EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF HEAT TRANSFER IN ROTATING PACKED BED: CHARACTERIZATION AND OPTIMIZATION BY RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY (RSM)

Rotating packed beds (RPB) provide a more compact and efficient mass transfer compared to conventional packed columns by employing centrifugal acceleration to improve fluid flow and contact. Despite the analogy between heat and mass transfer processes, research into RPB applications in the field of heat transfer is currently limited. In the current study, the thermohydraulic performance of an RPB was experimentally analyzed for the evaporative cooling of water. Response surface methodology (RSM) was utilized for designing experiments and establishing regression equations between thermal performance parameters and operating parameters. Four crucial factors, including the flow rate of air, rotational speed, flow rate, and temperature of inlet water, were identified as input factors, and three performance indicators-pressure drop, cooling range, and cooling effectiveness-were chosen as the output responses. The central composite design (CCD) was utilized to generate the experimental runs with five levels of each factor. The resulting regression equations exhibit a strong fit to the data, with R-squared values exceeding 0.98. Plots of individual and interaction effects of significant factors on the performance parameters are presented.