Diffusion from laminar pipe flow

The mean profiles of velocity, temperature and solute concentration are relatively flat over most of a turbulent flow field. As an example, in Figure 1.24 the velocity profile for turbulent flow in a pipe is compared with the profile for laminar flow with the same volumetric flow rate. As the turbulent fluxes are very high but the velocity, temperature and concentration gradients are relatively small, it follows that the effective diffusivities (iH-e), (a+eH) and (2+ed) must be extremely large. In the main part of the turbulent flow, ie away from the walls, the eddy diffusivities are much larger than the corresponding molecular diffusivities ... 

Knowing the viscosity and density of the reaction mixture, the flow channel diameter, void fraction of the bed, and the superficial fluid velocity, it is possible to determine the Reynolds number, estimate the intensity of dispersion from the appropriate correlation, and use the resulting value to determine the effective dispersion coefficient Del or I). Figures 8-32 and 8-33 illustrate the correlations for flow of fluids in empty tubes and through pipes in the laminar flow region, respectively. The dimensionless group De l/udt = De l/2uR depends on the Reynolds number (NRe) and on the molecular diffusivity as measured by the Schmidt number (NSc). For laminar flow region, DeJ is expressed by ... 

First, the potential exhibits a maximum or a minimum at a point or axis of symmetry. These locations can be the centerline of a slab, the axis of a cylinder, or the center of a sphere. Figure 1.2a and Figure 1.2b consider two such cases. Figure 1.2a represents a spherical catalyst pellet in which a reactant of external concentration Q diffuses into the sphere and undergoes a reaction. Its concentration diminishes and attains a minimum at the center. Figure 1.2b considers laminar flow in a cylindrical pipe. Here the state variable in question is the axial velocity v, which rises from a value of zero at the wall to a maximum at the centerline before dropping back to zero at the other end of the diameter. Here, again, symmetry considerations dictate that this maximum must be located at the centerline of the conduit. 

For turbulent flow in pipes the velocity profile can be calculated from the empirical power law design formula (1.360). Similar balance equations with purely molecular diffusivities can be used for a fully developed laminar flow in tubular reactors. The velocity profile is then parabolic, so the Hagen Poiseuille law (1.359) might suffice. It is important to note that the difference between the cross section averaged ID axial dispersion model equations (discussed in the previous section) and the simplified 2D model equations (presented above) is that the latter is valid locally at each point within the reactor, whereas the averaged one simply gives a cross sectional average description of the axial composition and temperature profiles. 

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