Applied Transport Phenomena

2. Methods: Reduction in Dimensionality

Last Week’s Lectures

 Order(1) Scaling!
 What have we learned?
 Once we have framed up our physical system, and written down the
governing equations and boundary conditions we can apply magic logic!

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Today and This Week

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Today and This Week

 Today: Dimensionality in Modelling

 Thursday: Timescales in Modelling
 These two topics are merged into Study Guide #3
 Study Guide On Brightspace
 Note on study guide notation: and

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2. Methods – Dimensionality in Modelling

 Great news! You already know the principles of today’s lecture!

 What is Dimensionality in Modelling?

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2. Methods – Dimensionality in Modelling

 Great news! You already know the principles of today’s lecture!

 What is Dimensionality in Modelling?
 How we can use our human-made artificial coordinates to our advantage
 Recognizing when geometry is not important -> identified via Scaling too!
 Identifying limiting processes across the control volume
 Broad breakdown of these topics in Deen 3.4
 Symmetry
 Thinness
 Series Resistance

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2. Methods – Dimensionality in Modelling - Symmetry

 Mostly covered in the intro slides and in previous courses…

 But what does applying symmetry do?
 1. Applying symmetry changes what we define as our control volume, by
making use of a known boundary condition.

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2. Methods – Dimensionality in Modelling - Symmetry

 2. Mathematically, we care about reducing the number of terms!!!

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2. Methods – Dimensionality in Modelling - Symmetry

 Notes on symmetry
 Symmetry isn’t always a switch to new coordinates
 Sometimes symmetry is chosen because of boundary conditions
 Symmetry can sometimes be hidden! Or not applicable until other
assumptions are made. So you can look for symmetry
retrospectively.
 ATP is not always a linear process
 Draw, governing equations, geometry, scaling, solutions…

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2. Methods – Dimensionality in Modelling – Thinness/Edge Effects

 We discussed in the intro slides, how thin is thin enough to ignore something?
 Here are three conceptual examples we currently take for granted:

Heat transport Mass transport / Chemical Reactions

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2. Methods – Dimensionality in Modelling – Thinness/Edge Effects

Mass transport / Chemical Reactions

So here, are we ignoring the
thin term (e.g. diffusion of
species in y-direction)?

No! Here we’re ignoring the

‘thick’ terms. So the term
thinness can be misleading. So
‘edge effects’ or ‘aspect ratios’
may be a better term.
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2. Methods – Dimensionality in Modelling – Thinness/Edge Effects

Flow in a confined system

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Example: Thinness/Edge Effects with Scaling

Take the example in Deen 3.4 (Figure 3-10).

I’ve changed the axis and dimensions to be
clearer here.
In this problem we have an imposed
temperature gradients and would like to
know the temperature throughout the block.

The governing equation becomes the

following after simplification:

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Example: Thinness/Edge Effects with Scaling

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Example: Thinness/Edge Effects with Scaling

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Example: Thinness/Edge Effects with Scaling

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10-minute Break
2. Methods – Dimensionality in Modelling – Series Resistance

 Think about what a governing equation represents? And what does scaling do
that governing equation?

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2. Methods – Dimensionality in Modelling – Series Resistance

 So series resistance determines which process is small versus a different

process. Do you see how this is similar to the concept of scaling governing
equations, but different?
 Two important concepts for you to learn about series resistance:
1. How do we compare two transfer processes against one another?
 e.g. convection vs diffusion heat or mass transfer
 e.g. consecutive chemical reactions
2. Once you identify that one process is negligible versus another, how do
you use this knowledge to simplify the governing equations?

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2. Methods – Dimensionality in Modelling – Series Resistance

Quick sanity check on the concept of series systems

Let’s think back to chemical reactor engineering: A -> B -> C

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2. Methods – Dimensionality in Modelling – Series Resistance

Example 3.4-2 in Deen:

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2. Methods – Dimensionality in Modelling – Series Resistance

Example 3.4-2 in Deen:

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2. Methods – Dimensionality in Modelling – Series Resistance

Example 3.4-2 in Deen:

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2. Methods – Dimensionality in Modelling – Series Resistance

Average temperatures can be determined using an integral approach, and then

applied to the governing equations and boundary conditions.

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2. Methods – Dimensionality in Modelling – Series Resistance

Average temperatures can be determined using an integral approach, and then

applied to the governing equations and boundary conditions.

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2. Methods – Dimensionality in Modelling – Series Resistance

 So series resistance determines which process is small versus a different

process. Do you see how this is similar to the concept of scaling governing
equations, but different?
 Two important concepts for you to learn about series resistance:
1. How do we compare two transfer processes against one another?
 e.g. convection vs diffusion heat or mass transfer
 e.g. consecutive chemical reactions
2. Once you identify that one process is negligible versus another, how do
you use this knowledge to simplify the governing equations?

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 Next Lecture (Thursday!)

• Timescales in Modelling

Scaling (3 classes taught by Volkert van Steijn)

2. Methods Sections
Reduction in Dimensionality Timescales in Modelling Deen Chapter 3 and 4
(aka your toolbox)
Perturbation Theory
Perturbation Theory - II Self-Similarity

3. Applications (Dr. Alina Rwei)

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Questions and Comments on the Lecture/Course?

Good luck on the

Applied Numerical
Methods Final Exam!
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Applied Transport Phenomena
2. Methods: Reduction in Dimensionality
Side Discussion – Translating theory to real-life systems

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