Experimental measurements for the heat and mass transfer in laminar wavy film absorption with the presence of non-absorbables are presented. Water vapor was absorbed into a falling film of aqueous lithium chloride solution on a vertical tube with the air present in the gas phase acting as the non-absorbable whose concentration was accurately detected by a mass spectrometer gas analyzer. Although the depressing effect of the air on the absorption rate was much more significant in the low air concentration range, the absorption reduction rate with increasing air concentration was found to be lower than that reported previously. The reduction was found to be continuous even up to 30% of air content. Besides the non-absorbables, the effects of other operational parameters such as solution flow rate, inlet solution temperature, inlet solution concentration, absorber wall temperature, absorber water vapor pressure, and effective contact length on the absorption rate were also tested. These effects were shown to follow trends similar to those predicted by a numerical solution for smooth film absorption. The heat and mass transfer coefficients were correlated by using Reynolds number, Prandtl number, Schmidt number, capillary-buoyancy coefficient and air concentration.; This research was prompted by the need for a new design for the absorber of the open-cycle absorption solar cooling system. In this system the presence of air is unavoidable due, (1) to the exposure of the absorbent to the atmosphere in the solar collector/regenerator and, (2) to the absorbed or entrained air in the make up water (refrigerant).
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