Optimization of Corrugated Sheet Packing Structure Based on Analysis of Falling Film Flow Characteristics

Abstract

The falling film flow characteristics of a liquid on the surface of corrugated sheet packing are crucial for its mass transfer performance in various industrial applications. In this study, a falling film flow experiment with laser-induced fluorescence technology was conducted to validate the flow characteristics of a falling film simulated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The influences of Reynolds number (Re) and the packing structure on flow characteristics were analyzed with quantitative film thickness and wetted area obtained through three-dimensional simulation. The results show that the CFD model can accurately predict the liquid falling–film flow behavior and calculate the characteristic parameters. For sinusoidal corrugated sheets, when Re reaches 500, the groove flow changes into a rivulet flow along the adjacent ripples and the wetted area is at its largest, about 0.022 m2. However, relative to the geometric area of the corrugated sheet, the wetted area can only reach 20% of the surface area, and the overall wetting performance is still poor. Triangular and trapezoidal corrugated sheets were further proposed and proved to improve the wetting area compared with the sinusoidal sheet, with maximum increases of 23% and 9%, respectively. On this basis, extensive research was carried out on the corrugation angle. The results show that a triangular corrugated sheet with a 75° corrugated angle was more conducive to the flow of the liquid film, and the wetted area was 38.8% of the surface area.