FILM THEORY IS NOT REALISTIC IN MANY SITUATIONS

LIQUID FILM
Do you expect the unstirred film to retain its
𝑐1𝑖 identity in these situations?
BULK LIQUID
• Simplest of theories 𝑐1
of mass transfer
• Easy to understand gas
• Useful in analysis LIQUID FILM packing
of systems where 𝑐1𝑖 liquid
reactions occur BULK LIQUID

𝑐1

water LIQUID FILM

𝑐1𝑖 Air bubble
Air
with 3% BULK LIQUID Stirred tank
ammonia
𝑐1
 PHYSICS OF TURBULENT FLOWS GIVES A REALISTIC PICTURE OF MASS TRANSFER

Stirred tank Flow past a sphere

Air bubble Only one bubble

is shown for
simplicity

eddy • Turbulence creates eddies in flows

• Size of eddies is small, down to say tens of microns
• Velocity of eddies can be high
• Eddies could be in contact with gas bubbles for a small fraction
of a second to few seconds

Watch video of animation of flow in stirred tank Watch video of animation of flow past a sphere
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUE1S7F4ooc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEeOc_jq3Bw
 HIGBIE’S PENETRATION THEORY OF MASS TRANSFER (1935)
Analysis of diffusion through semi-infinite layer

Consider one bubble • Eddies are in contact with gas bubble for very short time
Eddies on it are shown as liquid elements • During such short contact times, eddy can be modeled as
semi-infinite layer
Gas dissolves
in an unstirred liquid
Gas-liquid
boundary

Goes to ∞ shell
𝜕𝑐 𝜕2𝑐
Mass balance across shell gives =𝐷 2 Initial condition: 𝑡 = 0, 𝑐 = 𝑐∞ Boundary conditions: 𝑧 = 0, 𝑐 = 𝑐𝑠𝑎𝑡
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑧
𝑧 = ∞, 𝑐 = 𝑐∞
𝑧
Solution to this equation is obtained by defining a new variable, 𝜂 =
4𝐷𝑡
𝑐𝑠𝑎𝑡 − 𝑐 𝑧 𝐷 𝐷
Solution is = 𝑒𝑟𝑓 Flux at 𝑧 = 0, 𝑁1 = 2 𝑐𝑠𝑎𝑡 − 𝑐∞ ⇒ 𝑘𝑐 = 2 𝑡 is contact time
𝑐𝑠𝑎𝑡 − 𝑐∞ 4𝐷𝑡 𝜋𝑡 𝜋𝑡

IS CONTACT TIME KNOWN? DETERMINED? No