Numerical Investigation of Micro-Scale Mass Transfer in Stretched and Compressed Kelvin-Cell Packings for Shipboard Carbon Capture

Abstract

For shipboard CCUS facilities, the integration of chemical absorption columns is constrained by a limited vertical envelope, which motivates packings with axially stretched or compressed Kelvin cells to support compact layout and flow control. This study employs computational fluid dynamics to investigate microscale flow and mass transfer characteristics in Kelvin cells. A comparison among the regular Kelvin cell (RKC), the vertically elongated Kelvin cell (VEKC), and the vertically compressed Kelvin cell (VCKC) indicates that axial stretching and compression modify internal flow distributions and gas–liquid mass transfer during CO2 absorption. The liquid distribution transitions from a film along the struts with localized accumulation at the nodes in RKC to a continuous columnar stream in VEKC, and then to a stable hollow cylindrical liquid film promoted by lateral redistribution in VCKC. VCKC promotes a stable and expanded liquid film, whereas VEKC tends to induce columnar flow. Reducing the cell size and porosity improves mass transfer efficiency, and the liquid load governs mass transfer flux. These findings provide theoretical guidance for the design and optimization of compact packings for process intensification in shipboard carbon-capture applications.

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