Twin‐liquid film hydrodynamics govern scale‐up of spoked rotating disk reactors

Abstract Spoked rotating disk reactors (RDRs) are widely used for gas–liquid mass transfer in high‐viscosity systems, yet their scale‐up behavior remains poorly understood due to the complex hydrodynamics induced by window structures. In this study, computational fluid dynamics coupled with dimensional analysis is employed to investigate the scale‐up of spoked RDRs based on twin‐liquid‐film hydrodynamics. The introduction of opening windows generates a wall‐bounded film and a confined‐free film, enabling gravity‐driven stretching, film thinning, and strong normal‐velocity fluctuations that are absent on solid disks. The effects of fluid viscosity, rotational speed, and window geometry on film thickness, surface renewal frequency, and energy consumption are systematically analyzed. Dimensionless scaling laws are established, revealing that robust mass‐transfer enhancement for industrial RDRs is governed primarily by geometric optimization of window structures. These results provide a physically grounded framework for rational scale‐up of spoked rotating disk reactors.