Process Intensification in Distillation using HiGee Rotating Packed Bed

Abstract

For decades, improving the gas-side mass transfer coefficient in rotating packed beds has been a formidable challenge. Distillation, often limited by gas-phase resistance, requires substantial innovation to enhance these coefficients. Rotating packed beds offer a distinct advantage over conventional columns, primarily due to the intense micro-mixing within fluid channels. This micro-mixing significantly boosts mass transfer between phases and facilitates rapid attainment of steady-state conditions, making them a superior choice for processes where gas-side resistance is the bottleneck. The current study emphasis on the mass transfer performance of rotating packed for acetone water system with two different packing materials viz., wire mesh and ceramic beads. Working principle of HiGee, typical flow pattern, modeling equations have been discussed in this paper. The effects of rotational speed, gas flow rates and radial thickness of the packing on mass transfer performance were also investigated. The mass transfer coefficients of the rotating packed bed HiGee were increased with increasing the rotational speed. The Height Equivalent to Theoretical Plates (HETP) of the rotating packed bed used in this study was 5-6 times less than the conventional packed columns. This study contributes to significantly advancing the industrial applications of rotating packed beds.