalene(A)witharadiusof2.5mmissurroundedbystillair(B)at300
Kand1atm.Takethesurfacetemperatureofnaphthaleneis300Kanditsvaporpressureat
thistemperatureas0.104mmHg.Thediffusivityofnaphthalenevaporinairat318Kis6.92
106 m2/s. On assuming ideal gas behavior, determine the rate at which naphthalene
evaporates.