Rotating sorbent reactor

In this article a new method based on the Rotating Particle Separator (RPS) principle is introduced for the removal of gas phase contaminants by scrubbing liquids or sorbent particles. The rotating particle separator is a new device that can be used as a demister or a particle separator for micron-sized particles in a very efficient way. By combining the RPS with a cyclonic reactor the rotating sorbent reactor is created. As very small solvent droplets or sorbent particles can be used, a large interfacial area is created, reducing the mass transfer resistance to the outer surface of the particles, which reduces reaction time. Furthermore the diffusion lengths inside the particles are reduced. The combination of separation and fast reaction leads to a compact device and reduces energy consumption. After explaining the operating principle of the rotating sorbent reactor a model describing the adsorption mechanisms of gas-phase contaminants towards small-sized particles/droplets is presented. The results of this numeric model are validated with experiments performed at the University of Twente.