Three-Dimensional Mathematical Model of the Liquid Film Downflow on a Vertical Surface

Ivan Pavlenko,Michał Doligalski,Radosław Olszewski,Oleksandr Starynskyi,Vitalii Ivanov,Marek Ochowiak,Sylwia Włodarczak,Maryna Demianenko,Vitalii Yanovych,Oleksandr Liaposhchenko

doi:10.3390/en13081938

Abstract

Film downflow from captured liquid without wave formation and its destruction is one of the most important aspects in the development of separation equipment. Consequently, it is necessary to create well-organized liquid draining in areas of captured liquid. Thus, the proposed 3D mathematical model of film downflow allows for the determination of the hydrodynamic parameters of the liquid film flow and the interfacial surface. As a result, it was discovered that the interfacial surface depends on the proposed dimensionless criterion, which includes internal friction stress, channel length, and fluid density. Additionally, equations for determining the averaged film thickness, the averaged velocity vectors over the film thickness, the longitudinal and vertical velocity components, and the initial angle of streamline deviation from the vertical axis were analytically obtained.

Highlights

Liquid film flow is one of the most common phenomena in the chemical and oil/gas industries during the processes of a heat/mass transfer and a separation
One of the most widely used separation devices is vane-type mist extractors because they offer the right balance among efficiency, operating range, pressure drop requirement, and installed cost. This type of impingement mist extractor consists of a series of baffles, vanes, or plates commonly installed by the parallel bet; the cross-section changes along with the gas–liquid flow movement
The gas–liquid mixture passes through the vane-type mist extractor; particles from gas flow do not change their trajectories due to sufficient momentum to break through the gas streamlines [26]

Summary

Introduction

Liquid film flow is one of the most common phenomena in the chemical and oil/gas industries during the processes of a heat/mass transfer and a separation. It is worth noting that film downflow allows for increasing the intensity and efficiency of the abovementioned processes. The value of the thermal conductivity and heat transfer between the coolants in heat exchangers, the speed of mass transfer between the phases in mass transfer equipment, and the efficiency in draining liquids in separation equipment [1,2] increase using film flows. The high efficiency of these processes should be achieved by studying the fluid downflow and its hydrodynamic and heat exchange parameters, the above parameters’ dependence on flow regimes and surface topology, as well as the forces that contribute to films forming and destruction. The numerical identification allows for the determination of new mathematical models for the processes, including

Objectives

Methods

Findings

Conclusion