Slurry Bubble Column Reactor Research Articles

Modeling of a Slurry Bubble Column Reactor Using a Two-Phase Two-Bubble Class Approach—A Hydrodynamics Study

The slurry bubble column reactor (SBCR) is of particular interest in Fischer–Tropsch (FT) reactor modeling because of its importance to gas-to-liquids processes and the technical challenges it poses. Being one of the more important and complex FTS systems in use today, the current knowledge and understanding of the SBCR at a fundamental level, the hydrodynamics in particular, has to improve in order to improve its efficiency. Accordingly, a mathematical model of a SBCR has been developed in this work. The model is based on mass balances into which hydrodynamic, mass transfer, and kinetic parameters have been incorporated. The hydrodynamic model considers two distinct phases in the SBCR, namely the gas and slurry phases with the liquid and solid treated as a single pseudohomogenous phase. The gas phase in the reactor was assumed to exist in the form of distinctly large and small bubbles with each bubble class moving predominantly upward through the center of the reactor and down near the wall, respectively...

Effects of internals on fluid dynamics and reactions in pilot-scale slurry bubble column reactors: A CFD study for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

Effects of internals on the fluid dynamics and reaction performance in a pilot-scale slurry bubble column reactor (dc = 0.29 m, h = 4 m) for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis were investigated by CFD simulation in two stages: the first stage with only fluid flow and the second stage coupled with flow, mass transfer and reaction. At the same superficial gas velocity based on free area of column cross-section, the effects of internals on hydrodynamics, such as gas holdup, slurry large-scale recirculation and turbulent viscosity, were analyzed in the first stage. Considering the uncertainty of available mass transfer models, these models were evaluated first. These models differ in magnitude of volumetric mass transfer coefficient and relative mass transfer capacity of H2 to CO. The simulations indicated that, for the slurry column reactor simulated in this paper, the reaction performances simulated with different mass transfer models are similar, and the reactor is in the reaction-limited regime at the relatively low solid holdup condition. The presence of internals decreases gas holdup and reactant concentrations in the slurry phase but increases the mass transfer and reaction rates. Moreover, the syngas conversion and reactor productivity per unit volume are obviously enhanced with the increase of the number of internals.

Interfacial mass transfer limitations of the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis operated in a slurry bubble column reactor at industrial conditions

At high catalyst volume fractions the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) operated in a slurry bubble column (SBC) is driven into the mass transfer limited regime. This study utilized literature models for the gas-liquid mass transfer coefficients in a multifluid-population balance model in which the gas-phase composition was a function of bubble size. The results confirmed that mass transfer limitations occur and that the choice of mass transfer coefficient model is crucial, yielding final conversion results ranging from 45% to 92% depending on the choice of kL models. At smaller kL values the composition is highly dependent on bubble size, whilst for the largest kL values the composition is not a function of bubble size at all. The population balance modeling (PBM) allowed for explicitly keeping track of the bubble size distribution. Varying the inlet Sauter-mean diameter (SMD) resulted in a linear decrease in conversion as the inlet SMD was increased from 5 mm to 20 mm. Illustrative models for the bubble size dependency of kL were implemented, which provided additional information compared to traditional models which use (bubble size) averaged values for the liquid-phase mass transfer coefficient kL and/or the gas-liquid interfacial area a and composition.

Reliable prediction of heat transfer coefficient in three-phase bubble column reactor via adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system and regularization network

In the present article, generalization performances of regularization network (RN) and optimize adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) are compared with a conventional software for prediction of heat transfer coefficient (HTC) as a function of superficial gas velocity (5–25 cm/s) and solid fraction (0–40 wt%) at different axial and radial locations. The networks were trained by resorting several sets of experimental data collected from a specific system of air/hydrocarbon liquid phase/silica particle in a slurry bubble column reactor (SBCR). A special convection HTC measurement probe was manufactured and positioned in an axial distance of 40 and 130 cm above the sparger at center and near the wall of SBCR. The simulation results show that both in-house RN and optimized ANFIS due to powerful noise filtering capabilities provide superior performances compared to the conventional software of MATLAB ANFIS and ANN toolbox. For the case of 40 and 130 cm axial distance from center of sparger, at constant superficial gas velocity of 25 cm/s, adding 40 wt% silica particles to liquid phase leads to about 66% and 69% increasing in HTC respectively. The HTC in the column center for all the cases studied are about 9–14% larger than those near the wall region.

Novel Approach and Correlation for Bubble Size Distribution in a Slurry Bubble Column Reactor Operating in the Churn–Turbulent Flow Regime

A novel approach to obtain bubble size distributions and Sauter mean bubble diameters (d32) in three-phase slurry bubble column reactors (SBCRs) is presented. This approach is based on 720 experimental runs using the dynamic gas disengagement (DGD) technique for various gas–liquid–solid systems inside a pilot-scale-SBCR (0.3 m i.d./3 m height), in a wide range of pressures (1–30 bar), temperatures (298–530 K) and solid concentrations (0–17 vol %). The bubble size distributions were obtained using an iterative energy balance algorithm based on transient experimental pressure drops and forces exerted on bubbles in the disengagement cell. Bubble size distributions were described using log-normal distribution functions and the mean and variance were determined for the DGD runs. The mean and variance were correlated as functions of the system’s physical properties and operating conditions, and were used to predict d32 values with an absolute average relative error (AARE) of 11.72%. The approach was also applie...

Power to Fuels: Dynamic Modeling of a Slurry Bubble Column Reactor in Lab-Scale for Fischer Tropsch Synthesis under Variable Load of Synthesis Gas

This research developed a comprehensive computer model for a lab-scale Slurry Bubble Column Reactor (SBCR) (0.1 m Dt and 2.5 m height) for Fischer–Tropsch (FT) synthesis under flexible operation of synthesis gas load flow rates. The variable loads of synthesis gas are set at 3.5, 5, 7.5 m3/h based on laboratory adjustments at three different operating temperatures (483, 493 and 503 K). A set of Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) in the form of mass transfer and chemical reaction are successfully coupled to predict the behavior of all the FT components in two phases (gas and liquid) over the reactor bed. In the gas phase, a single-bubble-class-diameter (SBCD) is adopted and the reduction of superficial gas velocity through the reactor length is incorporated into the model by the overall mass balance. Anderson Schulz Flory distribution is employed for reaction kinetics. The modeling results are in good agreement with experimental data. The results of dynamic modeling show that the steady state condition is attained within 10 min from start-up. Furthermore, they show that step-wise syngas flow rate does not have a detrimental influence on FT product selectivity and the dynamic modeling of the slurry reactor responds quite well to the load change conditions.

Modeling and optimization of industrial Fischer–Tropsch synthesis with the slurry bubble column reactor and iron-based catalyst

Abstract To optimize industrial Fischer–Tropsch (FT) synthesis with the slurry bubble column reactor (SBCR) and iron-based catalyst, a comprehensive process model for FT synthesis that includes a detailed SBCR model, gas liquid separation model, simplified CO2 removal model and tail gas cycle model was developed. An effective iteration algorithm was proposed to solve this process model, and the model was validated by industrial demonstration experiments data (SBCR with 5.8 m diameter and 30 m height), with a maximum relative error

Process Simulation, Economic and Environmental Sustainability Assessment of a Gas-To-Liquids Process

Natural gas is recognized as one of the cleanest and most abundant fossil fuels. In the past decades, the price ratio of crude oil to natural gas has continuously fluctuated. The gas-to-liquid industry has received continuous interest due to the abundant supply of conventional and unconventional natural gas (shale gas, etc.), as well as the environmental advantages of FT technology. The GTL process chemically converts natural gas to long chain hydrocarbons (naphtha, diesel, wax, etc.) through three main steps, i.e., natural gas reforming, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS), and products upgrading. In this work, a rigorous simulation model including gas sweetening, syngas production, FTS, and product fractionation is provided. Among different routes for natural gas reforming and different reactors for FTS in a GTL process, autothermal reforming (ATR) and slurry bubble column reactor (SBCR) were chosen respectively, due to their advantages over other solutions. Meanwhile, the economic and environmental analyses were also conducted for the sustainability assessment of provided GTL process using Aspen Icarus and WAR software.

Modelling and simulation of a slurry bubble column reactor for green fuel production via hydrocracking of vegetable oil

A slurry bubble column reactor to produce green fuel through hydrocracking of vegetable oil with Ni-W/SiO2-Al2O3 catalyst was simulated in this research with the objectives being to obtain a mathematical model of the reactor and an optimum operation condition. The steady state two-dimensional axisymmetric model of the slurry bubble column reactor with the diameter of 2.68 m and height of 7.14 m was modelled by considering mass and heat transfers. The very small liquid superficial velocity reflects that the liquid phase is in batch-like operation. The gas of 0.01 m/s in superficial velocity flows upward to suspend and agitate the spherical catalyst particles of 100 μm in diameter inside the reactor. The reactor operated at 80 bar and 420°C. Triglyceride of 5% w/w in dodecane and hydrogen of 105.5 mol hydrogen/triglyceride enter the reactor from the bottom. The research also considered pressure drop and loading catalyst distribution inside the reactor. Simulation results show that the triglyceride conversion is 99.26%, the product yield is 40.68% w/w, and the product purity is 45.55% w/w.

Effects of Sparger and Internals Designs on the Local Hydrodynamics in Slurry Bubble Column Reactors Operating under Typical Fischer-Tropsch Process Conditions - I

Abstract Our rigorously validated Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model (Basha Omar, M., L. Weng, Z. Men, and I. Morsi Badie. 2016. “CFD Modeling with Experimental Validation of the Internal Hydrodynamics in a Pilot-Scale Slurry Bubble Column Reactor.” International Journal of Chemical Reactor Engineering 14(2):599–619), was used to predict the effects of spargers design and internals configuration on the local hydrodynamics and flow structure in a pilot-scale (0.3-m ID) and a large-scale (10-m ID) Slurry Bubble Column Reactors (SBCRs), operating under Fisher-Tropsch (F-T) process conditions. In the pilot-scale SBCR without internals, the 6-arms spider created small/fast liquid recirculations in the vicinity of the sparger and slow/large liquid recirculations at about 1.2 times reactor diameter, whereas, the 3-concentric-rings and perforated plate spargers created slow/large recirculations throughout the reactor. In the pilot-scale SBCR with internals, spargers with downward-pointing orifices created larger Sauter mean bubble diameters (ds), leading to more effective solids suspension when compared with those with upward-pointing orifices. Also, 3-concentric-rings spargers resulted in larger Sauter mean bubble diameter values when compared with those of 6-arms spiders. In the large-scale SBCR provided with a large 3-concentric-rings sparger, the effects of vertical parallel and bundled internals on the local hydrodynamics and flow structures were predicted. Bundled internals led to slower and smaller liquid recirculations, smoother radial gas holdup profiles, larger average gas bubbles size, and smaller local gas holdups, when compared those predicted when using parallel internals.

Novel gas holdup correlation for slurry bubble column reactors operated in the homogeneous regime

Abstract The gas holdup is an important parameter for the design of slurry bubble columns. However, there is no correlation in literature to calculate the gas holdup of such reactors for industrially relevant conditions if the reactor is operated in the homogeneous regime. In this article, a novel correlation for calculating the gas holdup in the homogeneous and in the pseudo-homogeneous regimes is proposed. The correlation takes the relevant parameters into account: gas, liquid, and solid properties, sparger design, reactor diameter, and gas velocity. The correlation is also applicable for systems operated at elevated pressure and temperature. The correlation is based on 1199 data points, and it was developed by using the method of least squares. About two thirds of the data used were taken from literature (more than 20 research papers). The data from literature were carefully checked for confidence before using them for the correlation. > 90 % of the data points are covered by the new correlation with a relative error of less than 30 %, the standard deviation is 17.8 % and the averaged relative error is 9.5 %. Finally, the correlation was successfully validated with measurements which were not used to fit the correlation. An Excel file for using the developed correlation can be found in the Supplementary material.

CO2 Methanation in a Slurry Bubble Column Reactor – Influence of the Liquid Phase on the Reaction Kinetics and Reactor Design

Chemie Ingenieur TechnikVolume 88, Issue 9 p. 1261-1261 Vortrag CO2 Methanation in a Slurry Bubble Column Reactor – Influence of the Liquid Phase on the Reaction Kinetics and Reactor Design J. Lefebvre, Corresponding Author J. Lefebvre jonathan.lefebvre@kit.edu Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Engler-Bunte-Institut, Chemische Energieträger Brennstofftechnologie, Engler-Bunte-Ring 1, 76131 Karlsruhe, DeutschlandKarlsruher Institut für Technologie, Engler-Bunte-Institut, Chemische Energieträger Brennstofftechnologie, Engler-Bunte-Ring 1, 76131 Karlsruhe, DeutschlandSearch for more papers by this authorDr.-Ing. S. Bajohr, Dr.-Ing. S. Bajohr Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Engler-Bunte-Institut, Chemische Energieträger Brennstofftechnologie, Engler-Bunte-Ring 1, 76131 Karlsruhe, DeutschlandSearch for more papers by this authorProf. Dr.-Ing. T. Kolb, Prof. Dr.-Ing. T. Kolb Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Engler-Bunte-Institut, Chemische Energieträger Brennstofftechnologie, Engler-Bunte-Ring 1, 76131 Karlsruhe, DeutschlandSearch for more papers by this author J. Lefebvre, Corresponding Author J. Lefebvre jonathan.lefebvre@kit.edu Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Engler-Bunte-Institut, Chemische Energieträger Brennstofftechnologie, Engler-Bunte-Ring 1, 76131 Karlsruhe, DeutschlandKarlsruher Institut für Technologie, Engler-Bunte-Institut, Chemische Energieträger Brennstofftechnologie, Engler-Bunte-Ring 1, 76131 Karlsruhe, DeutschlandSearch for more papers by this authorDr.-Ing. S. Bajohr, Dr.-Ing. S. Bajohr Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Engler-Bunte-Institut, Chemische Energieträger Brennstofftechnologie, Engler-Bunte-Ring 1, 76131 Karlsruhe, DeutschlandSearch for more papers by this authorProf. Dr.-Ing. T. Kolb, Prof. Dr.-Ing. T. Kolb Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Engler-Bunte-Institut, Chemische Energieträger Brennstofftechnologie, Engler-Bunte-Ring 1, 76131 Karlsruhe, DeutschlandSearch for more papers by this author First published: 29 August 2016 https://doi.org/10.1002/cite.201650028AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume88, Issue9Special Issue: ProcessNet-Jahrestagung und 32. DECHEMA-Jahrestagung der Biotechnologen 2016September, 2016Pages 1261-1261 RelatedInformation

Experimental studies of gas holdup in a slurry bubble column at high gas temperature of a helium−water−alumina system

In this paper, overall gas holdup is investigated experimentally for a helium gas at 90°C injected through a slurry of water at 22°C and alumina solid particles in a slurry bubble column reactor. This work examines the effects of superficial gas velocity, static liquid height, solid particles concentration and solid particle diameter, on the overall gas holdup of the SBCR. These effects are formulated in forms of empirical equations. From the experimental work, it is found that the overall gas holdup increases by increasing the superficial gas velocity with a higher rate of increase at lower superficial gas velocity. In addition, the overall gas holdup decreases by increasing the static liquid height and/or the solid concentration at any given superficial gas velocity. Moreover, at a higher solid concentration, the changing rate of the overall gas holdup with the superficial gas velocity and/or the solid concentration is lower. Furthermore, it is observed that the effect of the solid particle diameter on overall gas holdup is negligible.

CFD Modeling with Experimental Validation of the Internal Hydrodynamics in a Pilot-Scale Slurry Bubble Column Reactor

Abstract A multiphase-Eulerian, three-dimensional (3-D), computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was built to investigate the local hydrodynamics of a pilot-scale (0.29 m ID, 3 m height) Slurry Bubble Column Reactor (SBCR). The model was first validated against the gas holdup radial profiles in an air-water-glass beads system obtained in a 0.254 m ID and 2.5 m height column under ambient conditions at various superficial gas velocities by Yu and Kim (Bubble characteristics in the radial direction of three-phase fluidized beds. AIChE Journal 34, 2069–2072, 1988). The model was next validated against the gas holdup radial profile data for N2-Drakeol-glass beads system obtained in a 0.44 m ID and 2.44 m height reactor, including internals, operating under ambient conditions at various superficial gas velocities by Chen et al. (Fluid dynamic parameters in bubble columns with internals. Chemical Engineering Science 54, 2187–2197, 1999). The model was also validated against experimental data obtained in our lab for N2-Fischer Tropsch (F-T) reactor wax-Fe catalyst system obtained in a pilot-scale, Slurry Bubble column Reactor, SBCR (0.29 m ID, 3 m height) under pressures and temperatures up to 25.9 bar and 490 K, respectively. These three validations led to the selection of the turbulence and interphase drag coefficient models, and the optimization of the solution method, mesh size and structure and the step size. Moreover, the inclusion of RNG k-ε turbulence model coupled with the Wen-Yu (Mechanics of Fluidization. Chemical Engineering Progress Symposium Series 62, 100–111, 1966) / Schiller-Naumann (A drag coefficient correlation. Zeitung Ver. Deutsch. Ing 77, 318–320, 1935) drag correlations, and the mass transfer coefficients were found to provide the most accurate predictions of the experimental data. The CFD model was then used to investigate local gas holdup, liquid recirculation, local turbulence intensities, bubble diameters, and solids distribution throughout our pilot-scale SBCR, operating under typical F-T process conditions. The model predictions showed strong liquid recirculation and backmixing near the walls of the reactor, and the solid-phase velocity vectors closely followed those of the liquid-phase. A relatively high liquid turbulence intensities were observed in the vicinity of the sparger upon startup, however, after reaching a steady state, the liquid turbulence intensities became more evenly distributed throughout the reactor. The liquid turbulence intensities were slightly higher near the center of the reactor, and closely resembled the velocity vectors. Also, the Sauter mean bubble diameters increased, whereas the solids distribution decreased with reactor height above the gas distributor.

CFD simulations of direct contact volumetric heat transfer coefficient in a slurry bubble column at a high gas temperature of a helium–water–alumina system

In this paper, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are used to investigate the volumetric heat transfer coefficient in a direct contact heat transfer for a helium–water–alumina slurry bubble column reactor, where helium gas is injected at 90 °C through a slurry of water at 22 °C and alumina solid particles. This paper studies the effects of superficial gas velocity, static liquid height, and solid particle concentration on the volumetric heat transfer coefficient of the slurry bubble column reactor. In this study, it is assumed that the slurry inside the slurry bubble column is perfectly mixed, and the approach used to model the slurry bubble column by CFD is 2D plane. From the CFD results, it is found that the volumetric heat transfer coefficient increases by increasing the superficial gas velocity and decreases by increasing the static liquid height and/or the solid concentration at any given superficial gas velocity. Also, it is found that the rate of decrease of the volumetric heat transfer coefficient with the solid concentration is approximately the same for different superficial gas velocities. The results of CFD simulations were compared with experimental data from previous literature and show that the profiles of the volumetric heat transfer coefficient calculated from CFD models generally under-predict the experimental data. The CFD model correctly predicts the experimental effects of static liquid height and solid concentration on volumetric heat transfer coefficient.

Experimental studies of the transition velocity in a slurry bubble column at high gas temperature of a helium–water–alumina system

In this paper, the transition velocity is investigated experimentally for a helium gas at 90°C injected through a slurry of water at 22°C and alumina solid particles in a slurry bubble column reactor. This paper examines the effects of superficial gas velocity, static liquid height and solid particles concentration, on the transition velocity of the SBCR. From the experimental work, it is found that the transition velocity between homogeneous and churn turbulent flow regimes, decreases by increasing the static liquid height and/or the solid concentration. It is also found that there is no slug flow regime in the industrial slurry bubble column reactors.

Hydrodynamics of organic and ionic liquids in a slurry bubble column reactor operated at elevated temperatures

Hydrodynamics (e.g. gas holdup, bubble size, and flow regime) significantly influences the performance of slurry bubble column reactors. In this work, the influence of gas, liquid, and solid phase properties on the hydrodynamics was investigated at temperatures up to 573K and pressures up to 0.5MPa. Amongst the investigated liquids, the hydrodynamic behavior of ionic liquids at elevated temperatures is ruled by their high surface tension leading to small gas holdups and formation of large bubbles compared with heat transfer oils.The solids strongly influence the hydrodynamics but their effects are still not fully understood. Therefore, the behavior of solids was investigated in this work. The results indicate that small concentrations of fine particles reduce bubble coalescence and subsequently stabilize the homogeneous regime. However, the primary bubble size increases with the addition of solids. Furthermore, it has been shown that the gas holdup decreases with an increasing difference between particle and liquid density.

A new efficient empirical correlation for filtrate flux in slurry bubble column reactor of a gas-to-liquid process

Gas to Liquid has recently become of great interest. In this technology slurry bubble column reactors are favored for many reasons. Separation of liquid wax from the slurry is still a major problem that may be done by internal or external filtration. A system of sintered metal candle filters are designed and operated to collect experimental data of internal filtration. Data for 4 and 8 micron filter elements with different pressure differences and kinematic viscosity were collected. Data analysis revealed that these data could be correlated as a simple function of time, pressure drop and kinematic viscosity. This new and efficient correlation shows excellent ability to reproduce original data at moderate filtration conditions, but it is less precious in severe conditions. It was understood that main reason for this behavior is different filtrate flux regimes through filter media pores, led to inability of a single correlation to fit both regimes properly.

Experimental studies of direct contact heat transfer in a slurry bubble column at high gas temperature of a helium–water–alumina system

In this paper, the direct contact heat transfer is investigated experimentally for a helium gas at 90 °C injected through a slurry of water at 22 °C and alumina solid particles in a slurry bubble column reactor. This work examines the effects of superficial gas velocity, static liquid height, solid particles concentration and solid particle size, on the volumetric heat transfer coefficient and slurry temperature of the slurry bubble column reactor. These effects are formulated in forms of empirical equations. From the experimental work, it is found that the volumetric heat transfer coefficient and the slurry temperature increase by increasing the superficial gas velocity with a higher rate of increase at lower superficial gas velocity. In addition, the volumetric heat transfer coefficient and the slurry temperature decrease by increasing the static liquid height and/or the solid concentration at any given superficial gas velocity. Furthermore, it is found that the rate of decrease of the volumetric heat transfer coefficient with the solid concentration is approximately the same for different superficial gas velocities, and the decrease of the slurry temperature with the solid concentration is negligible.

Numerical modeling of carbon dioxide chemisorption in sodium hydroxide solution in a micro-structured bubble column

Gas–liquid flows with solid catalyst particles are encountered in many applications in the chemical, petrochemical, and pharmaceutical industries. Most commonly, two reactor types, slurry bubble column (SBC) and trickle bed (TB) reactors are applied for large scale in the industry. Both of these types of reactors have some disadvantages limiting their efficiencies. To overcome the aforementioned disadvantages, a novel reactor type, micro-structured bubble column (MSBC), is proposed in Jain et al. (2013). In the MSBC, micro-structuring of the catalyst carrier is realized by introducing a static mesh of thin wires coated with catalyst inside the column. Wires also serve the purpose of cutting the bubbles, which in turn results in high interfacial area and enhanced interface dynamics. Moreover, the static catalytic mesh ensures lower cost by avoiding filtration of catalyst particles. In this paper, the MSBC is numerically studied using the hybrid volume of fluid – discrete bubble model (VOF-DBM) presented in Jain et al. (2014). The VOF-DBM is extended with a description of wire–meshes and the bubble cutting algorithm as introduced in Jain et al. (2013). Furthermore, a model for mass transfer with chemical reaction as developed by Darmana et al. (2007) is included in the model to study the impact of the wire–mesh and bubble cutting on the chemical reaction rate. In this work, first the model implementation and results are verified for a wide spectrum of parameters from the data available from previous studies, analytical results and experimental findings. Subsequently the model is applied to carry out a parameter study on the chemisorption of CO2 in a NaOH solution, employing different mesh configurations. Since the reaction chosen here is very fast, mass transfer is the limiting step. It is found that the mass transfer can be considerably increased by stacking multiple meshes in the column.