Assam Engineering College

Chemical Engineering Department; MTO-I (CHE181502) 2021-ONLINE TJS

LECTURE – 6

MOMENTUM TRANSFER

Fig.6.1: Velocity profile, flow of air along a flat plate.

Fluids can be imagined as being made up of thin layers sliding over each other at increasing
velocities at increasing distances from the plate.
Force
 shearing stress
unit area parallel to the surface
 τ α velocity gradient (6.1)

du
τg c  μ (6.2)
dz

μ → viscosity
z → distance measured as increasing in the direction towards the surface.
τgc= Rate of momentum transfer per unit area
μ duρ  duρ 
τg c    ν (6.3)
ρ dz dz

ν = Kinematic viscosity, (μ/ρ) = length2/time

ν → same unit as diffusivity
Equation 6.3 is analogous to Fick’s law equation 2.3

In momentum transfer there is no bulk flow of fluid from one layer to the other. Momentum
is transferred directly through the molecules.

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Chemical Engineering Department; MTO-I (CHE181502) 2021-ONLINE TJS

Simple kinetic theory predicts that both mass and momentum diffusivities are given by the
same expression.
 μ  ωλ
D AA   A   (6.4)
 ρA  3
ω = Average molecular velocity
λ = mean free path of the molecule
Momentum diffusivit y
Schmidt Number (Sc) 
mass diffusivit y

 μ 
Sc    (6.5)
ρD
 AB 
So, according to simple kinetic theory of gas, Sc = 1

Sophisticated kinetic theory of gases gives the values of Sc to be from 0.67 to 0.83. This
range of values is also found experimentally at moderate pressure. For a gas Schmidt
number can be assumed independent of temperature over moderate ranges and
independent of pressure upto about 10 atm.

For binary gas mixture Sc may range upto 5 . For liquids Sc ranges from about 100 to 10000
for viscous fluids.

HEAT TRANSFER

When a temperature gradient exist between the fluid and the plate, the rate of heat
transfer in the laminar region is
dt
q  K (6.6)
dz
Where, K is the thermal conductivity of the fluid.

 K  d tC p ρ  d tC p ρ 
q     α (6.7)
 C ρ  dz dz
 p 
Cp = Specific heat at constant pressure

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Chemical Engineering Department; MTO-I (CHE181502) 2021-ONLINE TJS

tCpρ = Volumetric thermal concentration

α = (K/Cpρ) = Thermal Diffusivity = length2/time (same as diffusivity)

In a gas (at low pressure) heat energy is transferred from one position to another by the
molecules travelling from one layer to another at a lower temperature. Simple kinetic
theory leads to –
 K  1  
α   ωλ  C v  (6.8)
C ρ 3 C 
 p   p

ν Cpμ Cp
or,   (6.9)
α K Cv
Shear component of diffusivit y for momentum
Prandtl Number (Pr) 
DIffusivit y of heat
 μ 
ρ Cpμ ν
Pr     (6.10)
K  K α
 C ρ
 p 

Prandtl Number physically relates the relative thickness of the hydrodynamics layer and
thermal boundary layer. For gases at low pressure, Pr range from 0.65 to 0.9. For liquids, Pr
is large. e.g. Pr = 7.02 for water at 20 0C.
Thermal Diffusivit y
Lewis Number (Le) 
Mass Diffusivit y

α SC
 
D AB Pr
Lewis number is important in simultaneous heat and mass transfer.

KNUDSEN DIFFUSION, SURFACE DIFFUSION AND SELF DIFFUSION

Fig.6.2: (a) diffusion in continuum, (b) Knudsen diffusion, (c) surface diffusion

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Chemical Engineering Department; MTO-I (CHE181502) 2021-ONLINE TJS

Knudsen diffusion
The movement of molecule in a mixture is governed by –

 molecular velocity
 collision with other molecules

If gas diffusion takes place in very fine pores, particularly at low pressure, the “mean free
path” of the molecules may be larger than the diameter of the passage.
Then collision with the wall becomes much more frequent then collision with other
molecules. The rate of diffusion is now governed by –

o molecular velocity
o diameter of the passage
o gradient (concentration / partial pressure)

This is called Knudsen diffusion, and becomes important if the pore size is below 50nm.

A simple empirical equation for Knudsen diffusion based on kinetic theory of gases is

2
D K   rp v T (6.11)
3

rp = radius of the passage or capillary

vT = (8RT/πM)1/2 = average velocity of the molecules by virtue of their thermal energy.
Temperature in K;
M is the molecular weight

Equation 6.11 can be reduced to the form

1
 T  2 cm
2
D K  9700rp   , (6.12)
M s
rp is in cm.

The equation of flux due to Knudsen diffusion is similar to that of Fick’s law
dC A D dPA
J K  D K  K (6.13)
dz RT dz
Surface Diffusion

Surface diffusion is the transport of adsorbed molecules on a surface in the presence of a

concentration gradient.

Molecules adsorbed on a surface remain anchored to the active sites. If the fractional
surface coverage (i.e. ratio of the actual amount adsorbed to that required to form a
monolayer) is less than unity, some of the active sites remain vacant.

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Chemical Engineering Department; MTO-I (CHE181502) 2021-ONLINE TJS

An adsorbed molecule tends to migrate to an adjacent empty site if it has sufficient energy
to jump the energy barrier. The migration is visualized to occur by a ‘hopping’ or ‘leap –
frog’ mechanism.

The flux due to surface diffusion is given by a Fick’s law type equation
dCS
J S  D S (6.14)
dz
DS = Surface diffusion coefficient, m2/s
CS = Surface concentration of the adsorbed molecules, kmol/m2

The surface diffusion flux, JS is the number of moles transported across unit distance on the
surface normal to the direction of transport (mol/m-s). Range of DS (experimental): 1 0-4 to
10-5 cm2/s

Self diffusion

Self diffusion refers to the diffusion of the molecules in a pure substance, the corresponding
diffusion coefficient is called the ‘self-diffusion coefficient’ or ‘self diffusivity’

Experimental methods for the determination of the gas-phase diffusion coefficient.

Twin – bulb method

The apparatus consists of two reasonably large bulbs or chambers of volumes V 1 and V2
connected by a narrow tube fitted with a plug – type valve or stopcock.

Concentration in the two bulbs is kept uniform with suitable stirring arrangement. The
entire assembly should be maintained at a constant temperature.

Procedure

1. Initially the connecting valve is kept closed.

2. The two bulbs are evacuated.

3. One bulb is flushed with A and the other with B.

4. The bulbs are then filled with the gases at the same pressure, P.

5. The valve is then opened to allow diffusion undisturbed for some time and then the valve
is closed.

6. Samples of gases from the bulbs are analyzed.

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Chemical Engineering Department; MTO-I (CHE181502) 2021-ONLINE TJS

Fig.6.3: The twin – bulb apparatus

Total pressure in the bulbs remains constant and equal, equimolar counter – diffusion
through the connecting tube occurs. Since the bulbs are large, the concentrations or partial
pressure of the components in the bulbs will change rather slowly. As the concentration in
the bulbs change a little, a new steady state of diffusion is attained simultaneously.

Let,
a = cross-sectional area of the connecting tube
L = length of connecting tube
PA1 and PA2 = partial pressure in bulb at any time t, (PA1 > PA2 )

At steady state the transport of A from bulb 1 to bulb2 is given by

aD AB PA1  PA2 
aN A   aN B (6.15)
RTL

If CA1 and CA2 are the instantaneous concentrations of A in the bulbs, the rates of change of
these concentrations are given by the following equations:
dC A1 V1 dPA1
 V1  aN A    aN A (6.16)
dt RT dt
And,
dC A2 V2 dPA2
V2  aN A   aN A (6.17)
dt RT dt

With time CA1 decreases and CA2 increases. Combining equation 6.16 and 6.17

 

d
PA1  PA2   aRT 1  1  N A
dt  V1 V2 

PA1  PA2   aDAB PA1  PA2   1  1 

d  

dt L  V1 V2 

dPA1  PA2  aD AB  1 1 
    dt (6.18)
PA1  PA2  L  V1 V2 

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Chemical Engineering Department; MTO-I (CHE181502) 2021-ONLINE TJS

using the following conditions

t = 0, PA1 – PA2 = P – 0 = P, and
t = t/, PA1 – PA2 = P/A1 – P/A2 (say)

Integrating equation 6.18 we get

p aD AB  1 1  /
ln    t (6.19)
P  PA2
/
A1
/
L  V1 V2 

The quantities to be measured in this experiment are – initial pressure in the vessel and the
partial pressure of one of the components. DAB can be obtained from equation 6.19

Stefan Tube

This method is suitable if one of the components (A) is volatile and the other component (B)
is not soluble in A. The apparatus consists of a vertical glass tube sealed at the bottom and is
joined to a larger diameter horizontal tube in the form of a tee (T).

Fig.6.4: A schematic of Stefan tube

Procedure

1. Liquid A is taken in the narrow vertical tube.

2. Gas B is force through the horizontal tube.

3. Evaporated A diffuses through the mixture of A and B, reaches the top of the vertical tube
and is swept away by B.

4. Insoluble B will not diffuse: Diffusion of A through non – diffusing B.

5. The liquid level in the vertical tube will drop very slowly under pseudo – steady state
diffusion.

6. The drop in the liquid over a period of time is noted.

Let, at any time t, the liquid level be at a distance z from the top of the vertical tube,

PA1 is the partial pressure of A at the liquid surface and PA2 at the top.

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Chemical Engineering Department; MTO-I (CHE181502) 2021-ONLINE TJS

Let at any time t, the liquid level be at a distance z from the top of the vertical tube, PA1 be
the partial pressure of A at the liquid surface and PA2 at the top.

The diffusional flux of A through this distance z is given as follows.

D ABPp A1  p A2 
NA  (6.20)
RTzp BM

If the fall in the liquid level is dz in a small time dt, the number of moles of A diffuse out is
adz (ρA/MA).

By a material balance over time dt.

adzρ A aD ABPp A1  p A2 
 aN A dt  dt
MA RTp BM z

If at time t = 0, the liquid level is at z 0 from the top and at the end of the experiment at time
t/ , the liquid level is at z/. Integrating the above equation gives –

D AB 
 2
RTp BM ρ A z /  z 0
2
 (6.21)
2PM A p A1  p A2 t /

The partial pressure of A at the liquid surface pA1 is equal to its vapour pressure at the
prevailing temperature. At the top of the tube pA2 is virtually 0 as A is greatly diluted by
flowing B. All other quantities known DAB can be calculated.

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