Evaluation of performance improvements through application of anisotropic foam packings in rotating packed beds


Evaluation of performance improvements through application of anisotropic foam packings in rotating packed beds

Gładyszewski, K.; Groβ, K.; Bieberle, A.; Schubert, M.; Hild, M.; Górak, A.; Skiborowski, M.

While there is a constantly increasing interest in HIGEE technology and rotating packed beds in particular for the intensification of gas-liquid and vapor-liquid mass transfer, especially in reactive systems, there is still a need for detailed investigations of the mass transfer and hydrodynamic performance. Classical isotropic single block packings, constructed from wired and knit mesh or foams constitute the most applied and investigated packings for absorption and stripping processes. Yet, the large geometric surface area which is offered by these packings can hardly be exploited to the full extend due to the constant change in gas and liquid loads along the radius of the torus-shaped packings. In order to overcome these limitations and extend the operating range and mass transfer performance of foam packings, the current study presents a detailed comparison of isotropic and anisotropic packings. The conducted pressure drop and mass transfer experiments, based on chemical absorption of CO2 with aqueous sodium hydroxide, illustrate the improved performance that can be expected from anisotropic packings, while dedicated gamma-ray computed tomography provides further insight into the improved liquid distribution for these kind of packings.

Keywords: Rotating packed beds; HIGEE; anisotropic; foam packings; mass transfer; hydrodynamic; computer tomography

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Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-30687
Publ.-Id: 30687