CFD Modeling on Hydrodynamic Characteristics of Multiphase Counter-Current Flow in a Structured Packed Bed for Post-Combustion CO2 Capture

Energies

Kozo Saito¹  Kunlei Liu¹  Li Yang²  Fang Liu² 

[1]Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA

[2]Key Laboratory of Coal-Based CO2 Capture and Geological Storage, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu, China

关键词: CO₂ capture;    structured packing;    CFD modeling;    multiphase counter-current flow;    hydrodynamics;   

DOI  :  10.3390/en11113103

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Solvent-based post combustion CO₂ capture is a promising technology for industrial application. Gas-liquid interfaces and interactions in the packed bed are considered one of the key factors affecting the overall CO₂ absorption rate. Understanding the hydrodynamic characterizations within packed beds is essential to identify the appropriate enhanced mass transfer technique. However, multiphase counter-current flows in the structured packing typically used in these processes are complicated to visualize and optimize experimentally. In this paper, we aim to develop a comprehensive 3D multiphase, counter-current flow model to study the liquid/gas behavior on the surface of structured packing. The output from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) clearly visualized the hydrodynamic characterizations, such as the liquid distributions, wettability, and film thicknesses, in the confined packed bed. When the liquid We (Weber number) was greater than 2.21, the channel flow became insignificant and flow streams became more disorganized with more droplets at larger sizes. The portion of dead zones is decreased at higher liquid We, but it cannot be completely eliminated. Average film thickness was about 0.6⁻0.7 mm, however, its height varied significantly.

【 授权许可】

Unknown