Transport and Adsorption
Application ID: 5
This model demonstrates how to model phenomena defined in different dimensions in a fully coupled manner using COMSOL Multiphysics.
Whereas in most cases the reaction rate expression is defined as a function of the concentrations of the reactants and products, in adsorption reactions it is also necessary to model the surface concentrations of the active sites or surface complex. This implies that the mass balance in the bulk of the reactor must be coupled to the mass balance for species present only at the surface of the device. This device could be a catalyst, a biochip, a semiconductor component, or any process with surface-specific species.
In this particular case, the model involves a small parallel-plate reactor with an active surface. It is a simple example of surface diffusion and surface reactions coupled to the transport of species between the reacting surface and the surrounding volume.
Processes of this kind are found, for instance, in heterogeneous reactors and biacore chips.
This model example illustrates applications of this type that would nominally be built using the following products:
however, additional products may be required to completely define and model it. Furthermore, this example may also be defined and modeled using components from the following product combinations:
The combination of COMSOL® products required to model your application depends on several factors and may include boundary conditions, material properties, physics interfaces, and part libraries. Particular functionality may be common to several products. To determine the right combination of products for your modeling needs, review the Specification Chart and make use of a free evaluation license. The COMSOL Sales and Support teams are available for answering any questions you may have regarding this.