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Highlights • A mesh-pin rotor was designed with the purpose of anti-blockage in RPB reactor. • Mass transfer model of RPB reactor with this rotor was established and validated. • The liquid holdup correlations of different zones in RPB reactor were proposed. • The RPB reactor with this novel rotor displays potential application prospects. Abstract A rotating packed bed (RPB) reactor with full stainless steel wire mesh packing loaded in the rotor has excellent mass transfer performance. However, it has the blockage problem when applied to the reactions with solid generated on the surface of the packing. In this work, a mesh-pin rotor (MPR), combining an inner wire mesh packing zone (IMZ) and an outer resin pin zone (OPZ), was designed with the purpose of anti-blockage for the first time, expecting to possess the high mass transfer performance of wire mesh packing and self-cleaning performance of cylindrical pins. With the assistance of liquid holdup measurement by X-Ray CT scan technology, a mass transfer model was proposed for the RPB reactor with MPR and the liquid-side volumetric mass transfer coefficient (k L a e) was measured by using an oxygen-water desorption system. The predicted results by the model showed good agreement with the experimental results within a deviation of ±20%, displaying potential application prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 3D multiphase CFD model of an RPB with wire mesh packing is developed. • Macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of the liquid flow are analysed. • Dynamic evolution processes of liquid droplet in the packing region are analysed. • The interfacial areas between different phases in the RPB are analysed. An in-depth understanding of the liquid flow characteristics in rotating packed beds (RPBs) is very important for the optimization and modelling of RPB reactors. However, the complex and dense packing makes it very difficult to accurately obtain the dynamic and detailed characteristics of liquid flow in RPBs through experimental methods. Therefore, this paper carried out a 3D gas–liquid flow CFD simulation of an RPB with structured wire mesh packing to obtain detailed liquid flow information. Detailed macro and micro characteristics of the liquid flow in the packing region of the RPB are obtained. The dynamic evolution processes of droplets are observed and analysed. A new flow pattern of "branch flow" is observed in the packing region. In addition, two typical liquid disintegration modes of liquid ligament-droplet disintegration and liquid bridge-droplet disintegration are observed, and the disintegration mechanisms are analysed. Finally, the effects of contact angle and rotational speed on the characteristic parameters are investigated, and the interfacial areas between different phases in the RPB are analysed. In both hydrophilic and hydrophobic packings, the wetted packing surface area is always less than the gas–liquid interfacial area, and their ratio decreases with the increases of contact angle and/or rotational speed, but increases with the increase of the liquid viscosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]