Flow pattern and CO2 absorption in a falling film reactor with mixed aqueous solution of ionic liquid and MEA

This work dealt with the effect of counter-current gas flow on the flow pattern transitions and CO2 absorption with the mixed aqueous solution of ionic liquid and MEA. The falling film was observed to take the form of “corner rivulet flow (denoted as CRF)”, “falling film flow with dry patches (denoted as FDP)” or “complete falling film flow (denoted as FFP)”. The flow patterns are significantly different between the cases of increasing the liquid flow rate gradually and decreasing the liquid flow rate gradually. The critical flow rate enlarged due to the increasing gas flow rate. The absorption rate RA increased with increasing liquid flow rate under the flow patterns of CRF and FDP. The utilization rate reached a peak at the critical liquid flow rate QCRF,CFF-FDP. Liquid mass transfer coefficient decreased with the increasing liquid flow rate under the flow patterns of CRF and FDP.