Hydrodynamics of gas flow in a rotating packed bed under floating motions: Experimental and simulation study

• The gas flow hydrodynamics in the RPB under floating motions was studied. • The alternation of the turbulence-enhanced and turbulence-weakened zone was found. • The influence mechanism was analyzed based on the gas velocity vector. As a typical process intensification device, a rotating packed bed (RPB) is promising for marine gas separation and purification. Previous studies have focused on the gas-phase characteristics of onshore RPBs without the function of floating motions. In this study, the effect of the six degrees of freedom floating motions on the gas-phase characteristics was investigated by experiments and simulation. Compared to the pressure drop under stationary conditions, the pressure drop under floating motions is generally lower and fluctuates. The heave motion causes a significant deviation and oscillation in the pressure drop. The simulation results revealed that the turbulence-enhanced zone (T-E zone) and the turbulence-weakened zone (T-W zone) appeared alternately and caused an evolution of the maldistribution factor. The floating motions enhance or weaken the radial, axial, and tangential slip velocities of the gas phase, which leads to the presence of a T-E/T-W zone and variation of flow direction. The results provided a deep understanding of offshore RPBs performance.