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Characterization of Simultaneous Heat and Mass Transfer Phenomena for Water Vapour Condensation on a Solid Surface in an Abiotic Environment—Application to Bioprocesses

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Abstract

The phenomenon of heat and mass transfer by condensation of water vapour from humid air involves several key concepts in aerobic bioreactors. The high performance of bioreactors results from optimised interactions between biological processes and multiphase heat and mass transfer. Indeed in various processes such as submerged fermenters and solid-state fermenters, gas/liquid transfer need to be well controlled, as it is involved at the microorganism interface and for the control of the global process. For the theoretical prediction of such phenomena, mathematical models require heat and mass transfer coefficients. To date, very few data have been validated concerning mass transfer coefficients from humid air inflows relevant to those bioprocesses. Our study focussed on the condensation process of water vapour and developed an experimental set-up and protocol to study the velocity profiles and the mass flux on a small size horizontal flat plate in controlled environmental conditions. A closed circuit wind tunnel facility was used to control the temperature, hygrometry and hydrodynamics of the flow. The temperature of the active surface was controlled and kept isothermal below the dew point to induce condensation, by the use of thermoelectricity. The experiments were performed at ambient temperature for a relative humidity between 35–65% and for a velocity of 1.0 ms−1. The obtained data are analysed and compared to available theoretical calculations on condensation mass flux.

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Abbreviations

T a :

Ambient temperature, in degree Celsius

T S :

Surface temperature, in degree Celsius

Tc :

Temperature constraint set on controller, in degree Celsius

Td :

Dew point temperature, in degree Celsius

L:

Characteristic length of the plate, in metres

N :

Mass flux, kilograms per square metre per second

D:

Binary diffusion coefficient at interface, in square metres per second

Tu :

Turbulence intensity of air, in percent

U :

Mean air velocity in the free stream, in metres per second

u :

Velocity fluctuations around U in the main flow direction, in metres per second

P :

Pressure, in kilopascals

Sh:

Sherwood number

Re:

Reynolds number

Sc:

Schmidt number

ρ :

Density, in kilograms per cubic metre

μ :

Dynamic viscosity, in pascals second

ω :

Mass fraction of water vapour in air

Δ :

Difference

ν :

Kinematic viscosity, in square metres per second

δ :

Boundary layer thickness, in metres

∞:

Value at ambient temperature or free flow temperature

wv:

Water vapour

s:

Surface or interface of air and flat plate

d:

Dew point

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Prof. Jean-Bernard Gros and P. Lafon, L.G.C.B. for fruitful discussions and the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES, France) for providing financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Génie Chimique et Biochimique (LGCB), Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, BP10488, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Akhilesh Tiwari & Jean-Pierre Fontaine

  2. UR Qualité des Produits Animaux, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), 63122, Saint Genès Champanelle, France

    Alain Kondjoyan

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  1. Akhilesh Tiwari
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  2. Alain Kondjoyan
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Correspondence to Akhilesh Tiwari.

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Tiwari, A., Kondjoyan, A. & Fontaine, JP. Characterization of Simultaneous Heat and Mass Transfer Phenomena for Water Vapour Condensation on a Solid Surface in an Abiotic Environment—Application to Bioprocesses. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 167, 1132–1143 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-012-9607-x

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