Gas Absorption into Liquid Flowing with Progressive Waves

Abstract

The effect of two-dimensional progressive waves on the surface of a flowing liquid upon gas absorption is investigated theoretically. The convective-diffusion equation for mass transfer is solved on the basis of a boundary layer approximation. An analytical solution for the dimensionless average mass transfer coefficient is obtained as a function of three dimensionless numbers; the dimensionless streamwise distance, the relative wave velocity ratio (c – u_s)/u_s0, which is defined by the ratio of the difference between wave velocity c and time-average surface velocity u_s to the amplitude of surface velocity fluctuation u_s0 in the streamwise direction, and the surface velocity ratio u_s/u_s0. The solution shows that the effect of progressive wave motion relative to the moving liquid surface on gas absorption is very significant.