Liquid mean residence time (MRT) in rotating packed bed (RPB) by empirical correlation and residence time distribution (RTD) method using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation

Rotating packed bed (RPB) belongs to a HIGee technology, a process intensification device that can provide better mass transfer rate due to the generation of hyper-gravity under the influence of centrifugal force. While determining the efficiency of the RPB, the MRT of the liquid plays a vital role. The MRT of the RPB is very small and can be tuned in accordance with the mass transfer rate of the solvent to achieve the required outlet concentration of the absorbed gas. There exist two methods, i.e., empirical correlation and the residence time distribution (RTD) method. The applicability of both methods still needs to be investigated for better prediction of MRT in RPB. The current study compares the MRT of the two of the most widely employed techniques, i.e., MRT by empirical correlation and the RTD approach using the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The difference between the MRT by both methods lies between 30-38%. The results show that the RTD better predicts the MRT in the RPB as compared to the Burns empirical correlation.