Rotating packing bed(RPB) has a better mixing performance than traditional mixers and shows potential application in the petroleum industry. However, acquisition of information about the mixing process directly through experiments is difficult because of the compact structure and complex multiphase flow pattern in RPB. To study the mixing characteristic, Fluent, the computational fluid dynamics(CFD) software, was used to explore the effect of airflow field on droplet diameter. For conducting calculations, the gas-liquid two-phase flow inside the packing was simulated with the RNG k-ε turbulence model and the Lagrange Discrete Phase Model(DPM), respectively. The numerical calculation results showed that coalescence and breakup of droplets can take place in the gas phase flow inside the packing and can be strengthened with increased rotating speed, thereby leading to the enlargement of the average diameter.
