Simultaneous heat and mass transfer in absorption of gases in laminar liquid films

A theoretical analysis of the combined heat and mass transfer process taking place in the absorption of a gas or vapor into a laminar liquid film is described. This type of process, which occurs in many gas-liquid systems, often releases only a small amount of heat, making the process almost isothermal. In some cases, however, thet heat of absorption is significant and temperature variations cannot be ignored. One example, is in absorption heat pumps where mass transfer is produced specifically to generate a temperature change. The model analyzed describes a liquid film that flows over an inclined plane and has its free surface in contact with stagnant vapor. The absorption process at the surface creates nonuniform temperature and concentration profiles in the film, which develop until equilibrium between the liquid and vapor is achieved. The energy and diffusion equations are solved simultaneously to give the temperature and concentration variations at the interface and the wall.