Evaluation of performance improvements through application of anisotropic foam packings in rotating packed beds

Abstract Constantly increasing interest in HIGEE technology and rotating packed beds require detailed investigations of the mass transfer and hydrodynamic performance. Classical isotropic single block packings constitute the most applied and investigated packings for absorption and stripping processes. Yet, the large geometric surface area which is offered by these packings can hardly be exploited to the full extent due to the constant change in gas and liquid loads along the radius of the annular packings. In order to overcome these limitations and extend the operating range and mass transfer performance of foam packings, the current study presents a detailed comparison of isotropic and anisotropic packings. The conducted pressure drop and mass transfer experiments, based on chemical absorption of CO2 with aqueous sodium hydroxide, illustrate the improved performance that can be expected from anisotropic packings, while dedicated gamma-ray computed tomography provides further insight into the improved liquid distribution for this kind of packings.