Abstract:
ABSTRACT. Experiments have been performed to investigate the heat loss and evaporation rate from an open-top tank of heated water that is also agitated vigorously by air bubbling through it. High consumption of electrical energy in heating the solutions for an electroplating process prompted this study; and the experimental set-up thus serves as a model for an electroplating tank in this process. Air is injected from the tank¿s floor, and an electrical heater is used to maintain water at a constant, elevated temperature, compensating the heat being lost to the surroundings. A heat transfer model is developed for the process and is seen to agree well with measurements. Water¿s evaporation rate is found to be proportional to the injected air flow rate, and that most of the supplied energy goes into evaporating the water.
