Mass Transfer Studies in a Pilot Scale RPB with Different Packing Diameters

Abstract

Rotating packed beds (RPBs) aim to intensify mass transfer processes by exploiting centrifugal forces. The limited use of RPBs in the chemical industry can be explained among others by missing comparative studies between state of the art equipment (e.g., packed columns) and RPBs to quantify the benefits that come along by the use of RPBs. The effective interfacial area, mainly dependent on the rotational speed, was found to be equal for both rotors (outer packing radii of 0.18 and 0.28 m, respectively) for rotational speeds larger than 20 s–1. The specific energy dissipation per provided interfacial area is newly introduced in order to link the pressure drop with the mass transfer. Compared to packed columns, the moles of CO2 absorbed per packing volume were found to increase by a factor of up to 3 in RPBs.