Prediction of the performance of a spined-tube absorber. 1. Governing equations and dimensional analysis.

The falling liquid film has become a popular means of transferring heat and mass from a vapour to a binary liquid, especially in gas-fired heat pump systems. Ideally, the required amount of heat and mass transfer can be accomplished by using a simple cylindrical tube; however, increasingly stringent size and weight requirements for the machine generally prohibit use of the simple cylindrical surface and other, more complex, surfaces have been sought that are believed to have a higher absorption capacity. Thus, in this paper, absorption of water into a lithium-bromide-water film on a spine-finned or spiny tube is considered.