Mass Transfer Phenomena

by Dr. H.F. Tezel

Answers for Assignment 7

Problem 10-20: An alcohol and water vapor mixture is being
separated by contact with an alcohol-water liquid solution.
Alcohol is transferred from gas to liquid, and water is
transferred from liquid to gas. Temperature and pressure are
25C and 1 atm. The components diffuse through a gas film 0.1
mm thick at equal flow rates. Mole percents of alcohol are 80
and 10 on either side of the film. Find the rate of diffusion of
both components through a film area of 10 m2.
Consider this to be a case of equimolar counter diffusion we did in the class:
We start from the modified equation 10-6:
N A cD AB

dYA
YA ( N A N B )
dz

Since we have equimolar counter diffusion: NA = - NB

NA

D AB
P
(
)(YA,i YA )
( Z 1 Z 2 ) RT

D AB 2.199 10 5 m
NA

2.199 10 5
0.0001m

m
s (

1atm
(0.8 0.1)
)
atm cm 3
m3
82.05
298 K
g mole K
10 6 cm 3

g moles
m2 s
g Alcohol
g moles
g
(6.296
)(46
)(10m 2 )
2
s
m s
g mole
g Alcohol
g
2896.16
s
s
g H 2O
g moles
g
g
(6.296
)(18
)(10m 2 ) 1133 .28
2
s
m s
g mole
s

6.296

Mass Transfer Phenomena

by Dr. H.F. Tezel

Problem 10-39: Oxygen is transferred from the inside of the lung

through the lung tissue to blood vessels. Assume the lung
tissue to be a plane wall of thickness L and that inhalation
maintains a constant oxygen molar concentration at the
inner wall as well as another constant oxygen molar
concentration at the outer wall. Additionally, oxygen is
consumed in the lung tissue by a metabolic reaction (zeroth
order). Determine the distribution of oxygen in the tissue
and the rate of assimilation of oxygen by the blood.

Solution:
In this case there is no bulk flow to be considered since we are dealing with membrane
and negligible concentration of Oxygen within the membrane (i.e.: YA is very small in
modified Equation 10-6. Also we have zeroth order reaction rate (R A=k0). Thus, at steady
state, equation 10.7 simplifies to:
D AB
dC A
dx
C

d 2C A
k0

0
dx 2
k0

x
C1
D AB
k0
2 D AB

at ,

at ,

C2

0, C

L, C

C1 x

A0

C2

AL

A0

So,
C1

AL

A0

k0
2 D AB

Ax

k0
2 D AB

Ax

xk 0
2 D AB

k0 L
2 D AB

AL

AL

Then,
C

Ax

OxygenAssimilationRate ( N Ax , atL) D AB
k 0 L C AL C A0

dC A
dx

x L

k0
C C A0
k L
x AL
0
L
2 D AB

D AB

D AB

k L
D AB k 0 L
D

0 C A0 C AL AB
L
2
2
L

Problem 10-40: Carbonization of steel is a high-temperature process. At a

temperature of 1273 K, how much time would be required to raise the steel carbon
content at a depth of 1 mm from 0.1 to 1.0 percent (carbon mole fraction on steel
surface is 0.02)? Take DAB = 3.17 x 10-11 m2/s.

x L

(C

Mass Transfer Phenomena

by Dr. H.F. Tezel

y = 1 mm = 0.001m
3.17 x 10-11 m2/s
x0 = 0.02
x1 = 0.001
x2 = 0.01
To use Figure 4.1-2 use C/C0 instead of vx/V and DAB instead of .

Then

and

Since
From the Unsteady State Figure 4.1-2 given in the class for rectangular
Momentum Transfer for n=1:
r1 = 1.35 and

= 0.5 r2 = 0.48

and
Total time = 34225 4327 = 29898 sec = 8.3 hours
Problem 4: Hydrogen gas (27C; 10 bars) is stored in a 100-mm-diameter spherical
tank (2mm-thick wall). Molar concentrations of hydrogen at the inner and outer

Mass Transfer Phenomena

by Dr. H.F. Tezel

wall are 1.5 kg-mole/m3 and 0, respectively. Diffusivity of hydrogen in steel is 0.3x1012
m2/sec. Find the rate of hydrogen loss through the wall as well as the rate of
pressure drop in the tank at steady state. Because of the high ratio of the diameter of
the sphere to the thickness of the steel wall, do the same calculations, assuming
rectangular geometry for the 2 mm. thick steel wall the hydrogen is leaking through
and calculate the % error for making this assumption.
For Spherical:
Starting from modified equation 10.6:

N A cD AB

dYA
YA ( N A N B )
dz

In this case there is no bulk diffusion to be considered since we are dealing with
membrane and negligible concentration of hydrogen within the membrane. Thus,
equation 10.6 simplifies to:
dC A
WA
Flux

dr
SurfaceArea 4r 2
W
1
dC A A2
dr
4r D AB
WA
1
C A0 C AL
dr

4D AB r 2
C A0 C AL
WA

1 1 1

D
r
r0
AB
i

N Ar D AB

kmole

4 0.3 10 12 m 2 / s 1.5

kg mole
m3

WA
7.35 10 12
1
1
sec

0.05m 0.052m

2kg
kg mole
7.35 10 12
14.7 10 12 kg / sec
sec
kgmole

n A

D 3 M A dPA
6 RT dt
dP
6 RT
A
nA
dt
D 3 M A

n AST n A

m 3 Bar
300 K
6 0.08314
kg mole K
dPA

14.7 10 12 kg / sec

dt
3
kg

0.1m 2
kgmole

Mass Transfer Phenomena

by Dr. H.F. Tezel

dPA
Bar
3.5 10 7
dt
s

For Rectangular:
Starting from the modified equation 10.6 for binary system, again:
N A cD AB

dYA
YA ( N A N B )
dz

In this case there is no bulk flow to be considered since we are dealing with membrane
and negligible concentration of hydrogen within the membrane. Thus, modified equation
10.6 simplifies to:
N A D AB

C A
y
A

From equation 10-7 for a rectangular system, N =constant, so we can integrate the above
equation:

N A D AB

C A2 C A1
L

D AB C A1
L

1.5kg.mole / m 3
0.002m

N A 0.3 10 12 m 2 / sec

N A 2.25 x10 10

kg.mole
s m2

Surface area of leak can be taken as the same as the sphere: 4r2 = 4(0.1/2)2m2 =
0.0314m2
n A (2.25 10 10 )

n AST n A

kg mole
(0.0314)m 2 7.065 10 12 kg mole / sec
sec m 2

V dPA
RT dt

V rec tan gular V spherical

dPA RT

nA
dt
V

4r 3

0. 1

2
3

m 3 5.236 10 4 m 3

Mass Transfer Phenomena

dPA
dt
dPA

dt

by Dr. H.F. Tezel

m 3 atm
300 K
0.082
kg mole K

7.065 10 12 kg mole / sec

5.236 10 4 m 3
atm
3.3 10 7
s

Assume 1 bar = 1 atm.

% error for hydrogen loss rate

14.7 x10 12 7.065 x10 12

x100 51.9
14.7 x10 12

% error for pressure drop rate

3.5 x10 7 ( 3.3 x10 7 )

x100 5.7
3.5 x10 7