A Numerical Study of Ammonia-Water Absorption Into a Constrained Microscale Film
A one-dimensional, steady state, semi-empirical model of an ammonia-water microscale bubble absorber is presented. The geometry consists of a microchannel through which a solution of ammonia-water flows. Ammonia vapor is injected through one of the walls of the channel. A counter flowing coolant solution removes the heat generated due to absorption from the opposite wall. The 1-D, steady state species and energy transport equations are solved to yield, along the length of the channel, concentration and temperature profiles of the solution stream and the temperature profile of the coolant fluid stream. Values for the overall heat transfer coefficient from experimental results are used in this model. A parametric study of fluid and geometrical parameters based on the model is presented. The varied fluidic parameters include the mass flow rates of the weak solution, coolant, and vapor, the inlet coolant temperature, and the weak solution concentration. Two variations of the vapor distribution that resulted from a geometrical variation of the porous plate are considered: (a) variation in length of the non-porous section, and (b) variation in the number of intermittent sections in which there was no injection of vapor. Trends of the parametric study were consistent with those of experiments. A salient result of the parametric study indicates that incomplete absorption occurs with an increase in weak solution flow rate due to the decrease in residence time within the microchannel for absorption. At a specific fixed flow condition, a single porous section followed by a non-porous section provides the optimal vapor distribution for absorption within the channel. The length of this non-porous section for optimal absorption within the channel is also determined using the model.