scholarly journals Temperature and Velocity Effects on Mass and Momentum Transport in Spacer-Filled Channels for Reverse Electrodialysis: A Numerical Study

Energies ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2028 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zohreh Jalili ◽  
Jon Pharoah ◽  
Odne Stokke Burheim ◽  
Kristian Einarsrud
Keyword(s):  
Mass Transfer ◽  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Concentration Polarization ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Membrane Surface ◽  
Lower Pressure ◽  
Low Flow ◽  
Fluid Temperature ◽  
Reverse Electrodialysis ◽  
Flow Velocities

Concentration polarization is one of the main challenges of membrane-based processes such as power generation by reverse electrodialysis. Spacers in the compartments can enhance mass transfer by reducing concentration polarization. Active spacers increase the available membrane surface area, thus avoiding the shadow effect introduced by inactive spacers. Optimizing the spacer-filled channels is crucial for improving mass transfer while maintaining reasonable pressure losses. The main objective of this work was to develop a numerical model based upon the Navier–Stokes and Nernst–Planck equations in OpenFOAM, for detailed investigation of mass transfer efficiency and pressure drop. The model is utilized in different spacer-filled geometries for varying Reynolds numbers, spacer conductivity and fluid temperature. Triangular corrugations are found to be the optimum geometry, particularly at low flow velocities. Cylindrical corrugations are better at high flow velocities due to lower pressure drop. Enhanced mass transfer and lower pressure drop by elevating temperature is demonstrated.

NUMERICAL STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF AREA OF MANIFOLD AND INLET/OUTLET FLOW ARRANGEMENT 0N FLOW DISTRIBUTION IN PARALLEL RECTANGULAR MICROCHANNEL COOLING SYSTEM

2017 ◽  
Vol 79 (7-3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amirah M. Sahar ◽  
A. I. M. Shaiful
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Flow Distribution ◽  
Fluid Temperature ◽  
Rectangular Microchannel ◽  
Temperature Distributions ◽  
Micro Channels ◽  
Parallel Microchannels

Parallel microchannels have been widely used in cooling of compact electronic equipment due to large contact area with liquid and availability of large mass of fluid to carry away heat. However, understanding of flow distribution for microchannel parallel system is still unclear and there still lack of studies give a clear pictures to understand the complex flow features which cause the flow maldistribution. Generally, the geometrical structure of the manifold and micro channels play an important role in flow distribution between micro channels, which might affects the heat and mass transfer efficiency, even the performance of micro exchangers. A practical design of exchanger basically involves the selection of an optimized solution, keeping an optimal balance between gain in heat transfer and pressure drop penalty. A parallel microchannels configurations consisting inlet and outlet rectangular manifold were simulated to study flow distribution among the channels were investigated numerically by using Ansys Fluent 14.5. The numerical results was validated using existing experimental data and showed a similar trend with values 1% higher than experimental data. The influence of inlet/outlet manifold area and inlet/outlet arrangement on flow distribution in channels were carried out in this study. Based on the predicted flow non-uniformity value, 𝜙, Z- type flow arrangement exhibits higher value of 𝜙, which is 8%, followed by U-type, 2.6% and the I-type, 2.49%. Thus, a better uniformity of velocity and temperature distributions can be achieved in I-shape flow arrangement. The behavior of the flow distributions inside channels is due to the vortices that occurred at manifold. Besides comparing the pressure drop for case 1(D1) and case 2(D2), it is worth to mention that, as the area of inlet and outlet manifold decrease by 50%, the pressure drop is increasing about 5%. However, the inlet/outlet area of manifold on velocity and fluid temperature distributions was insignificant.

scholarly journals A comparative study between stirred dead end and circular flow in microfiltration of China clay suspensions

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 481-492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norazanita Shamsuddin ◽  
Chengcheng Cao ◽  
Victor M. Starov ◽  
Diganta Bhusan Das
Keyword(s):  
Mass Transfer ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Concentration Polarization ◽  
Membrane Surface ◽  
Transfer Coefficients ◽  
Mass Transfer Coefficients ◽  
China Clay ◽  
Dead End ◽  
Flow Filtration ◽  
Clay Suspensions

A well-defined comparative study between stirred dead end and circular crossflow for microfiltration of china clay suspensions has been undertaken. The comparisons have been made with respect to convective mass transfer coefficients, permeation and rejection rates, and energy consumption. Similar operating and hydrodynamic conditions were implemented for the comparison. According to our experimental data the circular crossflow module was proven to perform better as compared with the stirred dead end system due to the higher mass transfer coefficients, higher permeation rates and lower energy consumption. The mass transfer coefficients observed are comparable to those previously found in vortex flow filtration and dead end flow filtration. The presence of Dean vortices in the circular crossflow module promotes flow instabilities in the curved channel flow path which reduce the concentration polarization effect during the filtration process. The concentration polarization effect however deteriorated due to solute build up (high solute concentration at the membrane surface) and decrease of the shear stress, i.e., the particle lift forces on the membrane surface. This resulted in deposition of particles on the membrane surface. In terms of energy consumption, for the same energy cost the limiting flux reached in circular crossflow was found to be higher than in the stirred dead end unit.

scholarly journals Microstructured Hollow Fiber Membranes: Potential Fiber Shapes for Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenators

Membranes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 374
Author(s):  
Paul Ecker ◽  
Markus Pekovits ◽  
Tsvetan Yorov ◽  
Bahram Haddadi ◽  
Benjamin Lukitsch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Transfer ◽  
Gas Exchange ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Hollow Fiber ◽  
Thrombus Formation ◽  
Membrane Surface ◽  
Low Flow ◽  
Hollow Fiber Membranes ◽  
Fiber Membranes ◽  
Membrane Oxygenators

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenators are essential medical devices for the treatment of patients with respiratory failure. A promising approach to improve oxygenator performance is the use of microstructured hollow fiber membranes that increase the available gas exchange surface area. However, by altering the traditional circular fiber shape, the risk of low flow, stagnating zones that obstruct mass transfer and encourage thrombus formation, may increase. Finding an optimal fiber shape is therefore a significant task. In this study, experimentally validated computational fluid dynamics simulations were used to investigate transverse flow within fiber packings of circular and microstructured fiber geometries. A numerical model was applied to calculate the local Sherwood number on the membrane surface, allowing for qualitative comparison of gas exchange capacities in low-velocity areas caused by the microstructured geometries. These adverse flow structures lead to a tradeoff between increased surface area and mass transfer. Based on our simulations, we suggest an optimal fiber shape for further investigations that increases potential mass transfer by up to 48% in comparison to the traditional, circular hollow fiber shape.

scholarly journals Correlations for Concentration Polarization and Pressure Drop in Spacer-Filled RO Membrane Modules Based on CFD Simulations

Membranes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 338
Author(s):  
Boram Gu ◽  
Claire S. Adjiman ◽  
Xiao Yun Xu
Keyword(s):  
Mass Transfer ◽  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Friction Factor ◽  
Reverse Osmosis ◽  
Concentration Polarization ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Distinct Advantage ◽  
Membrane Systems ◽  
Cfd Simulations ◽  
Ro Membrane

Empirical correlations for mass transfer coefficient and friction factor are often used in process models for reverse osmosis (RO) membrane systems. These usually involve four dimensionless groups, namely Reynolds number (Re), Sherwood number (Sh), friction factor (f), and Schmidt number (Sc), with the associated coefficients and exponents being obtained by fitting to experimental data. However, the range of geometric and operating conditions covered by the experiments is often limited. In this study, new dimensionless correlations for concentration polarization (CP) modulus and friction factor are presented, which are obtained by dimensional analysis and using simulation data from computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Two-dimensional CFD simulations are performed on three configurations of spacer-filled channels with 76 combinations of operating and geometric conditions for each configuration, covering a broad range of conditions encountered in RO membrane systems. Results obtained with the new correlations are compared with those from existing correlations in the literature. There is good consistency in the predicted CP with mean discrepancies less than 6%, but larger discrepancies for pressure gradient are found among the various friction factor correlations. Furthermore, the new correlations are implemented in a process model with six spiral wound modules in series and the predicted recovery, pressure drop, and specific energy consumption are compared with a reference case obtained by ROSA (Reverse Osmosis System Analysis, The Dow Chemical Company). Differences in predicted recovery and pressure drop are up to 5% and 83%, respectively, highlighting the need for careful selection of correlations when using predictive models in process design. Compared to existing mass transfer correlations, a distinct advantage of our correlations for CP modulus is that they can be directly used to estimate the impact of permeate flux on CP at a membrane surface without having to resort to the film theory.

scholarly journals Concentration Polarization in Ultrafiltration/Nanofiltration for the Recovery of Polyphenols from Winery Wastewaters

Membranes ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Giacobbo ◽  
Andréa Moura Bernardes ◽  
Maria Filipe Rosa ◽  
Maria de Pinho
Keyword(s):  
Mass Transfer ◽  
Membrane Fouling ◽  
Concentration Polarization ◽  
Cross Flow ◽  
Variation Method ◽  
Transfer Coefficients ◽  
Mass Transfer Coefficients ◽  
Subsequent Decrease ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Flow Velocities

Concentration polarization is intrinsically associated with the selective character of membranes and often means flux decline and which causes a subsequent decrease of ultrafiltration and nanofiltration performance. More important is the fact that it acts as a precursor of membrane fouling and creates severe fouling problems in the longer times range. The quantification of its dependence on the operating parameters of cross-flow velocities and transmembrane pressures makes recourse to the film theory to introduce mass-transfer coefficients that generally are calculated by dimensionless correlations of the Sherwood number as a function of the Reynolds and Schmidt numbers. In the present work, the mass-transfer coefficients are obtained through the fitting of experimental results by the pressure variation method. The ultrafiltration/nanofiltration of the winery wastewaters from the racking operation is carried out with the membranes ETNA 01PP (Alfa Laval) and NF 270 (Dow Filmtec) under a wide range of cross-flow velocities and transmembrane pressures up to 15 bar.

Numerical Study of the Combined Free-Forced Convection and Mass Transfer Flow Past a Vertical Porous Plate in a Porous Medium with Heat Generation and Thermal Diffusion

2006 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 331-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. S. Alam ◽  
M. M. Rahman ◽  
M. A. Samad
Keyword(s):  
Mass Transfer ◽  
Flow Field ◽  
Differential Equations ◽  
Forced Convection ◽  
Heat Generation ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Porous Plate ◽  
Integration Scheme ◽  
Suction Parameter ◽  
Transfer Flow

The problem of combined free-forced convection and mass transfer flow over a vertical porous flat plate, in presence of heat generation and thermaldiffusion, is studied numerically. The non-linear partial differential equations and their boundary conditions, describing the problem under consideration, are transformed into a system of ordinary differential equations by using usual similarity transformations. This system is solved numerically by applying Nachtsheim-Swigert shooting iteration technique together with Runge-Kutta sixth order integration scheme. The effects of suction parameter, heat generation parameter and Soret number are examined on the flow field of a hydrogen-air mixture as a non-chemical reacting fluid pair. The analysis of the obtained results showed that the flow field is significantly influenced by these parameters.

The effect of two-phase flow regime on hydrodynamics and mass transfer in a horizontal-tube gas-liquid reactor

1985 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 745-757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Zahn ◽  
Lothar Ebner ◽  
Kurt Winkler ◽  
Jan Kratochvíl ◽  
Jindřich Zahradník
Keyword(s):  
Mass Transfer ◽  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Flow Regime ◽  
Liquid Flow ◽  
Horizontal Tube ◽  
Liquid Holdup ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Flow Rates ◽  
Type Relation ◽  
Good Agreement

The effect of two-phase flow regime on decisive hydrodynamic and mass transfer characteristics of horizontal-tube gas-liquid reactors (pressure drop, liquid holdup, kLaL) was determined in a cocurrent-flow experimental unit of the length 4.15 m and diameter 0.05 m with air-water system. An adjustable-height weir was installed in the separation chamber at the reactor outlet to simulate the effect of internal baffles on reactor hydrodynamics. Flow regime maps were developed in the whole range of experimental gas and liquid flow rates both for the weirless arrangement and for the weir height 0.05 m, the former being in good agreement with flow-pattern boundaries presented by Mandhane. In the whole range of experi-mental conditions pressure drop data could be well correlated as a function of gas and liquid flow rates by an empirical exponential-type relation with specific sets of coefficients obtained for individual flow regimes from experimental data. Good agreement was observed between values of pressure drop obtained for weirless arrangement and data calculated from the Lockhart-Martinelli correlation while the contribution of weir to the overall pressure drop was well described by a relation proposed for the pressure loss in closed-end tubes. In the region of negligible weir influence values of liquid holdup were again succesfully correlated by the Lockhart-Martinelli relation while the dependence of liquid holdup data on gas and liquid flow rates obtained under conditions of significant weir effect (i.e. at low flow rates of both phases) could be well described by an empirical exponential-type relation. Results of preliminary kLaL measurements confirmed the decisive effect of the rate of energy dissipation on the intensity of interfacial mass transfer in gas-liquid dispersions.

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