Effect of surface properties of corrugated packing of dehumidification tower on surface liquid phase distribution

•VOF model was established for typical structural unit in LiBr dehumidification tower.•The impact of fillers’ structure and wettability on liquid distribution was studied.•The impact of operating parameters on liquid holdup was quantified. The uniform distribution of liquid phase on the packing surface is necessary for the dehumidification tower to maintain high dehumidification performance and efficiency. In this study, the effect of the packing properties and operating parameters on the liquid distribution of the packing surface is studied using a VOF method, the wetting ratio and liquid holdup of the packing were used as the evaluation indexes for the liquid distribution. The results show that the surface structure and wettability of corrugated packing have influence on the liquid distribution. The flow pattern of the liquid on the flat slat is mainly film flow. The lateral spreading of the liquid flow and the overall wettability on the fine corrugated slat are more effective than that on the flat slat due to the presence of granule ripples on the fine corrugated slat which increases the wettability of the packing , and the results in a gradual increase of the wetted area . However, even under ideal conditions, the liquid cannot wet the packing surface completely. As the inlet velocity of the gas increases(i.e., 0.617—1.85 m/s), the disturbance from the gas to the liquid phase increases and hinders the overall flow of the liquid which further increases the wetting ratio and liquid holdup. As the inlet velocity of the liquid increases (i.e., 0.057 m/s—0.11 m/s), the liquid film width of the filler surface gradually increases, the wetting ratio and liquid holdup increases significantly. The study provides guidance for the optimal design of the dehumidification tower and the design as well as selection of the packing in the tower.