Numerical study of the enhancement produced in absorption processes using surfactants

A model that considers the Navier–Stokes equations is used to study the influence of surfactants, substances that improve heat and mass transfer in absorption machines due to Marangoni effect. For solving the free surface location a surface tracking method is used, and for the calculation of surface tension forces, a continuum surface forces model is employed. The coupled equations are solved using the SIMPLEC procedure. Two common surfactants for LiBr aqueous solutions, 1-octanol and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, are numerically tested and the absorption enhancement produced in a stagnant pool is compared with other researchersʹ results. For falling film absorption some other results are showed.