Characteristics of Flow in a Rotating Packed Bed (HIGEE) with Split Packing

Abstract

The high centrifugal force field in a rotating packed bed (HIGEE) permits the use of packing with a large surface area and enhances the liquid-side mass-transfer coefficient. However, the gas-side mass-transfer coefficient is in the same range as that of the conventional packed columns. Recent studies indicate that the tangential slip velocity between the gas and the packing is negligible. We have split the packing into annular rings to rotate adjacent rings in the counterdirection to promote the tangential slip velocity in the range of 5−30 m/s and to enhance the gas-side mass-transfer coefficient. In this work, we present the frictional and centrifugal pressure drops and the tangential slip velocity of the gas in a HIGEE with split packing. Counter to intuition, the total pressure drop with counterrotation of the rings is found to be less than that with corotation of the rings.