0000000000587642
AUTHOR
M F La Cerva
Mass transfer in ducts with transpiring walls
Abstract The problem of mass transfer in ducts with transpiring walls is analysed: the concepts of “solvent” and “solute” fluxes are introduced, all possible sign combinations for these fluxes are considered, and relevant examples from membrane processes such as electrodialysis, reverse osmosis and filtration are identified. Besides the dimensionless numbers commonly defined in studying flow and mass transfer problems, new dimensionless quantities appropriate to transpiration problems are introduced, and their limiting values, associated with “drying”, “desalting” and “saturation” conditions, are identified. A simple model predicting the Sherwood number Sh under all possible flux sign combi…
Coupling CFD with a one-dimensional model to predict the performance of reverse electrodialysis stacks
Abstract Different computer-based simulation models, able to predict the performance of Reverse ElectroDialysis (RED) systems, are currently used to investigate the potentials of alternative designs, to orient experimental activities and to design/optimize prototypes. The simulation approach described here combines a one-dimensional modelling of a RED stack with a fully three-dimensional finite volume modelling of the electrolyte channels, either planar or equipped with different spacers or profiled membranes. An advanced three-dimensional code was used to provide correlations for the friction coefficient (based on 3-D solutions of the continuity and Navier-Stokes equations) and the Sherwoo…
Influence of the boundary conditions on heat and mass transfer in spacer-filled channels
The purpose of this study is to discuss some problems which arise in heat or mass transfer in complex channels, with special reference to the spacer-filled channels adopted in membrane processes. Among the issues addressed are the consistent definition of local and mean heat or mass transfer coefficients; the influence of the wall boundary conditions; the influence of one-side versus two-side heat/mass transfer. Most of the results discussed were obtained by finite volume CFD simulations concerning heat transfer in Membrane Distillation or mass transfer in Electrodialysis and Reverse Electrodialysis, but many of the conclusions apply also to different processes involving geometrically compl…