Pressure drop model for rotating packed bed structural internals

Chemical industry remains in a constant need for new technologies providing increased production which is clean and energy-efficient. Rotating packed bed is a novel technology, which intensifies interfacial mass transfer with the use of centrifugal force. Similarly to column processes, pressure drop is one of the major bottlenecks in rotating packed bed processes. In this work, a universal dry pressure drop model for rotating packed bed baffle-based structured internals was developed and validated using experimental data. The model is based on Darcy-Weisbach equations, and takes into account linear pressure drop due to friction, local drops due to changes in gas flow direction, and pressure drop due to rotation. Nine packings of varying diameters, as well as baffle shapes and sizes, were tested experimentally at varying rotational speeds and gas flow rates. To include differences in baffle geometries, the unifying shape factor was implemented, taking into account the volume of solid material and the cross-sectional area of the packing. The stationary pressure drop model predictions fit with maximum relative error below 15%, while the relative errors of the overall pressure drop predictions were below 18%.& COPY; 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Institution of Chemical Engineers. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creative-commons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Automated summary

The chemical industry requires new technologies for clean and energy-efficient production with increased yield. The rotating packed bed, a novel technology employing centrifugal force for enhanced mass transfer, faces pressure drop as a major challenge. In this study, a universal dry pressure drop model for rotating packed bed with baffle-based structured internals was developed and validated using experimental data. The model includes linear pressure drop due to friction, local pressure drops caused by changes in gas flow direction, and pressure drop due to rotation. Experimental tests were conducted with nine packings of varying diameters, baffle shapes, and sizes, at different rotational speeds and gas flow rates. By considering the differences in baffle geometries, a unifying shape factor was utilized, considering the solid material volume and packing cross-sectional area. The relative errors of the stationary and overall pressure drop model predictions were below 15% and 18%, respectively.