Practice problems on convective mass transfer and mass transfer

coefficients

𝑘𝑐 𝑑
1. Show that for mass transfer happening from a sphere to a stagnant fluid 𝑆ℎ = = 2,
𝐷𝐴𝐵
where 𝑑 is the diameter of the sphere and 𝐷𝐴𝐵 is the diffusion coefficient of the
transferring species.
2. Liquid containing 𝐴, with concentration 𝐶𝐴𝑏 flows past a flat surface where the
concentration of 𝐴 is 𝐶𝐴𝑠 . Assuming that the film theory is valid and that diffusive mass
transfer occurs through a stagnant film of thickness 𝛿, determine the concentration
profile of 𝐴 within the film.
3. In the previous case, what will be the “mass transfer resistance” offered by the stagnant
film? How will the resistance change with film thickness. Use the analogy with Ohm’s
law to solve this.
4. If the flow over a plate transitions from laminar to turbulent, what will happen to the
thickness of the flow/concentration boundary layer? Explain your reasoning
qualitatively.
5. The relative thicknesses of the flow and concentration layer is determined by the value
of 𝑆𝑐. Obtain an equivalent non-dimensional number that can be used to determine the
relative thicknesses of flow and thermal boundary layers.
6. You are working as a research scientist at a pharmaceutical company, and you are tasked
with designing a new column for the removal of an impure compound from an aqueous
feed solution containing an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and the impurity.
The concentration of the impurity in the feed solution is 𝐶𝐴𝑖 which needs to be reduced
to 𝐶𝐴𝑓 . You have decided to introduce the feed in the form of spherical drops, at some
fixed velocity 𝑈, within a solvent that has a finite and selective solubility for the
impurity. Based on the available equipment, you can make uniform sized drops with
any diameter between 𝑑1 to 𝑑2 (𝑑1 < 𝑑2 ). Your task is to decide the size of drops and
the length of the column required to meet the purity requirements. The following
expression can be used to determine the mass transfer coefficient:
𝑘𝑐 𝑑
𝑆ℎ = = 2 + 0.6𝑅𝑒1/2 𝑆𝑐1/3
𝐷𝐴𝐵
Consider and solve for the following cases (Assume any missing information that you
might think is required):
(i) Assume that the solvent is available in large quantities and that the bulk
concentration of the impurity throughout the separation process is negligible.
(ii) What if the solvent quantity is finite and the concentration of the impurity in the
bulk slowly increases as more impurity is transferred from the drop?
7. Example problems 3.3, 3.4, 3.8 in B.K. Dutta
8. Exercise problems 3.1-3.4.
9. Problem 3.14 in B.K. Dutta. Use the following correlation for mass transfer coefficients
in the case of flow over a flat plate:
𝑘𝐿,𝑎𝑣 𝐿
𝑆ℎ = = 0.664 𝑅𝑒1/2 𝑆𝑐1/3
𝐷𝐴𝐵
10. Problem 3.24, 3.25, 3.26, 3.27, 3.31