Optimization of a Concentric-Ring Rotating Packed Bed for Enhanced Offshore Natural Gas Dehydration

Facing the harsh offshore environment characterized by severe space constraints and continuous platform motion, this study develops an optimized rotating packed bed (RPB) for compact and robust triethylene glycol dehydration. Through integrated experimental and computational investigation, the concentric-ring rotor was identified as superior among four configurations, consistently achieving dehydration equilibrium above 80% under lean TEG conditions. CFD analysis revealed its fundamental mechanism: synergistic matching between the centrifugal force field and annular flow paths yields the most uniform liquid distribution. This enabled the establishment of a strong predictive correlation (R2 = 0.935) between simulated liquid uniformity and experimental dehydration performance. Guided by flow field diagnostics, targeted structural optimizations increased dehydration equilibrium from 86.1% to 92.25% while reducing system pressure drop by 73%. Parametric studies defined an optimal operating envelope at a gas-to-liquid ratio of 60:1 and system pressure of 2 MPa, achieving peak efficiency of 96.42% with robust performance across 50–150% load variations. This work demonstrates a simulation-guided pathway for intensifying separation processes, providing a validated framework for designing marine-adapted dehydration technology.