Mass transfer in concentric rotating cylinders with surface chemical reaction in the presence of Taylor vortexes

Abstract

Experimental results are reported on mass transfer to a liquid in an annulus from the surface of a large rotating cylinder. The study was confined to flows in the laminar and transition regimes which produce Taylor vortexes and involved systems with and without chemical reaction. The surface of the outer, stationary cylinder was inert and insoluble; the surface of the inner, rotating cylinder was made of cast benzoic acid. Dissolution data were obtained in three media, namely: water, 9.5 M glycerol aqueous solution, and 0.46 N sodium hydroxide −9.5 M glycerol aqueous solution. Mass transfer rates in the presence of Taylor vortexes were found to be different than those reported for fully dveloped turbulent flow. The main data was analyzed using Gilliland-Sherwood correlations as ▪ for the nonreacting system and ▪ for the reacting system. Anomalous effects of transition from laminar vortex flow to turbulent vortex flow on the mass transfer rate in reacting system were noted. Unusual surface effects in the form of periodic peaks and valleys with surface patterns were found for mass transfer with chemical reaction and their general variation with Reynolds number and modified Taylor number is presented.