Mass transfer characteristics of a cocurrent multistage vibrating disk column are studied by the absorption of pure carbon dioxide into water. Axial mixing in the liquid phase is taken into account by using a back-flow model.
Disk vibration definitely enhances the mass transfer rate at low gas velocity and high liquid velocity. On the other hand, at high gas velocity and low liquid velocity, disk vibration does not noticeably improve the mass transfer characteristics, and even worsens them in some cases.
The increase in absorption rate by disk vibration can be well estimated by information on the gas holdup characteristics, the mass transfer characteristics without vibration, the gas bubble size data and the axial mixing characteristics in the liquid phase.