Abstract
AbstractThe growing demand for flexible and compact separation technologies has promoted the application of high‐gravity technology, like rotating packed beds (RPBs). Mass transfer characterization and packing design play an important role in the development of this technology. This article provides a systematic approach towards the evaluation of packing and the development of advanced packing design for distillation in RPBs. For the latter, an additive manufacturing approach is used to develop a new Zickzack packing for RPBs. The new packing provides better mass transfer at reduced pressure drop compared to available conventional packings, while being competitive in terms of mass transfer with the industrially applied rotating zigzag bed at significantly reduced pressure drop.
Highlights
Fluctuations in customer demand bring new challenges to the chemical industry, requiring energy-efficient, cost-effective and modular processes
The mass transfer performance of the conventional packings in rotating packed beds (RPBs) is evaluated and the results are compared with literature data to provide validation and extend the comparison to other advanced packings
To analyze the mass transfer performance of the specific RPB, the number of theoretical stages (Nth) and the resulting HETP value are used as a measure of overall and packing-specific separation efficiency
Summary
Fluctuations in customer demand bring new challenges to the chemical industry, requiring energy-efficient, cost-effective and modular processes. A promising concept for intensified distillation equipment is the so-called high gravity (HIGEE) technology and rotating packed beds (RPBs) in specific, which have gained considerable attention in recent years, especially in Asia [2, 3]. They bear the potential for significant mass transfer improvements and extended operating window, compared to static equipment, providing compact equipment with added flexibility. In RPBs, the centrifugal force induced by rotation of a packed bed is exploited to intensify the contacting of a gas and a liquid stream, which is passing countercurrently through the packing It is claimed that the application of high shear forces creates thin films
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