Mass Transfer Coefficient

Mass transfer coefficients - simplified method to describe

complex boundary condition involving flow and diffusion.

Mass transfer from a surface to a fluid

Mass Transfer Coefficient

Flux from surface into the fluid:
C i
1
N iy y 0
Dij
dS

S A
y y 0

-Brackets denote a spatial average.

-S is the surface area in the direction of the flux (plane
of constant y = 0 in this case).
Now, we define an empirical equation describing the
flux:
N iy y 0 k f (Cs C0 )
kf unit = m/s.
kf is not an intrinsic property of the system.
1
Equating these two relations: kf S C C
S
o

C i
Dij

dS
y 0

Mass Transfer Coefficient

Non-dimensionalization:

Ci
C
C s C0
*

y
y
L
*

Results:

1 C *

*
Dij
S s y

kf L

dS
y* 0

A new parameter: Sherwood number

vL
Sh f (Re, Sc) f ( , )
Dij
Dij

kf L

Mass Transfer Coefficient

Determine Sh experimentally for
different system. (Table 7.5)
Estimate flux using the Sh number.
Flux at wall for flat plate=
Dij
C s C0
Sh
L

Estimation of Flux in the Presence of Convection

In many mass transfer problems with convection, the
concentration gradient is confined to a thin boundary
layer of thickness M (M <<R) near the surface.

N ir

y 0

Ci
Dij
y

y0

Ci
Dij
M

To estimate this mass transfer boundary layer we need to

first consider fluid boundary layers.

Boundary Layer

Prandtl, 1905

Boundary Layer
High Reynolds Number Flow.
Two length scales
1. Far from surface, viscous forces are unimportant
and inertial forces dominate.
2. Near the surface, viscous forces are comparable
to inertial forces

Boundary Layer
Approach:
1. Perform scaling for two dimensional flow for a
boundary layer of thickness in y direction and a
length scale L in the x direction.
2. Derive the boundary layer equations
3. Examine approximate solutions to obtain boundary
layer thickness and shear stress
4. Apply to mass transfer boundary layers
5. Estimate mass transfer coefficients

Conservation of mass and Navier-Stokes equation for 2-D

High Re laminar flow over a plate
Conservation of mass

vy
vx
+
=0
x
y

X-component

2 vx
vx
vx
P
2 vx
vx
+v y
= +
+ 2
2

x
y
x
y
x

Y-component

2 vy
2 vy
P
vx
+vy
= +
+ 2
2

x
y
y
y
x

Length scales Velocity scales -

vy

vy

in y direction
L in the x direction; expect << L

U0 in x direction
V in y direction; expect V << U0
Will deduce magnitude of , V and scaling for pressure from
an order of magnitude analysis

Scaling

x
y
x = y* =
L

vy
vx
p
*
v =
vy = p*=
Uo
V
P
*
x

*
v
V y

Conservation of mass becomes: U o v +

=0
*
L x
y
*
x
*

Velocity gradient in x and y direction are proportional. Thus

the following terms must balance to maintain validity of the
conservation of mass

or

V
Uo
~

V ~U o <<U o
L

So, we now have a relation for V and can use it in the

conservation of linear momentum to find .

x component of the conservation of linear momentum

*
U o2 * v*x
P P *
U o 2 2 v*x
2 v*x
* v x
vx * +vy * =
+ 2 2 *2 + *2
*

L
x
y
L x
L x
y

Can neglect underlined term since 2<< L

Simplifying and rearranging
*
2
*
2 *

U o 2 * v*x
v
P

vx
*
x
vx * +vy * =
+ *2
*

L
x
y
U o L x
y

Since viscous and inertial forces are equally important in

the boundary layer

U o 2
~1
L

Rearranging and solving foryields

L
~
U o

1/2

~LRe1/2
L

where ReL = UoL/

This is the correct scaling for the boundary layer. Almost
all subsequent efforts are involved in finding the numerical
coefficients to make the relation exact.
Since the pressure cannot be neglected either, P2/UoL
must be of order 1. This leads to:

P ~U 2o
This result should not be too surprising since we had used
it before.

Use the assumption that 2/L2<<1. The y component of the

conservation of linear momentum yields

P *
0
*
y
That is, the pressure varies only in the direction of flow
(P = P(x) only).
The pressure in the boundary layer at a given x position
is the same inside and outside the boundary layer.
To find this pressure and the x dependence of pressure,
apply Bernoullis equation along a horizontal streamline
far above the boundary layer.

P(x)+1 U(x)2=constant
2

Take the x derivative and rearrange to obtain an expression

for the pressure gradient

dP
dU(x)
=U(x)
dx
dx
For a flat plate, U(x) = U0 and the pressure gradient is zero.

The boundary layer equations

vy
vx
Conservation of mass
+
=0
x
y
x-component v vx +v vx =U(x) dU(x) + vx
y
x x
y
dx
y 2
2

Options: Solve numerically, or approximate by integrating

along the length L.
By integrating, derive the von Karman integral momentum
equation for boundary layer of thickness .
v
w = x
y

=
x
y=0

dU
v
U

v
dy
+

0 x x
dx

U v dy
x

Approach
1. Assume an expression for vx that satisfies the
boundary conditions
y = 0, vx = 0
y = , vx = U(x)
Depending on the expression used, additional
criteria can be used such as the first and
second derivatives must be continuous at
y = , vx = U(x)

Insert into equations and solve for .

Compute shear stress

Example, Flow over a flat plate

Models hemodialysis membranes for many geometries,
since curvature can be neglected since is small.
A uniform flow field with velocity Uo approaches a flat
plate of length L which is oriented in the direction of flow.
For this flow, U(x) = Uo.
The von Karman Momentum integral reduces to:
v
w = x
y

y=0

d

dx

v U v dy
x

The simplest expression that can be used and that

simplifies the boundary conditions is
y
vx U 0

Inserting this expression into the momentum integral yields

vx
w =
y

U o
U 2o d
=
=

6 dx
y=0

So, now we have a first order ODE for . We just need

an initial which is that at x = 0, = 0.
This yields the following results

(x)=

12x
=3.464xRe1/2
x
Uo

0.289 U o 1/2
w=
Rex
x

Comparing different expressions for the velocity, let

(x)=axRe1/2
x
bU o 1/2
w= x Rex
vx/Uo =f(y/ )
exact
y/
3y
y3
3
2
2
y
sin
2

5.00
3.5
4.6

0.332
0.289
0.323

4.8

0.327

Conclusion: Even relatively simple approximations work well

Now, lets consider the conservation relations when we

have boundary flows.
2 Ci
Ci
Ci
2 Ci
vx
+ vy
Dij
+ 2
2
x
y
y
x

The first issue that confronts us is that there are now two
length scales in the y direction, the momentum boundary
thickness and the concentration boundary layer
layer
M
thickness C. This is important because:
If M << C, the velocity profile is essentially uniform as the
concentration changes from 0 to C0.
If C << M, the velocity profile is linear as the concentration
changes from 0 to C0.
If C ~ M,the concentration and momentum boundary layers
are of the same thickness

In the non-dimensionalization of the conservation relation

for solute transport, the concentration is a function of Re
and Sc.
The Schmidt number controls the relative importance of
momentum and diffusive transport.
For solutes in water, Sc =/Dij ranges from 103 for small
solutes to 103 for proteins.
Thus, convective transport is much greater than diffusive
transport and the solute concentration gradient is confined
in a narrow region near the surface.
y
C
C << M
Linear velocity profile, vx =U o ~U o
M

From the conservation of mass and linear profile for vx

vx
y2
C 2
vy =
dy ~U o
~U o
x
M x
M L
For solute transport, the dimensionless equation is:
Uo C
L M

*
Dij C 2 2C * 2C *
C *
* C
v x * +vy y* 2 L2 x *2 + y*2
C
*
x

Since C << L, the underlined terms can be neglected.

*
2 *
U o C 3 * C *
C

C
*
v x * + v y * ~ * 2
Dij L M x
y
y

Since diffusive and convective transport are equally important,

the non-dimensionalization indicates that

Uo C 3
~1
Dij L M
c L2 / 3 m Pe 1/ 3 L2 / 3 ( L Re 1/ 2 )1/ 3 (Re Sc) 1/ 3 LSc 1/ 3 Re 1/ 2
1/ 3

c LSc

1 / 3

Re

1 / 2

m Sc

1 / 3

Using this result, we can approximate the flux as:

Dij Co 1/ 3 1/2
Ci
Co
N iy (y 0)=Dij
~Dij
~
Sc Re
y
c
L

From the definition of the mass transfer coefficient

1
kf
S C S C o

Sh

Dij
L

C i
Dij

Cs C0 0.323

dS
y 0

Dij
L

Cs C0 Reloc

1/ 2

Sc1/ 3