International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol.47, No.1, 43-61, 2004
Effects of a first-order chemical reaction on turbulent mass transfer
The effects of a first-order chemical reaction on turbulent mass transfer from a wall are investigated using a Lagrangian method that involves the numerical solution for the flow field in conjunction with the tracking of mass markers released from the wall. The markers react according to a Poisson distribution that is correlated to the reaction rate constant. The method allows studying a range of Schmidt number fluids and a range of Damkohler numbers. The behavior of a continuous line source of the reactant, and the behavior of the dissolution of the reactant from the wall are examined. It is found that the mass transfer coefficient increases dramatically when a first-order reaction occurs. A correlation between the mass transfer coefficient and the Damkohler number is proposed for both low and high Schmidt numbers. The fundamental reason for the change in the mass transfer properties is that each marker is affected by different parts of the turbulence velocity field depending on the Schmidt and Damkohler numbers. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.