Hydrodynamics of gas‐induced liquid flow in the outer cavity zone of a rotating packed bed

Abstract Understanding liquid dispersion in rotating packed beds (RPBs) is crucial for optimizing gas–liquid interfacial transport. However, the role of gas flow in liquid dispersion and droplet breakup remains unclear. In this work, gas‐induced liquid flow behavior in the outer cavity zone of an RPB with single‐layer wire mesh was systematically investigated using high‐speed visualization and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Effects of rotational speed ( N ), gas velocity ( u G ), gas–liquid incidence angle ( α ), liquid velocity, and viscosity on flow patterns, dispersion angles, Sauter mean diameter ( d 32 ), and interfacial area were evaluated. Two disintegration modes and a dimensionless transition criterion were established. Experiments and random forest predictions indicated that increasing N and u G enhanced liquid breakup, whereas decreasing α from 45° to −90° reduced d 32 by 18%–29%. CFD revealed that α = −90° yielded an orderly velocity field and maximum interfacial area. This study elucidated gas–liquid interaction mechanisms and informed RPB design.