Evaporation of volatile liquids from an open-topped,partially filled container to an air stream

Experiments were performed to measure the evaporative mass transfer from a partially filled, slot-like container recessed in the floor of a flat rectangular duct through which turbulent air flow was passed. Toluene and cumene were used as the evaporating liquids, and systematic variations were made of the Reynolds number and of the distance between the top of the container and the surface of the evaporating liquid. The measured Sherwood numbers displayed unconventional dependences on both the Reynolds and Schmidt numbers as well as a complex dependence on the top-to-surface distance.