Advances in design, scale and operability of the Rotating Liquid Sheet (RLS) contactor: Pressure drop, flood-point and mass transfer – Comparison to random packing

• Published in: Chemical engineering research & design 2024-03, Vol.203, p.83-98
• Main Authors: Wardhaugh, Leigh T., Corsi, Clothilde, Fernandes, Debra, Green, Phil, Grillmeier, David, Li, Lichun, Maher, Dan, Pourkhesalian, Ali, Solnordal, Christopher B., Zhao, Yanyan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Absorption; Carbon-capture; Flood-point; Foaming; Water-bell
• ISSN: 0263-8762
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cherd.2024.01.036

The Rotating Liquid Sheet (RLS) contactor is a novel packing-less gas-liquid contactor where multiple continuous liquid sheets form at the outlet of helical slots in a rotating central feed tube. Each liquid sheet is auger-shaped, and the rotation of the feed tube transfers momentum from the sheets to the gas. Multiple sheets travel in parallel to arrive unbroken at the column wall. The gas travels through the space between adjacent sheets providing close contact between the gas and liquid. Careful design ensures that liquid sheets travel in parallel arcs, enabling scale-up from 150–600 mm diameter column, a size suitable for the speciality chemical or pharmaceutical industries. Pressure drop and flooding measurements using an air/water system compared the RLS contactor with 25 mm Pall Rings. Results for the Pall Rings matched expected performance, while RLS contactor pressure drop was 10% of that measured for the Pall Rings. Mass transfer experiments using an air+CO2/NaOH solution system showed measured mass transfer coefficients using the RLS contactor were comparable to a packed bed (25 mm Pall Rings) of similar specific surface area, while foaming in the packed bed did not occur in the RLS contactor using the same liquid sample. The RLS contactor also displayed minimal entrainment. [Display omitted] •Rotating Liquid Sheet contactor matches the active surface area of regular packing.•Mass transfer rates match or exceed regular random packing material.•Pressure drop is only 10% of that of regular packing at high liquid loads.•Much higher gas loadings are possible without foaming, flooding, or entrainment.•Testing to diam = 600 mm, suitable for speciality chemical production processes.