The Iraqi Journal For Mechanical And Material Engineering, Special Issue (B)

A STUDY OF MASS TRANSFER INTO A LIQUID FALLING FILM

IN SPIRAL TUBES USING CO2 – WATER SYSTEM
Zaid A. Abdel-Rahmana(*), Basim O.Hasanb, and Amaal K. Abdullahb,
a- Chemical Eng. Dept.- Tikrit University –Iraq
b- Chemical Eng. Dept.- Nahrain University-Iraq
*Corresponding author: zaid572000@yahoo.co.uk

ABSTRACT
Experimental investigation of mass transfer characteristics of CO2 – water system falling
film in spiral tubes was carried out. Experiments were performed on the average mass transfer
liquid film coefficient (KL) expressed by Sherwood number (Sh) for water flow rate (QL) of 10 to
80 liter/h, water temperature of 5, 10, 15and 20 ºC, pure CO2 gas pressure P = 2, 3, 4 and 5 bar, tube
diameter (d) of 10 and 20 mm, and the angle of inclination (ș ) 8.5, 16.7 and 24.2 deg at constant
coil diameter (D) of 100 mm, and constant tube length (L) of 3 m .
Empirical correlation to predict the liquid film mass transfer coefficient (KL), represented by
Sherwood number, was derived by using dimensional analysis for all experiments (384
experiments) to obtain the following form: Sh = 4.314 * 10 -6 ReF 1.52 Sc 0.623 Sin ș -0.606 P -0.892
with correlation coefficient (R2 ) 0.9862, and the experimental data are within ± 10̃ of the
calculated values.

KEYWORDS: coils, falling film, liquid film, mass transfer coefficient, CO2–water .

‫ﺍﻟﺨﻼﺼﺔ‬
‫ ﻭﻗﺩ ﺍﺠﺭﯿﺕ ﺍﻟﺘﺠﺎﺭﺏ‬.‫ﺘﻬﺩﻑ ﺍﻟﺩﺭﺍﺴﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﺘﻌﺭﻑ ﺘﺠﺭﯿﺒﯿﺎ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻁﺒﯿﻌﺔ ﺍﻨﺘﻘﺎل ﺍﻟﻤﺎﺩﺓ ﻟﻠﻐﺸﺎﺀ ﺍﻟﺴﺎﻗﻁ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻷﻨﺎﺒﯿﺏ ﺍﻟﻠﻭﻟﺒﯿﺔ‬
‫( ﻭﻟﻤﺘﻐﯿﺭﺍﺕ‬KL) ‫ﺒﺄﺴﺘﻌﻤﺎل ﻨﻅﺎﻡ ﻏﺎﺯ ﺜﺎﻨﻲ ﺃﻭﻛﺴﯿﺩ ﺍﻟﻛﺎﺭﺒﻭﻥ ﻤﻊ ﺍﻟﻤﺎﺀ ﻭﺤﺴﺎﺏ ﻤﻌﺎﻤل ﺍﻨﺘﻘﺎل ﺍﻟﻤﺎﺩﺓ ﻓﻲ ﻏﺸﺎﺀ ﺍﻟﻤﺎﺀ ﺍﻟﺴﺎﻗﻁ‬
‫(؛ ﻤﻌﺩل ﺘﺩﻓﻕ ﺍﻟﻤﺎﺀ‬d=10 and 20 mm) ‫ﻤﺘﻌﺩﺩﺓ ؛ ﻗﻁﺭ ﺍﻷﻨﺒﻭﺏ‬
‫( ؛ ﻀﻐﻁ ﻏﺎﺯ ﺜﺎﻨﻲ ﺃﻭﻛﺴﯿﺩ ﺍﻟﻛﺎﺭﺒﻭﻥ ﺍﻟﻨﻘﻲ‬T = 5,10,15 and 20 °C) ‫( ؛ ﺩﺭﺠﺔ ﺍﻟﺤﺭﺍﺭﺓ‬QL=10–80 Liter/h)
‫( ﻭﺜﺒﻭﺕ‬D=100 mm) ‫( ﻭﺜﺒﻭﺕ ﻗﻁﺭ ﺍﻷﻨﺒﻭﺏ ﺍﻟﻠﻭﻟﺒﻲ‬ș = 8.5,16.7, 24.2o)‫(؛ ﻭﺯﺍﻭﯿﺔ ﺍﻷﻨﺤﺩﺍﺭ‬P=2,3,4 and 5 bar)
‫( ﺍﻟﻤﺘﻤﺜل ﺒﻌﺩﺩ ﺸﯿﺭﻭﺩ ﻭﺒﺎﻟﺘﺤﻠﯿل‬KL) ‫ ﻭﻗﺩ ﺘﻡ ﺃﺴﺘﻨﺘﺎﺝ ﻤﻌﺎﺩﻟﺔ ﺘﺠﺭﯿﺒﯿﺔ ﻟﺭﺒﻁ ﻤﻌﺎﻤل ﺃﻨﺘﻘﺎل ﺍﻟﻤﺎﺩﺓ‬.(L=3 m) ‫ﻁﻭل ﺍﻷﻨﺒﻭﺏ‬
:‫ ﺘﺠﺭﺒﺔ ( ﻭﻛﺎﻟﺘﺎﻟﻲ‬٣٨٤) ‫ﺍﻟﻼﺒﻌﺩﯿﺔ ﻟﻤﺠﻤﻭﻉ ﺍﻟﺘﺠﺎﺭﺏ‬
Sh = 4.314 * 10 -6
ReF 1.52
Sc Sin ș -0.606 P -0.892
0.623

.±10 % ‫( ﻭﺒﻨﺴﺒﺔ ﺨﻁﺎ ﺒﺤﺩﻭﺩ‬R2 = 0.9862) ‫ﻭﺒﻘﯿﻤﺔ ﻤﻌﺎﻤل ﺍﻻﺭﺘﺒﺎﻁ‬

62
Zaid A. Abdel-Rahman
     

The Iraqi Journal For Mechanical And Material Engineering, Special Issue (B)

INTRODUCTION
Helical or spiral tubes are used in a variety of applications including food processing,
nuclear reactors, compact heat exchangers, gas - liquid contactors, interfacial heat and mass transfer
processes in gas absorbers, evaporators, condensers, cooling towers, chemical reactors and medical
equipment. The coils have many features such as; compactness, higher rates of momentum, heat and
mass transfer, wide range of contact time, less wetting condition, lower pumping and cost due to
compactness in comparison to vertical tubes, Jawad(1987), Muhammed(1988), and Rennie(2004).
Falling film refers to thin liquid layer flowing under the influence of gravity over inclined or
vertical surface. The kind of flow is greatly complicated due to the disturbing of its free surface by
various forces, such as gravity and surface tension. They are responsible for the waviness of the free
surface. In spiral tubes, additional centrifugal force influences film thickness, surface profile,
velocity profile, and wave types. When fluid flows through a curved pipe, the presence of curvature
generates the centrifugal force that acts at a right to the main flow and results in secondary flow.
The strength of the secondary flow depends on the curvature of the surface and the flow through
curved pipe is much more complex in nature than that of straight pipe, Jawad(1987), and Mondal
and Das (2003). Mass transfer effectiveness in gas-liquid contactors is most often expressed by
means of liquid film mass transfer coefficient (KL). Considerable experimental data is available in
literature on liquid phase controlled mass transfer in case of liquid film falling a long vertical or
inclined surface. In such cases the liquid shear is usually absent. However, experimental studies to
determine mass transfer coefficient for sheared liquid films, in the case of coils, appears to be
scarcely, Hameed and Muhammed (2003).
Derived equation for the liquid film thickness in laminar flow is given by, Bird et al.(2002):

3.*.P 1/3
į=( ) (1)
U . sin T 2 

Abdel-Rahman and Abdullah (2007) studied the flow characteristic of water falling film in
spiral tubes. The film thickness ( į ) is given by the following equation:-

į = 0.0048 ReF 0.7064 sin -1/3 ș (2)

Muhommed (1988) obtained the following equation for spiral tubes:



0.34
NuF = 6.5 ReF (  ) 0.57 (3)

Hameed and Muhammed ( 2003 ) found that the Sherwood number is a function of DeF , Sc
and GaF of the liquid film in spiral tube, as given in the following equation:-

Sh = 1.4 *10-3 ( DeF )0.13 ( Sc ) 0.73 ( GaF )0.5 laminar (4)

Sh = 1.*10-3 ( DeF )0.5 ( Sc ) 0.54 ( GaF ) 0.45 turbulent (5)

The mean mass transfer coefficient can be calculated from equation for wetted wall column,
Park et al.(2004):

§ *
 ·
 


ln¨¨ ¸¸



KL = (6)
S (  2G ) ©
*
 ¹


 


63
 A Study Of Mass Transfer Into A Liquid Falling Film In Spiral Tubes Zaid A. Abdel-Rahmandr
Using Co2 – Water System Basim O.Hasan
Amaal K. Abdullah

Despite various applications of coils or spiral tubes, literature on the liquid falling film is
rather scanty. There are little publications in literature concerning the effect of temperature,
pressure, and angle of inclination of the coil turns on the mass transport in spiral tubes.
The aim of this study is to measure the mass transfer rate of CO2 from gas stream into liquid
film in system of falling film down helically coiled tubes expressed by liquid film mass transfer
coefficient (KL) and to study the effect of temperature, pressure and the angle of inclination of wide
range.

EXPERIMENTAL WORK
The schematic diagram of the experimental arrangement is shown in Fig.1. The CO2 gas
supplied to the system from a cylinder through a regulator control valve to give a constant pressure
condition. High pressure calibrated dosing pump is regulated to give a set of flow rates, 10, 20, 30,
and 40 liter/hr for tube diameter, d=10 mm, and the flow rates, 20, 40, 60, and 80 liter/hr for tube
diameter, d= 20 mm. The helical coil was formed by wrapping a flexible transparent plastic tube
around a hard PVC pipe (D = 100 mm) in accordance with the required curvatures or angle of
inclination.

Fig.1 Schematic diagram of the experimental arrangement

Experiments were conducted to measure CO2 concentration in the outlet of the coil at
different water flow rates (QL), different temperatures (T= 5, 10, 15, and 20 oC ) , different CO2
system pressures (P=2, 3, 4, and 5 bar), and the angle of inclination (ș=8.5, 16.7, and 24.2 deg.) and
tube diameter (d =10 and 20 mm ), with constant tube length (L) of 3 meters and constant coil
diameter (D) of 100 mm. Table 1 shows the variation of water viscosity (µ), CO2 diffusivity in
water (DL), and Henry constant (H) with temperature, Bird et al.(2002), and Chopey (2004).
Samples from outlet liquid are analyzed for CO2 concentration using a standard back titration for
NaOH, using HCl and phenolphthalein indicator. A 25 milliliters of liquid sample was taken. The
solution is then quenched by 30 milliliters of NaOH solution ( 0.1 N), then the solution is titrated

64
Zaid A. Abdel-Rahman
     

The Iraqi Journal For Mechanical And Material Engineering, Special Issue (B)

with HCl solution ( 0.1 N ). Three liquid samples were analyzed, and the average concentration was
then calculated. CO2 concentration in water was calculated using the following formula:

CCO2 = [ N2 V2 – N3 V3 ] / 2 V1 (7)

For dilute concentrations of CO2 gas in water and pure gas phase, the equilibrium relationship is
given by Henry 's law , as follows, Coulson, and Richardson (2002):

P = P CO2 = H XCO2 (8)

Table 1 Properties variation with temperature, Bird et al.(2002), and Chopey (2004).

Temperature ºC µ (mN.s/ m2 ) DL (m2 /s) x109 H (atm/mol.fraction)

5 1.57 0.906 876
10 1.31 1.105 1040
15 1.14 1.293 1220
20 1.0 1.5 1420

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Several experiments (total of 384 experiments) were performed to determine the mass
transfer coefficient of CO2 – water absorption in spiral tubes. The results were expressed by the
liquid film mass transfer coefficient (KL) and Sherwood number (Sh) in terms of Schmidt number
(Sc) and film Reynolds number (ReF ), and the Sine of angle of inclination (Sin ș). The ranges are;
ReF =225–1400, ș = 8.5 – 24.2o and Sc=667–1733.

Effect of film Reynolds number (ReF)

All the results of the liquid film mass transfer coefficient (KL) are expressed by Sherwood
number (Sh) and ploted versus the film Reynolds number (ReF). Figs. 2 to 4 show that the mass
transfer coefficient increases with increasing film Reynolds number for various values of
temperature, pressure, and angle of inclination. This trend is in agreements previous findings,
Jawad(1987), and Hameed and Muhammed ( 2003 ). The increase in Sh with Re indicates that
increasing Re leads to increase the mass transport by convection (or eddy diffusion) over that by
molecular diffusion because Sh is the ratio between the mass transfer velocity to diffusion velocity,
Brodkey and Hershey(1989).

Effect of the angle of inclination (ș)

Fig. 2 shows the effect of the angle of inclination on the Sherwood number (Sh). The figure
shows that the Sherwood number decreases with increasing the angle of inclination (ș) from 8.5º to
16.7º , whereas, at higher angle ș=24.2º, the mass transfer coefficient increases or tend to be
unchanged. Hameed and Muhammed (2003) found there was no real effect of the angle of
inclination on (KL) for their range studied (3–5º).

Effect of CO2 pressure (P)

Fig. 3 shows the effect of system pressure on Sherwood number (Sh). The figure shows that
Sherwood number decreases with increasing the CO2 gas pressure at constant other variables, i.e KL
inversely proportional to the pressure. Increasing the system pressure (P) does not affect the liquid
physical properties, it affects only the value of the equilibrium concentration at the interface
between the gas–liquid phases. The decrease of Sh with P may be due to the fact that increasing P

65
 A Study Of Mass Transfer Into A Liquid Falling Film In Spiral Tubes Zaid A. Abdel-Rahmandr
Using Co2 – Water System Basim O.Hasan
Amaal K. Abdullah

leads to increase the flow velocity of gas (CO2) which leads to reduce the contact time between the
gas and liquid streams causing low mass transfer rate and hence low KL or Sh.

Effect of Temperature (T)

Fig. 4 shows the effect of system temperature on Sherwood number (Sh). The figure shows
that the mass transfer coefficient is independent of temperature in most cases. Fig. 4 shows that
Sherwood increases when temperature decreases. This may be explained by the fact that the
temperature affects the physical properties and the equilibrium condition of the system and
consequently affect the concentration driving force which balances the effects on the liquid film
mass transfer coefficient (KL). Increasing temperature leads to increase the molecular diffusivity of
CO2, decreases the kinetic viscosity and kinematic viscosity of liquid so it leads to decrease the Sc
because it is the ratio between kinematic viscosity and molecular diffusivity (Ȟ/D). Hence Sh will
decrease because the dependence of Sh on Sc is positive as has been proved by many previous
studies, Colburn(1964), Harriott and Hamilton(1965), Mizushina and Ogino(1970), and Brodkey
and Hershey(1989).

Fig. 2 The variation of Sherwood number verses Reynolds number at different angles of
inclination (d=10 mm, P =3 bar , T =15 C).

66
Zaid A. Abdel-Rahman
     

The Iraqi Journal For Mechanical And Material Engineering, Special Issue (B)

Fig. 3 The variation of Sherwood number verses Reynolds number at different pressures
(d=10mm, T=20 oC, ș=8.5).

Fig.4 The variation of Sherwood number verses Reynolds number at different temperatures
(d=10 mm, P =5 bar, ș=8.5).

Correlation Of The Experimental Data

The experimental results are analyzed to obtain empirical correlation, to predict the film
Sherwood number (Sh) using dimensional analysis:

Sh = 4.314 * 10-6 ReF 1.52 Sc 0.623 Sin ș -0.606

P -0.8918 (9)
67
 A Study Of Mass Transfer Into A Liquid Falling Film In Spiral Tubes Zaid A. Abdel-Rahmandr
Using Co2 – Water System Basim O.Hasan
Amaal K. Abdullah

LINEST function of Microsoft Excel program was used for the 384 experimental data points ,
giving the correlation coefficient R2 = 0.9862. The experimental data are within ± 10 % of the
calculated values. The validity of using Eq. (9) to predict the liquid film mass transfer coefficient or
Sherwood number is shown in Fig.5. Eq. (9) reveals that the dependence of Sh on ReF and Sc is
positive which is in agreement with previous findings, Colburn(1964), Harriott and
Hamilton(1965), Mizushina and Ogino(1970), and Brodkey and Hershey(1989). Also it reveals that
the dependence of Sh on P and ș is negative because these two parameters lead to decrease Sh.
Over the years of scientific researches of the dependence of Sh on Re and Sc it was found that this
dependence is function of geometry and fluids nature.

Fig.5 Comparison of experimental data with calculated values from eq.(9).

CONCLUSIONS
The following conclusions have been drawn from the present work:
1. The film Sh increases with increasing film Reynolds number (ReF) with dependence of 1.52.
2. The film Sh decreases with increasing the angle of inclination with dependence of -0.606 on
sinș.
3. The film Sh decreases with increasing the pressure with dependence of -0.89.
4. The Sh decrease with increasing temperature due to the decrease in Sc. The dependence of Sh on
Sc is 0.67.
5. The empirical correlation describing the present system is:
Sh = 4.314x10 -6 ReF 1.52 Sc 0.623 Sin ș -0.606 P -0.892
with R2 = 0.9862, and the experimental data are within ± 10 % of the calculated values.

68
Zaid A. Abdel-Rahman
     

The Iraqi Journal For Mechanical And Material Engineering, Special Issue (B)

REFERENCES

Abdel–Rahman, Z .A., and Abdullah, G.H ., A study In Flow Characteristics Of Liquid Falling
Film In Spiral Tubes .Tikrit J. of Engineering Science, 14 (2) 86–101 (2007).

Bird , R . B., Stewart , W . E ., and Lightfoot , E . N., Transport Phenomena, 2nd ed ., Wiley (2002).
Brodkey R. S. and H. C. Hershey, Transport Phenomena, 2nd Printing, Mc Graw Hill (1989).

Chopey , N .P., Handbook Of Chemical Engineering Calculaions, 3th ed , McGraw – Hill (2004).
Colburn A. P , Trans. AICHE, Vol. 29, P. 174, 1933. Republished in: J. Heat Mass Transfer, Vol.7,
P. 139, 1964.

Coulson , J.M., and Richardson , J.F., Chemical Engineering, Vol.(2), 5th ed., Butterworth–
Heineemann, Oxfort (2002).

Hameed , M.S., and Muhammed , M.S., Mass Transfer Into Liquid Falling Film In Straight And
Helically Coiled Tubes, J. Heat and Mass Transfer (46), 1715–1724 (2003).

Harriott and R. M. Hamilton, Chem. Eng. Sci., Vol. 20, P. 1073, 1965.

Jawad , M.K., M .Sc Thesis , University Of Technology , Baghdad , (1987).

Mizushina T. and F. Ogino, J. Chem. Eng. Japan, Vol.3, No.2, P. 166, 1970.

Mondal , S.N., and Das , S .K., Gas – Liquid Flow Through Coils, Korean J.Chemical Engineering,
20(4), 624–630 ( 2003).

Muhammed , M.S., M .Sc Thesis University Of Technology Baghdad, (1988).

Park . c.d., Nosoko .T., Gima .S., and Ro.S.T ., Int . J .Heat and Mass Transfer 47 : 2587–2598
(2004).

Rennie , T .J., Ph .D Thesis , McGill University Montreal , ( 2004 ).

NOMENCLATURE
U 2 . T 1/3
(=į(g ) ) _
  

2
P
C* = Equilibrium concentration of CO2 in liquid . mol / liter
CCO2 = Concentration of CO2 in liquid. mol / liter
Cin = input concentration of CO2 in liquid. mol / liter
Cout = output concentration of CO2 in liquid. mol / liter
d = Tube diameter . m
D = Coil diameter . 
m
DeF = Film flow Dean number ( = ReF (  )1/2) . _
DL = Diffusivity in the liquid phase m2 / s
g = gravity acceleration = 9.81 m/s2
GaF = Film flow Galileo number = ( į3g Sinș/ȣ2) _
H = Henry ̄s constant. atm / mol fraction
KL = Liquid – film mass transfer coefficient m/s

69
 A Study Of Mass Transfer Into A Liquid Falling Film In Spiral Tubes Zaid A. Abdel-Rahmandr
Using Co2 – Water System Basim O.Hasan
Amaal K. Abdullah

L = Tube length . m
N = Normality. eq. / liter
N1 = Normality of NaOH solution. eq. / liter
N2 = Normality of HCL solution. eq. / liter
NuF = Nusselt number based on film thickness,
P = Pressure. bar
QL = Liquid flow rate . m3 /s
ReF = Reynolds number of film ( = 4 ī/µ ) -
Sc = Schmidt number ( = µ /DL ȡ ). -
Sh = Sherwood number ( =KL į/DL) . -
T = Temperature . ºC
V1 = Volume of CO2 solution sample. ml
V2 = Volume of NaOH solution . ml
V3 = Volume of HCl solution. ml
xCO2 = mol fraction of CO2 in water _
           

ī = Liquid mass flow rate per unit width of surface (or

U
!

.
Liquid loading per tube perimeter), ( = ) kg /m.s
S.


į = Film thickness. m
ș = Angle of inclination with horizontal -
µ = Liquid viscosity. kg / m.s
ȡ = Liquid density. kg /m3

70