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:
1 Ci
Niy y 0 Dij dS
S y y 0
A
-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 Ci
Equating these two relations: kf Dij dS
S CS Co S
y y 0
 Mass Transfer Coefficient
Non-dimensionalization:
* Ci * y
C y
C s C0 L

Results:
kf L 1 C*
dS
Dij S s
y* y* 0

A new parameter: Sherwood number

kf L vL
Sh f (Re, Sc) f( , )
Dij Dij
 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
Sh Cs C0
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.

Ci Ci
N ir y 0
Dij Dij
y y 0 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 vx vy
+ =0
x y
2 2
X-component vx vx P vx vx
vx + vy =- + 2
+
x y x x y2
2 2
Y-component vy vy P vy vy
vx + vy =- + 2
+
x y y x y2

Length scales - in y direction

L in the x direction; expect << L

Velocity scales - 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 * v *
vy p
x = y = v = x
x v =
y p*=
L Uo V P

*
v *
Conservation of mass becomes: U o v + V y = 0 x
*
L x y*

Velocity gradient in x and y direction are proportional. Thus

the following terms must balance to maintain validity of the
conservation of mass
V Uo
~
L
or
V ~ Uo << 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 *
* vx P P* Uo 2 2 *
vx
2 *
vx
vx * + vy * =- *
+ 2
+
L x y L x L2 x*2
y*2

Can neglect underlined term since 2 << L

Simplifying and rearranging

Uo 2
* v*x * v*
x P
P* 2 2 *
vx
v x + v y =- +
L x* y* UoL x *
y*2

Since viscous and inertial forces are equally important in

the boundary layer
2
Uo
~1
L
Rearranging and solving for yields
1/2
L
~ ~ LRe -1/2
L
Uo
where ReL = UoL/µ

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, P 2/µUoL

must be of order 1. This leads to:

P ~ U 2
o

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 Bernoulli’s 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

vx vy
Conservation of mass + =0
x y
2
x-component vx v dU(x) vx
vx + vy x = U(x) +
x y dx y2

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 .
vx dU
w= µ = vx U vx dy + U vx dy
y y=0
x 0
dx 0
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)
2. Insert into equations and solve for .
3. 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:

vx d
w= µ vx U vx dy
y y=0
dx 0

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 Uo U 2o d
w = = =
y y=0
6 dx

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

12µx
(x) = = 3.464xRe-1/2
x
Uo
-0.289µUo 1/2
w= x
Rex
Comparing different expressions for the velocity, let

(x) = axRe-1/2
x
-bµUo 1/2
w= x
Rex

Conclusion: Even relatively simple approximations work well

Now, let’s consider the conservation relations when we
have boundary flows.
2 2
Ci Ci Ci Ci
vx + vy Dij 2
+ 2
x y x y

The first issue that confronts us is that there are now two
length scales in the y direction, the momentum boundary
layer thickness M and the concentration boundary layer
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 ~ Uo
M M
From the conservation of mass and linear profile for vx
vx y2 C
2
vy = dy ~ U o ~ Uo
x Mx M L

For solute transport, the dimensionless equation is:

Uo C * C* * C
*
Dij C
2 2
C* 2 *
C
v x *
+vy * 2 2 *2
+ *2
L M x y C L x y

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

3
Uo C* C * 2
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
3
Uo C
~1
Dij L M
1/ 3
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 1/ 2 1/ 3
c LSc Re m Sc
Using this result, we can approximate the flux as:
Ci Co Dij Co 1/3 1/2
Niy (y 0) = -Dij ~ Dij ~ Sc Re
y c L
From the definition of the mass transfer coefficient

1 Ci
kf Dij dS
S CS Co S
y y 0

Dij Dij 1/ 2
Sh Cs C0 0.323 Cs C0 Re loc Sc1/ 3
L L