Mass Transfer CFD Simulation

What is Mass transfer?

Mass transfer refers to the movement of mass from one point to another and can be observed in many natural and industrial phenomena. In numerous engineering applications, mechanisms are designed to facilitate mass transfer. The fluid mass may be moved by a pump, by heating the fluid to create a density difference, by changing the phase of the mass, or due to a concentration difference, which induces movement in the fluid.

Types of Mass Transfer

Mass transfer can occur through various mechanisms, and understanding these types is essential for numerous scientific and engineering applications. Here are the primary types of mass transfer:

• Diffusion: This occurs due to the concentration gradient of a solute in different parts of a solvent. The greater the concentration difference, the faster the diffusion. Fick’s laws describe the phenomenon of diffusion.
• Convection: This refers to the movement of fluid mass. If fluid movement is caused by an external factor, such as a pump, it is called forced convection. If the movement is created due to an internal factor, such as temperature-induced density differences, it is called natural convection. This mass transfer model has many applications in heat transfer.
• Migration: In the presence of an electric field, charged particles move. This phenomenon is seen in solutions with charged ions, such as in battery electrodes.
• Phase Change Mass Transfer: By changing the phase of materials, their mass is transferred from one phase to another. Examples include evaporation, condensation, boiling, and sublimation.
• Capillary Action: At the contact surface of two different phases, surface tension can cause movement. For example, the movement of water in the vessels of plants is of this type.
• Osmosis: If two fluids with a solute are separated by a membrane, allowing the solvent to pass through the membrane but not the solute, the osmosis phenomenon occurs.

Applications of Mass Transfer

Mass transfer plays a crucial role in various industrial and natural processes. Here are some key applications of mass transfer across different fields:

• Chemical engineering: In chemical engineering, mass transfer is essential for processes such as distillation, which separates liquid mixtures by boiling points for refining crude oil; absorption, which removes gas components into liquid solvents for purification; extraction, which isolates compounds by solubility for pharmaceuticals; and crystallization, which forms solid crystals for pure chemical production. CFD simulations can model and optimize these mass transfer processes, improving efficiency and scalability.

A distilling apparatus, known as an alembic, is used for separating liquids through distillation, often for producing alcoholic beverages or essential oils.

• Petroleum engineering: In petroleum engineering, various processes are used for mass transfer. First, oil is separated into its different components, each of which is refined to high purity. Additionally, components are sometimes added to petroleum products to enhance their performance, such as additives in gasoline. CFD simulations help in designing and optimizing equipment for better separation and mixing in petroleum refining processes. CFD simulations assist in understanding fluid flow and mass transfer in leaching and electroplating, leading to improved process control and efficiency.
• Metallurgy: In metallurgy, leaching extracts metals like gold and copper from ores using solvents, while electroplating deposits a metal layer on surfaces through electrochemical processes, involving the mass transfer of metal ions.
• Medicine: In medicine, dialysis removes waste products from the blood in kidney failure patients through solute mass transfer across a semi-permeable membrane, while respiratory therapy involves the transfer of oxygen and carbon dioxide between blood and air in the lungs. CFD simulations can be used to analyze and enhance the design of medical devices and therapies, ensuring better patient outcomes.

A dialysis device is a medical apparatus used to remove waste products and excess fluids from the blood of patients with kidney failure.

Simulation of Mass Transfer by ANSYS Fluent

ANSYS Fluent software offers extensive capabilities for simulating mass transfer using the finite volume method in computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Fluent allows for the simulation of multiphase flows using various methods and models, accurately depicting the movement of different species (such as dissolved substances and bubbles) within the fluid. It includes robust simulations of mass transfer phenomena including diffusion, convection, and migration.

Additionally, Fluent supports user-defined functions (UDF) for simulating chemical reactions. The software enables simultaneous solutions of equations governing mass transfer, fluid mechanics, turbulence models, and heat transfer, providing comprehensive insights into complex engineering processes and systems.

Air volume fraction from “Evaporation/Condensation in a Solar Still (Distiller) Transient CFD Simulation”

CFDLAND expertise in Mass Transfer Modeling Using ANSYS Fluent Software

We have successfully completed numerous CFD projects using ANSYS Fluent, demonstrating our expertise on CFD SHOP. Our top projects in mass transfer showcase our proficiency in simulating complex phenomena such as multiphase flows, species transport, and chemical reactions. Visit our mass transfer projects at the top of this page to explore these innovative solutions in mass transfer simulation.

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