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Combined heat and mass transfer natural convection between parallel plates

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:5336213

A two dimensional analysis of steady laminar natural convection in an open ended parallel plate channel is presented for combined heat and mass transfer. Symmetric and asymmetric boundary conditions of uniform wall temperature and concentration (UWT/C) and uniform heat and mass flux (UH/MF) are considered for both aiding and opposing buoyancy due to mass transfer. Closed form solutions for inclined parallel plates are obtained in the limit of fully developed flow. The numerical method is then applied to model a glazed collector/regenerator component of an open-cycle solar absorption refrigeration system. The solution is coupled to an energy and mass balance on a thin film absorbent flow along one wall. Results indicate that the influence of glazing height is small if the flow is between the fully developed and single plate limits. The glazed collector/regenerator water evaporation rate is higher relative to the unglazed case because the reduction in convective and radiative heat losses increase the absorbent temperature and vapor pressure sufficiently to overcome the concomitant reduction in the mass transfer coefficient.

Research Organization:
Arizona State Univ., Tempe (USA)
OSTI ID:
5336213
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English