Shorter Communications 165

by: This equation is tested against the data from this work in
Fig. 2.
V = 1.2 V, + 0.35 &$)I’*. (1) In order to confirm this applicability of eqn (4) at low
liquid flows data from Hills’ work which cover the range of
If the bubbly mass in the centre of the pipe behaves like a superficial liquid velocities from 0 to 0.25 m/set in 0.15 m
slug then its velocity can be approximated by a similar diameter pipes have also been plotted in Fig. 2 and can be
expression: seen to be consistent with the correlation.

V, = I .2 v, + 0.35 (g&)“2. (2) ICI PLC Agriculrural Division D. G. SHIPLEY

Process Technology Section
The voidage of the “slug” appears in the expression because Research & Demlo~ment Department
the density difference driving the slug will be less than in the P. 0. Box 1, Billingham
case of a slug of gas. This “slug” does not have a clearly Ckveland, TS23 I LB
defined boundary like Nicklin’s slugs and gas bubbles will England
be able to rise through it with relative velocity of 0.24 m/set.
so: NOTATION
pipe diameter
. V, = 0.24 + 0.35 (~Dc$‘~ + 1.2 V,. (3) gravitational acceleration
gas velocity = Y&t
cs was not known, so the mean voidage was used in its place. superficial gas velocity
With this alteration eqn (3) was found to fit the data when superficial liquid velocity
there was no water flow. For the cases with a nett flow of VG, •t VU
water the predicted value of VG was too high. One possible voidage
explanation of thus is that when there is significant n&t
liquid flow the slug type flow pattern is disturbed. The degree REFERENCES
of disturbance might be expected to depend on the momen- [l] Nicklin D. J., Chew. Engng Sci. 1962, 17. 693.
tum terms so the slug velocity in eqn (3) will be multiplied [2] Nicklin D. J., Wilkes J. 0. and Davidson J. F., Trans.
by (V,,/ VM)’ to give: Inst. Chem. Engrs 1962 40 61.
[3] Hills J. H., Chem. Engng J. 1976 12, 89.
V, = 0.24 + 0.35 (VGm/VM)z(g~c)L’z+ 1.2 Vu. (4)

oolw2509/&1 33M + .w
$3 1984 Pergamon Prew Ltd.

Entrance region lengths of lambmc falliig films

(Received 6 October 1982; accepted 21 February 1983)

A considerable attention has been paid to the determination of The dynamic balance of stresses at the interface including the
hydrodynamic entrance length of a falling liquid fihn[l-31. This effect of surface tension may be expressed as
problem is of practical interest in the analysis of flow through the
packing and in ihe towers with the wetted-wall for distillation
and absorption, film coolers, evaporators, reactors, etc. (6)
The purpose of this work is the prediction of hydrodynamic
entrance length of a fajling liquid film as a function of physical
fory=handx>O.
properties of liquid, film thickness at the flow commencement
and angle of inchnation of a flat plate.

ANALYSIS (7)
The steady liquid motion, for llow situation illustrated in Fig. 1,
is described by the following system of Navier-Stokes and
fory=handx>O
continuity equations
,,_e i= dbldx
dx R (l+ b’)“.

while the kinematic surface condition that expresses the fact that
the free surface is a streamline is given as

Q-l,” udy=const (8)

The no slip condition at solid surfaces yield the following where h = h(x) is the equation of the free liquid surface.
boundary conditions On the basis of physical nature of the problem system (l)-(3)
and boundary conditions (4)-(8) may be simplified. it is clear that
u=O,v=Ofory=Oandallx (4) the entrance length L is markedly greater than the constant film
thickness h,, i.e. L/L = n 4 1. Therefore, neglecting the terms
u = 0, a = 0 for y = ha and x =S0. (5) estimated as O(n2) with respect to other terms, system (l)-(3)
166 Shorter Communications

Q = Id’u dy = const.
The eqns (9)_(10) may be integrated with respect to y if the
semiparabolic velocity distribution is assumed

which coincides with the exact solution for the laminar film of
constant thickness. It is anticipated that the initial parabolic
velocity profile at the slit outlet is re-arranged very rapidly in a
“similar” semi-parabolic profile.
Therefore eqn (9) may be transformed into the form

Fig. 1. Entrance region of a falling film.

may be reduced lo

The constant flux condition along the entrance length may be

expressed as
(11)

where the term v(d2u/axz) is included because it represents the

curvatures of flow lines. Similarly, the boundary conditions (4)-
Using eqn (19) the function U(x) can be substituted in eqn (18)
(8) are reduced to by the function h(r) and it yields

rr=O,u=Ofory=Oandallx (12)
u = 0, u = 0 for y = ha and x ~0 (13)

$=Ofory=handx>O (20)
(14)
By introducing the dimensionless variables

fory=handx>O 05)

rheary this work

Theory Stiicheli and tizisik [3]

Theory Vilmaz and Brauer [A]

Theory Cerro and Whitaker [l]

.q,= 368
Fullord’s data, tram [L]
ao = 1.85

c1,, = 0.47 Whitaker and Cerro’s dota.[E

ot I I 1 , I

cl05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 035 ,

XRe

Fig. 2. Comparison of theoretical and experimental values of the film thickness.

 Shorter Communications 167

0,05 O,l o,l5 02 Xb

Fig. 3. Dimensionless film thickness as a function of Xn, for various values of physical properties parameter y,

the eqn (20) is reduced to the following ordinary differential NfYTATION

equation a dimensionless film thickness h/h,
au dimensionless .film thickness ho/h,
Y ,d3a 3 d2a acceleratmn ot gravny
3mRem(sin H)m a P-Z aG ho, h, h”, film thickness at x = 0, x and xa respectively
L entrance length
n ratio h-/L
P pressure of liquid
where PO static pressure of air
Q liquid flux
Re = Q/Y Reynolds number
u velocity of liquid in the x-direction
” velocity of liquid in the y-direction
JAY rectangular coordinates
Equation (21) was integrated over the entrance length from the
beginning of the constant film thickness up to the slit. By using a dimensionless coordinate
fourth-order Rung+Kutta method eqn (21) was solved numeric-
ally with the initial conditions dimensionless x coordinate
a= I + + a’ = -e,a” = E. (22)
RESULTSANDDISCUSSION
Though obtained solutions tetid to underpredict the length of
the entrance region, a comparison of results obtained in this dimensionless parameter a/&~~)~“’
work both with experimental data and previous analysises, dynamic viscosity of liquid
presented in Fig. 2, shows a satisfactory agreement. The varia- kinematic viscosity of liquid
tion of the dimensionless film thickness a as a function of the density of liquid
dimensionless distance X,, along the plate for several different angle of inclination from the horizontal
values of the physical properties parameter y is presented in Fig. surface tension
3.
The present work demonstrates theoretically that a difference
of physical properties for each liquid results not in a single curve
but in a family of curves for a vs XR~.This is in our opinion the
main advantage of present paper in comparison with previous
analysises. REFERENCES

Faculty of Technology
University of Noui Sad
Yugoslavia
*Author to whom correspondence
[‘I Cerro R. L. and Whltaker S., Chem. Engng Sci. 1971 26 785.
M. N. TEKIc* [21 Murty N. S. and Sastri V. M. K., Chem. Engng Sci. 1973 28
D, POSARAC 869.
D. PETROVIi: PI Stiicheli A. and ijzisik M. N., Chem. Engng Sci. 1976 31 369.
I41 Yilmaz T. and Brauer H., Chem.-lng.-Technik 1973 45 928.
should be addressed. [51 Whitaker S. and Cerro R. L., Chem. Engng Sci. 1974 29 963.