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Mass Transfer Coefficients

The transfer of solutes from water to air follows a two-film theory involving transfer across three zones: from bulk liquid to the liquid film, across the liquid film to the air film, and across the air film to the bulk air. The overall mass transfer rate is represented by the overall mass transfer coefficient, KLa, which is the product of the liquid mass transfer coefficient, KL, and the surface area to volume ratio, a. For design purposes, KLa should be experimentally determined but can also be calculated using correlations such as the Sherwood and Holloway equation or correlations developed by Onda. An example is provided to demonstrate calculating KLa using Onda's correlation.

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190 views3 pages

Mass Transfer Coefficients

The transfer of solutes from water to air follows a two-film theory involving transfer across three zones: from bulk liquid to the liquid film, across the liquid film to the air film, and across the air film to the bulk air. The overall mass transfer rate is represented by the overall mass transfer coefficient, KLa, which is the product of the liquid mass transfer coefficient, KL, and the surface area to volume ratio, a. For design purposes, KLa should be experimentally determined but can also be calculated using correlations such as the Sherwood and Holloway equation or correlations developed by Onda. An example is provided to demonstrate calculating KLa using Onda's correlation.

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juandiegoCO
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Mass Transfer Coefficients: The transfer of a solute from water to air follows the two-film theory

covering transfer from (1) bulk-liquid to liquid-film, (2) liquid-film to air-film, and (3) air-film to bulkair. The rate at which a solute is transferred from water to air, for low solubility solutes, is
represented by an overall transfer rate constant, KLa which is the product of two variables; KL, the
liquid mass transfer coefficient, and a, the area-to-volume ratio of the packing. For design
purposes, KLa should be determined experimentally. However, for dilute solutions, KLa can be
determined from the Sherwood and Holloway equation. Mathematical correlations developed by
Onda also provide values of KLa that are valid over a range of solutes.

Where

aw = wetted packing area, m-1


at = total packing area, m-1
= surface tension of water, N/m
c = critical surface tension of packing material, N/m
Re = Reynolds number, dimensionless = L/(atL)
Fr = Froude number, dimensionless = L2at/(L2g)
We = Weber number, dimensionless = L2/(L2at)
L = liquid molar loading rate, kmol/(sm2)
L = density of water, kg/m3
G = density of air, kg/m3
g = gravity, m2/s
L = liquid viscosity, Pas

Using this value of aw and at, liquid phase mass transfer coefficient can be found as

Where

kL = liquid-phase mass-transfer coefficient, m/s


L = liquid mass diffusion loading rate, kg/(m2s)
L = density of liquid, kg/m3
DL = liquid-diffusion coefficient, m2/s

Where kG = gas-phase mass-transfer coefficient, m/s


G = gas mass diffusion loading rate, kg/(m2s)
G = density of gas, kg/m3
DG = gas-diffusion coefficient, m2/s
Example 7.3: Given the following characteristics of air stripping column to remove chloroform from
groundwater:
Flow rate = 170 gpm; column diameter, dc = 3 ft; temperature = 68 F;
Packing 2" polyethylene tri-paks:
at = 47.85 ft2/ft3, c (packing) = 0.0728 lb/s2
Water: Surface tension = 0.161 lb/s2; Diffusivity, DL = 6.458 10-9 ft2/s
Viscosity, L = 6.733 10-4 lb/(fts); Density, L = 62.318 lb/ft3

Gas: Diffusivity, DG = 1.012 10-4 ft2/s; Viscosity, G = 1.216 10-5 lb/(fts)


Henry's law constant, = 44.63 atmft3/lbmol
Ratio of air flow rate to water flow rate, QA/QW = 100:1
Universal gas law constant, R = 0.73 atmft3/(lbmolR)
Determine Reynolds number, Weber number, and Froude number for liquid, and the overall
coefficient KLa using Onda relationship:
Solution:
C
C
C
C
C
C
C

Cross-sectional area, Ac = dc2/4 = 7.069 ft2


Liquid mass loading rate, L = (17062.43)/(7.48607.069) = 3.345 lb/(ft2s)
Water flow rate, QW = 170/(7.4860) = 0.379 ft3/s
Air flow rate, QA = 100QW = 37.9 ft3/s
Gas mass loading rate, G = 37.90.075/7.069 = 0.409 lb/(ft2s)
Nominal packing diameter, dP = 2 in = 0.167 ft
We can find dimensionless numbers
Reynolds Number, Re = 103.82,
Froude Number, Fr = 4.29 10-3,
Weber number We = 0.0233.

Plugging the values of Re, Fr, and We numbers in Onda's relationship, we get

Dimensionless Henry's law constant can be found using Equation 7.15 given below

Overall transfer rate constant KLa can be found using Equation 7.16 given below

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