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Module 2 :
Diffusive heat and mass transfer

Lecture 20:
Unsteady-state Evaporation

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

Evaporation is a process by which liquid water passes directly to the vapor phase.
Methods of estimating evaporation rates:

Energy balance method

Aerodynamic method

Combined method

Model derivation of Evaporation

Assumptions
1. P,T = constant
2. Ideal gases

3. B is insoluble in A
4. Liquid maintained at z = 0 at all times (i.e. no moving boundary)
Note: No dilute solution assumption has been made. Dilute solution assumption results in
neglecting convective terms in mass balance.
Equation of mass continuity of component A and B
C A
N
= Az
t
z

( No reaction )

(19.1)

CB
N
= Bz
t
z

(19.2)
Addition of eqn. (19.1) and (19.2) yields
C

= ( N Az + N Bz )
t
z

(19.3)

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

But C =

Thus,

P
and PT
1 = constant C = constant
RT

C
=c
t

Hence,

N Az + N Bz = f ( t )

( i.e. not a function of z )

(19.4)

Now N A = xA ( N A + N B ) cDABx A

Applying at z = 0 N A0 = xA0 ( N A0 + N B 0 ) cDAB

(19.5)

xA
z

z =0

But component B does not dissolve in the liquid therefore NB0 = 0

Thus N A0 =

cDAB xA
1 xA0 z

z =0

Eqn. (19.4) implies that

N Az + N Bz = N A0 + N B 0 = N A0
Then,

N Az + N Bz =

cDAB x A
1 x A0 z

(19.6)
z =0

Note: N Az + N Bz = cvz*
Inserting (19.6) into (19.5) we get,
NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

N Az = cDAB

xA
cDAB x A
xA
z
1 x A0 z

(19.7)
z =0

Inserting eqn. (19.7) into (19.1) we get,

xA
2 xA DAB xA
= DAB
+
t
x 2 1 xA0 z

x A

z = 0 z

(19.8)

With the initial and boundary

I.C.

t =0

xA = 0

PA

x A = x A0 saturation concentration, v
P

BC.2 z x A = 0

conditions, B.C.1 z = 0

Define X =

xA
z
,Z=
x A0
4 DAB t

Anticipate X = f ( Z ) only
Then eqn. (19.8) can be written as

X ''+ 2 ( Z ) X ' = 0

With ( xA0 ) =

1 xA0 X A
2 1 xA0 Z

(19.9)

(19.10)
Z =0

= constant depending on xA0

Eqn. (19.9) must be solved subject to

B.C.1 z = 0 X = 1
BC.2 z X = 0
NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

The solution to (19.9) satisfying B.C.1 and B.C.2 is

X=

1 erf ( Z )
1 + erf

Take

X A
Z

X A0 =

(19.11)

and substitute into eqn. (19.10) to get

Z =0

1
1 + (1 + erf ) exp 2

X A0

1.000

0.25

0.1562 1.108

0.50

0.3578 1.268

0.75
1.0

0.6618 1.564

For given x0, calculate

(19.12)

using (19.12), and then use eqn. (19.11) to obtain the

concentration profiles
The evaporation rate of A is

dVA N A0 S
DAB
=
= S
dt
c
t
The amount of vapor produced between t =0 and t = t is
VA = S 4 DAB t

(19.13)

Note: compare eqn. (19.8) with the general form of the mass balance equation

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

C A
*
+ C A ( U * ) + U C A = DAB 2C A + RA
t

The second term on right hand side is zero in this case since N Az + N Bz = not a function
of z = cvz* i.e. .U * = 0

We see that the term

DAB X A
1 X A0 Z

plays the role of convective molar average velocity.

Z =0

Question: What would be the result if we had neglected this convective term?

Then eqn. (19.8) would become

X A
2 X A
= DAB
with same I.C. and B.Cs as before.
t
X 2

The solution to this case was given in the section on Semi-Infinite slab with constant wall
T.
The corresponding volume of A vaporized would be (when convective terms are
neglected)

VA,appx. = SX A0

4 DAB t

Eqn. (19.13) can also be written as

4 DAB t
VA = SX A0


 
VA ,apprx

X A0

 

(19.14)

= a correction factor

The correction factor is given in the table below eqn. (19.12).

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

Note: eq. (19.14) may be solved for DAB to give

DAB

VA
=

t 2 Sx A0

(19.15)

This equation can be used to get diffusivities of volatile liquids.

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering