EQUATIONS OF CHANGE

FOR MULTICOMPONENT
SYSTEM (Diffusion)
Transport Phenomena-CE2207
Chemical Engineering
Universitas Pertamina
2018
What will be discussed
Viscosity & mechanism of momentum transport

Basic equations for momentum transport in laminar &

Momentum turbulent flow
Friction factors
Macroscopic momentum balance

Transport Thermal conductivity & the mechanism of heat transfer

Phenomena Heat
Basic equations for heat transfer in laminar & turbulent
flow
Diffusivity & mechanism of mass transfer

Mass Basic equations for mass transfer in laminar

& turbulent flow
 Main Topics
• Combination of mass/molar fluxes
• Outcomes of diffusion
• Equation of continuity (multicomponent)
• Boundary conditions
• General procedure of solving diffusion
problems in multicomponent system
Objectives
• To derive the modified Equation of
Continuity
• To identify nonvanishing components of
the equation of continuity
• To determine the correct boundary
conditions
• To obtain concentration/mass fraction
distribution in multicomponent system

References:
Chapter 18,19, & 21 : Bird, R.B., Stewart, W.E., Lightfoot, E.N., “Transport Phenomena”,
revised 2nd edition.
Yoshikawa, Shiro. 2014. Transport Phenomena & Operation, week 5.
New notation for the combination of mass/molar fluxes

Combined Mass Flux Vectors

Combined Molar Flux Vectors

Note : both molecular & convective fluxes

Combined flux is commonly used to describe the behaviour of the overall

system (eg. in boundary conditions, end result, etc.)
Outcomes of diffusion in multicomponent system

What can possibly happens when

substances are mixed?
Non-reacting
substances:
Diffuse until
uniform/dilute

A B
Reacting
substances:
Diffuse & form
new product(s)
Our Goal:
To Obtain Concentration Distribution
eg: NaOH + HCl → NaCl + H2O
in each region of the mixture
Similarity in transport phenomena

Momentum Heat Mass

Basic Laws Newton’s law of Fourier’s law of

viscosity thermal conductivity
Transport properties Dynamic viscosity thermal conductivity

Kinematic viscosity thermal diffusivity

Profiles Velocity Temperature

Fluxes Momentum flux Heat flux

Equations of change Eq. of Motion/ Navier- Eq. of Energy +

Stokes (Appendix B6) Dissipation function
(Appendix B7 & B9)
Mass Transfer Equations of Change in Multicomponent System
𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑠 = − 𝐹𝑙𝑢𝑥 𝑖𝑛 − 𝐹𝑙𝑢𝑥 𝑜𝑢𝑡 + 𝐸𝑥𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑠

General Form

Where:
a = quantity (momentum/ heat/ mass) per unit mass
Ф = respective fluxes (momentum/ heat/ mass flux)
For mass transfer in multicomponent system:
a = mass of substance A/ total mass of the system
𝑚𝑎
= 𝜔𝐴 (𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛)
𝑚𝑡𝑜𝑡
Ф = mass fluxes (jA)

𝜕𝜔𝐴 𝜕𝜔𝐴 𝜕𝜔𝐴 𝜕𝜔𝐴 𝜕𝑗𝐴𝑥 𝜕𝑗𝐴𝑦 𝜕𝑗𝐴𝑧

The equation becomes 𝜌 + 𝜐𝑥 + 𝜐𝑦 + 𝜐𝑧 = − + + +𝑅
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
Mass Transfer Equations of Change in Multicomponent System

From Fick’s Law: 𝜕𝜔𝐴 𝜕𝜔𝐴 𝜕𝜔𝐴 𝜕𝜔𝐴 𝜕𝑗𝐴𝑥 𝜕𝑗𝐴𝑦 𝜕𝑗𝐴𝑧
𝜌 + 𝜐𝑥 + 𝜐𝑦 + 𝜐𝑧 = − + + +𝑅
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧

𝜕𝜔𝐴 𝜕𝜔𝐴 𝜕𝜔𝐴 𝜕𝜔𝐴 𝜕 2 𝜔𝐴 𝜕 2 𝜔𝐴 𝜕 2 𝜔𝐴

𝜌 + 𝜐 + 𝜐 + 𝜐 = 𝜌𝒟𝐴𝐵 + + +𝑅
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥 𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝑧 𝜕𝑥 2 𝜕𝑦 2 𝜕𝑧 2

Convective side Diffusion side

(R) in mass transfer → mass generation due to reaction (rA) / reaction rate

Appendix
B11
ASSIGNMENT 6
Boundary Conditions
• Concentration at the surface/system limits
can be specified.
eg. at x=0, ωA= ω A0
• Mass/molar flux at the surface can be
specified
eg. at x=0, NAZ=NA0
• If diffusion is occuring in a solid, it may
happen that at the solid surface substance A is
lost to a surrounding stream according to the
relation:
NA0 =kc (cA0 - cAb)
where NA0 : molar flux at the surface; cA0 :
surface concentration; cAb : concentration at
the bulk stream; kc : mass transfer coefficient.
• Rate of reaction in the system may be
specified. If instataneously disappear then
rA=0, if first order reaction NA0=k1cA0
Binary System with zero velocity
with no chemical reaction
No flow → 𝜐𝑥 , 𝜐𝑦 , 𝜐𝑧 = 0

No reaction
𝜌𝜔𝐴
𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒 ൗ𝑀 = 𝑐𝐴 ; 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠:
𝐴

𝜕𝑐𝐴 𝜕 2 𝑐𝐴 𝜕 2 𝑐𝐴 𝜕 2 𝑐𝐴
= 𝒟𝐴𝐵 + +
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥 2 𝜕𝑦 2 𝜕𝑧 2
In the vector form:
Which is known as the diffusion equation.
This equation can be solved by using separation
of variables technique or numerical analysis.
However, to make sure that the solution is
logical/reasonable, it’s better to substitute the
variables with dimensionless ones first.
Example A: Reaction at the boundary of two fluids

Two fluids A and B are separated by a thin boundary. Once the

boundary is removed, the fluids are interdiffusing and reacting
to form a new product P.

If we assume:
• Steady state
• Reaction is irreversible
• Reaction occurs only at the boundary (x=xR)
• Reaction rate is so large that A & B transform entirely to P
• P transfers from x=xR to x=0 and x=1 at the opposite
directions of A & B
• at x=0, ωA= ω A0; at x=0, ωP= ω P0
at x=1, ω B= ω B1
• Fluid velocity can be neglected

Obtain concentration distribution for A-P system.

Example A: Reaction at the boundary of two fluids

Observed A-P system → 0 ≤ x ≤ xR

Assumptions:
• Steady state
• No flow
• Diffusion occurs only in x direction
• No mass generation in the observed region
(reaction only occurs at the boundary)

The equation now becomes:

𝜕 2 𝜔𝐴 𝜕 2 𝜔𝑃
For A → 𝜌𝒟𝐴𝑃 =0 For P → 𝜌𝒟𝑃𝐴
𝜕𝑥 2
=0
𝜕𝑥 2
Boundary conditions: Boundary conditions:
at x=0, ωA= ω A0 at x=0, ωP= ω P0
at x=xR, ωA= 0 at x=xR, ωP= 1
Example A: Reaction at the boundary of two fluids
𝜕 2 𝜔𝐴 𝜕 2 𝜔𝑃
For A → 𝜌𝒟𝐴𝑃
𝜕𝑥 2
=0 For P → 𝜌𝒟𝑃𝐴
𝜕𝑥 2
=0

By integration: By integration:
𝜔𝐴 = 𝐶1 𝑥 + 𝐶2 𝜔𝑃 = 𝐶1 𝑥 + 𝐶2
at x=0, ωA= ω A0 at x=0, ωP= ω P0
𝜔𝐴0 = 𝐶2 𝜔𝑃0 = 𝐶2
at x=xR, ωA= 0 at x=xR, ωP= 1
0 = 𝐶1 𝑥𝑅 + 𝜔𝐴0 1 = 𝐶1 𝑥𝑅 + 𝜔𝑃0
𝜔𝐴0
𝐶1 = − 1 − 𝜔𝑃0
𝑥𝑅 𝐶1 =
𝑥𝑅

concentration distribution for B-P system can be obtained in similar manner

Mini Quiz

Hint: use EOC and Fick’s Law in

concentration terms
WHe = Helium molar flow rate