Inner surface features for co-current contractors

A co-current contactor for separating components in a fluid stream, the co-current contactor comprising:

• an inlet section having a first inlet configured to receive a first portion of the fluid stream proximate to a first end of the co-current contactor and a second inlet configured to receive a solvent proximate the first end of the co-current contactor, the inlet section further including an inlet nozzle for atomizing the solvent into droplets and introducing the fluid stream;
• a mass transfer section configured to receive the first portion of the fluid stream and the solvent and to provide a mixed, two-phase flow;
• and
• a separation section that removes entrained liquid droplets from the mixed, two-phase flow;
• wherein the mass transfer section comprises a surface feature on a surface of an inner wall of the mass transfer section, the surface feature configured to reduce film flow along an inner wall of the mass transfer section, and wherein the surface feature comprises a porous wall surface, the porous wall surface having holes for injecting a second portion of the fluid stream into the mass transfer section, to thereby direct the mixed, two phase flow radially inward into the mass transfer section;
• and
• wherein no surface features are present in the inlet section.

A method of separating components in a co-current contactor, comprising:

• passing a first portion of a fluid into an inlet section of the co-current contactor;
• passing a solvent into the inlet section of the co-current contactor;
• using an inlet nozzle, atomizing the solvent into droplets and introducing the fluid stream, wherein the inlet nozzle places
• the first portion of the fluid in contact with the solvent to create a combined stream;
• passing the combined stream through a mass transfer section of the co-current contactor;
• impeding an amount of liquid from propagating along a wall of the mass transfer section using a surface feature of an inner wall of the mass transfer section, the surface feature being an integral part of the inner wall, and wherein no surface features are present in the inlet section;
• and
• separating the fluid from the solvent.