The rotating packed bed (RPB) has been widely used in gas-liquid flow systems as a process intensification device

exhibiting excellent mass transfer enhancement characteristics. However

the complex internal structure and the high-speed rotation of the rotor in RPB bring significant challenges to study the intensification mechanism by experiment methods. In the past two decades

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has been gradually applied to simulate the hydrodynamics and mass transfer characteristics in RPB and instruct the reactor design. This article covers the development of the CFD simulation of gasliquid flow in RPB. Firstly

the improvement of the simulation method in the aspect of mathematical models

geometric models

and solving methods is introduced. Secondly

new progress of CFD simulation about hydrodynamic and mass transfer characteristics in RPB is reviewed

including pressure drop

velocity distribution

flow pattern

and concentration distribution

etc

. Some new phenomena such as the end effect area with the maximum turbulent have been revealed by this works. In addition

the exploration of developing new reactor structures by CFD simulation is introduced and it is proved that such new structures are competitive to different ap

plications. The defects of current research and future development directions are also discussed at last.