Abstract
A vertical array of corrugated copper plates was tested for its ability to conduct diffusion-controlled liquid-solid reactions. The mass transfer coefficient was investigated in terms of solution velocity, physical parameters of the solution, equivalent diameter of the channel, and array height. It was found that the mass transfer coefficient increases with increasing solution velocity and channel equivalent diameter while decreasing with increasing array height. Compared with flow through flat plates under the same conditions, flow across corrugated-plate channels enhanced the mass transfer rate by a factor of 2-2.72. Dimensionless analysis was used to correlate the mass transfer data. The present work finds wide practical applications in enhancing mass transfer in many processes, such as membrane separation processes, electrochemical processes, heterogeneous liquid-solid catalytic and photocatalytic reactions, and biochemical reactors in which enzymes or microorganisms are immobilized on such corrugated surfaces.