Chapter 9 - Mass transfer modeling in nanofluids: theoretical basics and model development

Abstract

Nanofluids are suspensions of solid nanoparticles dispersed in a base fluid. The nanoparticle has a size between 100 and 2500nm. Mass transfer in gas–liquid systems has been enhanced by the recent progress in nanotechnology. In modeling systems with nanofluids, the Brownian motion and grazing effect, resulting from nanoparticles’ presence in base fluids, are the main factors behind enhancing the nanofluids’ mass transfer coefficient and should be considered in modeling equations. Solid nanoparticle’s Brownian motion is the leading mechanism governing the improvement of mass transfer performance of gas in nanofluids. Compared to conventional particles, nanoparticles have a much larger surface area, which significantly increases the mass and heat transfer abilities. Nanofluids have superior mass and heat transfer properties compared to pure conventional fluids. Nanoparticles have a large surface area per unit volume and proper adsorption performance. This chapter explores the methods of modeling and predictions of mass transfer coefficient and the influence of operation parameters such as absorption temperature, liquid nanofluid, gas flow rate, size, and type of nanoparticles to enhance the liquid side mass transfer factor. A wetted-wall column used to measure the mass transfer coefficient experimentally is easy to model.