An experimental apparatus based on laser induced fluorescence (LIF) technique for measuring interfacial Rayleigh convection in process of water-CO2 absorption was established. By fluorescein sodium and a calibration process
the correlation between the fluorescent light intensity and the concentration of CO2 in water was obtained
and thus an LIF method of quantitative measurement of CO2 concentration in water was established. By established installation and method
the concentration distribution evolution for the Rayleigh convection developed near the surface of water in the water-CO2 absorption process was investigated. Validation of the measurement results was made by checking with the critical value of Rayleigh number reported in literature. The experimental results were also used to analyze the transition mass transfer regime from molecular diffusion to convective diffusion
and the enhancement effect of the interfacial Rayleigh convection on the mass transfer process.