Enhanced mass transfer in microgeometry using pulsating velocity inputs: Hydrodynamic analysis and numerical simulation

The current work focuses on the performance of hydrodynamics and mass transfer in a microchannel. A hydrodynamic model is developed for a gas–liquid (CO2–water) system and slug flow pattern. For the first time in literature, a concept of pulsating velocity input is introduced in an enhanced cross-T-junction microchannel to study the mass transfer using the physical absorption mechanism in ANSYS FLUENT R2 2024. The mass transfer model is associated with the hydrodynamic model and some user-defined functions in FLUENT. This work demonstrates that incorporating obstructions and applying trapezoidal and sinusoidal wave inputs improve the CO2 absorption rate. The obtained data are further compared with the plain T-junction microchannel in terms of mass transfer coefficient. Solubility of CO2 in three different solvents (ethyl alcohol, water, and ethylene glycol) has been revealed in an enhanced cross T-junction microchannel at two different temperatures, i.e., 298.15 and 303.15 K. The numerical simulations illustrate that an increase in temperature has an adverse effect on the mass transfer rate.