Process and Food Engineering Lab Manual

Food Process Engineering Lab 2

Experiment 1 : Mass Transfer in flow parallel to flat surface

Objective:
Experimentally determine the amount of water evaporated from the flat plate under parallel air
stream and compare with calculated results.

Equipments:
Blotted paper, Tray, Thermometer, Wind tunnel, Pitot tube, Digital scale, Chronometer and
Cross Flow Heat Exchanger

Experimental Procedures:
1. Fill up the tray with blotted paper
2. Accurately pour water into the tray making the blotted paper wet ('saturated) but do not
allow the free water surface above the blotted paper.
3. Determine the initial mass (weight) of the tray.
4. Fix the tray in the wind tunnel.
5. Register the start time.
6. Run the air flow.
7. Determine the velocity and temperature.
8. Run the process for 30 min.
9. Measure air velocity (by Pitot tube) and air stream temperature (thermometer).
Determine the final mass (weight) of the tray. Find the water loss.

Calculation Procedures:
The mass transfer and vaporization of liquids from a plate or flat surface to a flowing stream is
of interest in the drying of inorganic and biological materials, in evaporation of solvents from
paints, for plates in wind tunnels, and in flow channels in chemical process equipment.

When the fluid flows past a plate in a free stream in an open space, the boundary layer is not
fully developed. For evaporation of liquids in the gas phase and NRe = 1.5 x 104 to 3 x 105, the
experimental data are represented within ±30% by the following correlation Mass

′ . .
0.036

Where;
′
, ,

L = length of plate in the direction of flow

kc’ = mass transfer coefficient for equimolar counter diffusion (Transport Processes & Unit
Operations (3'd Edition) by Geankoplis, pg. 435)
DAB = air - water vapour diffusion coefficient
 = air density
 = air viscosity

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Process and Food Engineering Lab Manual
Food Process Engineering Lab 2
Consider how to calculate the amount of water evaporated from the flat wet surface subjected
to airflow with velocity, v (known or measured). Air flow temperature, T (C) and relative
humidity also must be known or measured. Procedure consists of the following steps:

 The air temperature can be found in the steam table (Transport Processes & Unit
Operations (3rd Edition) by Geankoplis, pg. 857) or from the graph given below.
Determine the water vapor partial pressure on the plate surface, pA1.

 Once the percentage relative humidity HR, (Transport Processes & Unit Operations (3rd
Edition) by Geankoplis, pg. 526) is known, calculate the water vapor partial pressure
in the bulk air stream, pA2= HR x pA1.(Note: since the ambient air is not dry, the water
vapor pressure in the bulk flow A2  0)

 Assume atmospheric pressure is P = 1.013 x 105 Pa.

 Calculate the log mean value, (Transport Processes & Unit Operations 3rd Edition) by
Geankoplis, pg. 389).

 Once the air stream velocity, v is known, determine NRe and NSh by calculation, using
equation given earlier.

 From NSh, determine the mass transfer coefficient kc’

 Using the conversion factor (Transport Processes & Unit Operations (3'd Edition) by
Geankoplis, pg.435, Table 7.2-1), calculate the mass transfer coefficient,
 

′∙
∙ ∙

Where; R=8314.34 J/kg mol K and T= temperature in Kelvin [K]

Note[kG] = (kg mol/ s. m2. Pa)

 Calculate the flux of water evaporation

[kg mol/s. m2]

 Then, calculate the flux of water evaporation, expressed in kg/s.m2

∙ 18.

 Finally, water loss [kg] is calculated from

∆ ′∙ ∙ ∙

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Process and Food Engineering Lab Manual
Food Process Engineering Lab 2

Where;

W = width of plate
L = length of plate
 = time interval

Results:
1.Results of measurement.
 Air stream velocity =
 Temperature =
 Width and length of the tray =
 Initial weight of tray =
 Final weight of tray =
 Process time interval=

2. Calculation of water loss during evaporation.

3. ∆

4. ∆

Extra information:
Typical values for calculation procedure (please consider as guidance):

11 , 30° , 0.7