Experimental correlation of combined heat and mass transfer for NH3–H2O falling film absorptionCorrélation expérimentale entre le transfert de chaleur et de masse pour de l'absorption au NH3–H2O à film tombant

In this article, experimental analysis was performed for ammonia–water falling film absorption process in a plate heat exchanger with enhanced surfaces such as offset strip fin. This article examined the effects of liquid and vapor flow characteristics, inlet subcooling of the liquid flow and inlet concentration difference on heat and mass transfer performance. The inlet liquid concentration was selected as 5%, 10% and 15% of ammonia by mass while the inlet vapor concentration was varied from 64.7% to 79.7%. It was found that before absorption started, there was a rectification process at the top of the test section by the inlet subcooling effect. Water desorption phenomenon was found near the bottom of the test section. It was found that the lower inlet liquid temperature and the higher inlet vapor temperature, the higher Nusselt and Sherwood numbers are obtained. Nusselt and Sherwood number correlations were developed as functions of falling film Reynolds Re₁, vapor Reynolds number Re_v, inlet subcooling and inlet concentration difference with ±15% and ±20% error bands, respectively.     

Development of a slug flow absorber working with ammonia-water mixture: part I—flow characterization and experimental investigation

This study deals with an experimental investigation for a counter-current slug flow absorber, working with ammonia–water mixture, for significantly low solution flow rate conditions that are required for operating as the GAX (generator absorber heat exchanger) cycle. It is confirmed that the slug flow absorber operates well at the low solution flow rate conditions. From visualization results of the flow pattern, frost flow just after the gas inlet, followed by slug flow with well-shaped Taylor bubble, is observed, while dry patch on the tube wall are not observed. The liquid film at the slug flow region has smooth gas–liquid interface structure without apparent wavy motion. The local heat transfer rate is measured by varying main parameters, namely, ammonia gas flow rate, solution flow rate, ammonia concentration of inlet solution and coolant inlet conditions. The heat transfer rate while absorption is taking place is higher than that after absorption has ended. The absorption length is greatly influenced by varying main parameters, due to flow conditions and thermal conditions.     

Visualization of bubble behavior and bubble diameter correlation for NH3–H2O bubble absorption

The objectives of this paper are to visualize the bubble behavior for an ammonia–water absorption process, and to study the effect of key parameters on ammonia–water bubble absorption performance. The orifice diameter, orifice number, liquid concentration and vapor velocity are considered as the key parameters. The departing bubbles tend to be spherical for surface tension dominant flow, and the bubbles tend to be hemispherical for inertial force dominant flow. A transition vapor Reynolds number is observed at a balance condition of internal absorption potential (by the concentration difference) and external absorption potential (by the vapor inlet mass flow rate). As the liquid concentration increases, the transition Reynolds number and the initial bubble diameter increase. The initial bubble diameter increases with an increase of the orifice diameter while it is not significantly affected by the number of orifices. Residence time of bubbles increases with an increase in the initial bubble diameter and the liquid concentration. This study presents a correlation of initial bubble diameter with ±20% error band. The correlation can be used to calculate the interfacial area in the design of ammonia-water bubble absorber.     

Simulation study of a hybrid absorber–heat exchanger using hollow fiber membrane module for the ammonia–water absorption cycle

An innovative hybrid hollow fiber membrane absorber and heat exchanger (HFMAE) made of both porous and nonporous fibers is proposed and studied via mathematical simulation. The porous fibers allow both heat and mass transfers between absorption solution phase and vapor phase, while the nonporous fibers allow heat transfer between absorption solution phase and cooling fluid phase only. The application of HFMAE on an ammonia–water absorption heat pump system as a solution-cooled absorber is analyzed and compared to a plate heat exchanger falling film type absorber (PHEFFA). The substantially higher amount of absorption obtained by the HFMAE is made possible by the vast mass transfer interfacial area per unit device volume provided. The most dominant factor affecting the absorption performance of the HFMAE is the absorption solution phase mass transfer coefficient. The application of HFMAE as the solution-cooled absorber and the water-cooled absorber in a typical ammonia–water absorption chiller allows the increase of COP by 14.8% and the reduction of the overall system exergy loss by 26.7%.     

Model for absorption of water vapor into aqueous LiBr flowing over a horizontal smooth tube

A model for absorption of water vapor into aqueous LiBr flowing over a horizontal smooth tube is developed. The flow is divided into three regimes: (1) falling film in contact with the tube, (2) drop formation at the bottom of the tube, and (3) drop fall between the tubes. Governing equations are formulated for each flow regime, and the variations of solution temperature, LiBr mass fraction, mass absorption rate and heat transfer rate are discussed including the effect of inlet subcooling. It is shown that the temperature variation across the film exhibits a nonlinear profile near the top of the tube and this effect leads to the necessity of a two-dimensional formulation in the falling film regime for accurate prediction. As has been observed previously, the mass fraction boundary layer at the vapor/liquid interface is found to be very thin and this explains the low absorption flux. The model predicts that significant absorption takes place in the drop formation regime with a considerable variation of temperature and mass fraction.     

Heat and mass transfer enhancement of binary nanofluids for H2O/LiBr falling film absorption process

The objectives of this study are to measure the vapor absorption rate and heat transfer rate for falling film flow of binary nanofluids, and to compare the enhancement of heat transfer and mass transfer under the same conditions of nanofluids. The key parameters are the base fluid concentration of LiBr, the concentration of nanoparticles in weight %, and nanoparticle constituents. The binary nanofluids are H₂O/LiBr solution with nanoparticles of Fe and Carbon nanotubes (CNT) with the concentrations of 0.0, 0.01 and 0.1 wt %. The vapor absorption rate increases with increasing the solution mass flow rate and the concentration of Fe and CNT nanoparticles. It is found that the mass transfer enhancement is much more significant than the heat transfer enhancement in the binary nanofluids with Fe and CNT. It is also found that the mass transfer enhancement from the CNT nanoparticles becomes higher than that from the Fe nanoparticles. Therefore, the CNT is a better candidate than Fe nanoparticles for absorption performance enhancement in H₂O/LiBr absorption system.     

A phenomenological theory of polycomponent interactions in non-ideal mixtures. Application to NH3/H2O and other working pairsInteractions entre les composants de mélanges non-idéaux : théorie et application au fluide actif NH3 / H2O et à d'autres fluides actifs

The paper proposes an original linear phenomenological theory (Ph T) of evolution physical mono-, bi- and particular polycomponent gas–liquid interactions with non-ideal mixture. The expressions of the phenomenological factors (entropy source, force, coefficient and coupled heat and mass transfer currents) are deduced. The theory is particularized to the NH₃/H₂O and other gas–liquid systems used in the thermal absorption technology. The work's conclusions are listed next. The paper raises the problem of ammonia bubble absorption which is difficult to answer with current theory of interface mass transfer and absorption as a surface phenomenon. The heat and mass transfer at the gas–liquid interface is governed by the thermodynamic force, which applies also to solid–liquid, solid–gas, or liquid–liquid, gas–gas type interactions and continuous or discontinuous media. The paper mentions a postulate referring to the force behavior approaching an ideal point, previously formulated by the author. According to its consequence, the mass and heat currents suffer an ideal point approaching (i.p.a.) effect, not mentioned so far in the specialized literature, consisting in a continuous increase of their absolute value by several percent (for a pure component), to several hundred times (for a binary system) when the interacting system approaches an ideal state, as compared to the values of states which are far from the same ideal point. In this way, “far from equilibrium” becomes synonymous to “low interaction”. The classic assessment of the interface mass transfer by analogy with heat transfer lacks basic physics. The (Ph T) satisfactorily explains the problem of ammonia bubble absorption. Absorption is a mass phenomenon, not a surface one. An intensive way of improving absorption is emphasized, which seeks to promote the i.p.a. effect appearance rather than the extensive way currently used, based on increasing gas–liquid interaction area. To this extent, the bubble absorber is hereby proposed for efficient absorption. The i.p.a. effect existence offers an additional chance for a satisfactory explanation of the Marangoni effect.     

Development of a slug flow absorber working with ammonia–water mixture: part II—data reduction model for local heat and mass transfer characterization

This study deals with a data reduction model for clarifying experimental results of a counter-current slug flow absorber, working with ammonia–water mixture, for significantly low solution flow rate conditions. The data reduction model to obtain the local heat and mass transfer coefficient on the liquid side is proposed by using the drift flux model to analyze the flow characteristics. The control volume method and heat and mass transfer analogy are employed to solve the combined heat and mass transfer problem. As a result, it is found that the local heat and mass transfer coefficient on the liquid side of the absorber is greatly influenced by the flow pattern. The heat and mass transfer coefficient at the frost flow region is higher than that at the slug flow region due to flow disturbance and random fluctuation. The solution flow rate and gas flow rate have influence on the local heat and mass transfer coefficient at the frost flow region. However, it is insignificant at the slug flow region.     

A study on numerical simulations and experiments for mass transfer in bubble mode absorber of ammonia and water

An absorber is a major component in the absorption refrigeration systems, and its performance greatly affects the overall system performance. In this study, both the numerical and experimental analyses in the absorption process of a bubble mode absorber were performed. Gas was injected into the bottom of the absorber at a constant solution flow rate. The region of gas absorption was estimated by both numerical and experimental analyses. A higher gas flow rate increases the region of gas absorption. As the temperature and concentration of the input solution decrease, the region of gas absorption decreases. In addition, the absorption performance of the countercurrent flow was superior to that of cocurrent. Mathematical modeling equations were derived from the material balance for the gas and liquid phases based on neglecting the heat and mass transfer of water from liquid to gas phase. A comparison of the model simulation and experimental results shows similar values. This means that this numerical model can be applied for design of a bubble mode absorber.     

Vapor absorption by LiBr aqueous solution in vertical smooth tubes

Heat and mass transfer in a falling film vertical in-tube absorber was studied experimentally with LiBr aqueous solution. The presented results include the effect of solution flow rate, solution subcooling and cooling water temperature on the absorption in a smooth copper tube 16.05 mm I.D. and 400 mm long. The experimental data in the previous report for a 1200-mm-long tube was also re-examined and compared. It was demonstrated by the observation of the flow in the tube that the break down of the liquid film into rivulets leads to deterioration of heat and mass transfer at lower film Reynolds number or in longer tubes. An attempt to evaluate physically acceptable heat and mass transfer coefficients that are defined with estimated temperature and concentration at the vapor–liquid interface was also presented.     

Gravity-driven flow of liquid films and droplets in horizontal tube banks

Liquid films falling over banks of internally cooled horizontal tubes are often used to absorb mass from a surrounding vapor. This arrangement is particularly suitable for absorption processes where the vapor has a high heat of absorption and where high transfer rates and low pressure drops are required, as is the case of absorption heat pumps and other chemical processes. When the liquid film presents a significant resistance to heat and mass transfer, understanding the motion of the film is critical. However, mathematical models of these types of systems in the literature have generally made use of many simplifying assumptions about the behavior of the falling liquid. The formation, detachment, and impact of droplets and the associated waves and film disturbances can all affect the mixing of the liquid and can enhance transfer rates accordingly. The objective of this paper is to identify and visually document these deviations from idealized film behavior and discuss their implications on the heat and mass transfer processes, which are important to consider in the development of mechanistic models of the absorption process.     

Coupled heat and mass transfer during nonisothermal absorption by falling droplet with internal circulation

We considered mass and heat transfer during nonisothermal absorption of a gas by a falling droplet with internal circulation. Gas phase is assumed to be free of inert admixtures and mass transfer is liquid phase controlled. Mass flux is directed from a gaseous phase to a droplet, and the interfacial shear stress causes a fluid flow inside the droplet. Droplet deformation under the influence of interface shear stress is neglected. Absorbate accumulation and temperature increase in the bulk of liquid phase are taken into account. The problem is solved in the approximations of a thin concentration and temperature boundary layers in the liquid phase. The thermodynamic parameters of the system are assumed constant. The system of transient partial parabolic differential equations of convective diffusion and energy balance with time-dependent boundary conditions is solved by combining the similarity transformation method with Duhamel's theorem, and the solution is obtained in a form of Volterra integral equation of the second kind which is solved numerically. Theoretical results are compared with available experimental data for water vapor absorption by falling droplets of aqueous solution of LiBr.     

Numerical design of ammonia bubble absorber applying binary nanofluids and surfactants

The objectives of this paper are to analyze the combined heat and mass transfer characteristics for the ammonia bubble absorption process and to study the effects of binary nanofluids and surfactants on the absorber size. The ammonia bubble absorbers applying binary nanofluids and surfactants are designed and parametric analyses are performed. In order to express the effects of binary nanofluids and/or surfactants on the absorption performance, the effective absorption ratios for each case are applied in the numerical model. The values of the effective absorption ratio are decided from the previous experimental correlations. The kinds and the concentrations of nano-particles and surfactants are considered as the key parameters. The considered surfactants are 2-ethyl-1-hexanol (2E1H), n-octanol, and 2-octanol and nano-particles are copper (Cu), copper oxide (CuO), and alumina (Al₂O₃). The results show that the application of binary nanofluids and surfactants can reduce the size of absorber significantly. In order to reach 16.5% ammonia solution under the considered conditions, for example, the addition of surfactants (2E1H, 700 ppm) can reduce the size of absorber up to 63.0%, while the application of binary nanofluids (Cu, 1000 ppm) can reduce it up to 54.4%. In addition, it is found that the effect of mass transfer resistance is more dominant than that of heat transfer resistance. That is, the enhancement of mass transfer performance is more effective than that of heat transfer performance.     

The role of surfactant adsorption rate in heat and mass transfer enhancement in absorption heat pumps

The importance of heat and mass transfer additives in absorption chillers and heat pumps has been recognized for over three decades. However, a universally accepted model for the mechanisms responsible for enhanced absorption rates has yet to be proposed. The Marangoni effect—an instability arising from gradients in surface tension at the liquid-vapor interface—is generally accepted as the cause of the convective flows that enhance transfer rates. Certain surfactant additives can significantly improve absorption rates and thus reduce the overall transfer area required by a given machine. Any means available that can increase the efficiency and acceptability of absorption machines is to be welcomed, as this technology provides an alternative to vapor compression systems which is both environmentally friendly and more versatile with regards to energy sources. This study investigates the rate at which a surfactant additive adsorbs at a liquid-vapor interface. The residence time of the falling liquid solution in an absorber is quite short. An effective additive must not only reduce the surface tension of the solution; it must do so quickly enough to cause the Marangoni instability within the short absorption process time. The entrance region of an absorber features a freshly exposed interface at which no surfactant has adsorbed. A numerical model is used to analyze surfactant relaxation rates in a static film of additive-laced solution. Kinetic parameters for the combination of the working pair LiBr-H₂O and the additive 2-ethyl-1-hexanol are derived from data in the literature for static and dynamic surface tension measurements. Bulk, interfacial and boundary parameters influencing relaxation rates are discussed for surfactant adsorption occurring in the absence of absorption, as well as for concurrent adsorption and stable vapor absorption. Initial solution conditions and absorption driving force are shown to impact the potential for instability in the effect they have on the rate of interfacial additive adsorption.     

Interfacial mass transfer and mass transfer coefficient in aqua ammonia packed bed absorberTransfert de masse à l'interface et coéfficient de transfert de masse dans un absorbeur à matelas dispersant eau–ammoniac

A mathematical model was given to predict the mass transfer between flow of a mixture of ammonia vapor and water vapor and a flow of aqua ammonia solution at any interface within a packed bed absorber (PBA). The model used the molal mass and heat transfer coefficients in both the liquid and gas phases, the interface molal solution concentration, interface molal vapor mixture concentration, interface temperature, and the heat transfer coefficients in the liquid and gas phases in both sides of the interface. The heat transfer coefficient was corrected to account for the mass transfer. The model was also used to derive a convenient mass transfer coefficient which was based on the bulk mass concentration, not on the molal concentration, and not directly dependent on the concentration at the interface. To complete the model, mathematical correlations were derived for several thermodynamic and physical properties of aqua ammonia solution and vapor mixture. A computer program was developed to demonstrate the use of the model to predict the rate of absorption of ammonia vapor at an interface within the packed bed at various operating conditions.     

Modeling absorption of pure refrigerants and refrigerant mixtures in lubricant oil

This paper addresses the problem of absorption of refrigerant vapor in a stagnant layer of lubricant oil. The bulk motion of the solute is described in terms of apparent diffusion coefficients that encompass both molecular diffusion and possible macroscopic motion induced by liquid density instability and surface tension. In absorption of refrigerant mixtures, diffusion in the vapor and liquid phases are coupled with a thermodynamic model for interfacial equilibrium. Results are compared with experimental data available in the literature for absorption of several refrigerants in polyol ester oil (POE68). The adequacy of the formulation is assessed in the light of its basic assumptions and performance of the model.     

The effect of micro-scale surface treatment on heat and mass transfer performance for a falling film H2O/LiBr absorber

The objectives of this paper are to develop a new method of wettability measurement, to study the effect of micro-scale surface treatment on the wettability across horizontal tubes and to apply it for numerical analysis of heat and mass transfer in a H₂O/LiBr falling film absorber. Three types of tubes with roughness are tested in a test rig. Inlet solution temperature (30–50 °C), concentration (55–62 wt.% of LiBr) and mass flow rate (0.74–2.71 kg/min) are considered as key parameters. Reynolds number ranged from 30 to 120 by controlling the inlet mass flow rate. The wettability on the roughened tubes was higher than that for the smooth tubes. The wettability decreased linearly along the vertical location but was proportional to the solution temperature and mass flow rate. The experimental correlations of the wettability for the smooth and the roughened tubes were developed with error bands of ±20 and ±10%, respectively. These are used for the heat and mass transfer analysis of absorbers with micro-scale hatched tubes.     

Performance of compression/absorption hybrid refrigeration cycle with propane/mineral oil combination

This paper discusses the feasibility of a vapor compression/absorption hybrid refrigeration cycle for energy saving and utilization of waste heat. The cycle employs propane as a natural refrigerant and a refrigeration oil as an absorbent. A prototype of the cycle is constructed, in which a compressor and an absorption unit are combined in series. The performance of the cycle is examined both theoretically and experimentally. Although the solubility of the propane with the oil is not enough as a working pair in the absorption unit, the theoretical calculation shows that the hybrid cycle has a potential to achieve a higher performance in comparison with a simple vapor compression cycle by using the waste heat. In the experiment, the prototype cycle is operated successfully and it is found that an improvement of an absorber is necessary to achieve the good performance close to the theoretical one. The application of an AHE (absorber heat exchanger) can reduce the heat input to a generator. Further examinations on some other combinations of refrigerant/refrigeration oil and additives are desirable.     

The effect of heat transfer additive and surface roughness of micro-scale hatched tubes on absorption performance

The objectives of this paper are to investigate the effect of heat transfer additive and surface roughness of micro-scale hatched tubes on the absorption performance and to provide a guideline for the absorber design. Two different micro-scale hatched tubes and a bare tube are tested to quantify the effect of the surface roughness on the absorption performance. The roughness of the micro-scale hatched tubes ranges 0.39–6.97 μm. The working fluid is H₂O/LiBr solution with inlet concentration of 55, 58 and 61 wt.% of LiBr. Normal Octanol is used as the heat transfer additive with the concentration of 400 ppm. The absorber heat exchanger consists of 24 horizontal tubes in a column, liquid distributor at the liquid inlet and the liquid reservoir at the bottom of the absorber. The effect of heat transfer additive on the heat transfer rate is found to be more significant in the bare tube than that in the micro-scale hatched tubes. It is found that the absorption performance for the micro-hatched tube with heat transfer additive becomes up to 4.5 times higher than that for the bare tube without heat transfer additive. It is concluded that the heat transfer enhancement by the heat transfer additive is more significant than that by the micro-scale surface treatment.     

Prediction of evaporation heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop of refrigerant mixtures in horizontal tubes

A study on the prediction of heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop of refrigerant mixtures is reported. Heat transfer coefficients and pressure drops of prospective mixtures to replace R12 and R22 are predicted on the same cooling capacity basis assuming evaporation in horizontal tubes. Results indicate that nucleate boiling is suppressed at qualities greater than 20% for all mixtures, and evaporation becomes the main heat transfer mechanism. For the same capacity, some mixtures containing R32 and R152a show 8–10% increase in heat transfer coefficients. Some mixtures with large volatility difference exhibit as much as 55% reduction compared to R12 and R22, caused by mass transfer resistance and property degradation due to mixing (32%) and reduced mass flow rates (23%). Other mixtures with moderate volatility difference exhibit 20–30% degradation due mainly to reduced mass flow rates. The overall impact of heat transfer degradation, however, is insignificant if major heat transfer resistance exists in the heat transfer fluid side (air system). If the resistance in the heat transfer fluid side is of the same order of magnitude as that on the refrigerant side (water system), considerable reduction in overall heat transfer coefficient of up to 20% is expected. A study of the effect of uncertainties in transport properties on heat transfer shows that transport properties of liquid affect heat transfer more than other properties. Uncertainty of 10% in transport properties causes a change of less than 6% in heat transfer prediction.