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Heat transfer and reaction in laminar tube flow
Author(s) -
Rothenberg R. I.,
Smith J. M.
Publication year - 1966
Publication title -
aiche journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1547-5905
pISSN - 0001-1541
DOI - 10.1002/aic.690120204
Subject(s) - nusselt number , laminar flow , thermodynamics , chemistry , exothermic reaction , heat transfer , endothermic process , diffusion , laminar flow reactor , heat transfer coefficient , mechanics , open channel flow , reynolds number , turbulence , physics , adsorption
An analytical study was made of the temperature and composition distribution and heat transfer characteristics for a reacting fluid in a tube. The reaction was assumed to be first order and irreversible and the flow to be laminar. The results, which consisted of radial and axial profiles of temperature, composition, and Nusselt number could be expressed in terms of four parameters. The gradient of radial composition was usually sufficient to judge the effect of reaction on the heat transfer coefficient. Owing to residence time and temperature effects, the Nusselt number even for an exothermic reaction was usually greater than that for an inert system. For endothermic cases, the energy flux due to diffusion increases the total energy flow, and the Nusselt number may be several fold that in the corresponding nonreactive system. For certain values of the parameters the radial temperature and composition profiles showed maxima and minima between the wall and center of the tube. At these conditions the direction of the flow of energy due to diffusion could not explain the increase in Nusselt number.