The Rotating Liquid Sheet (RLS) contactor is a new gas-liquid contacting device that is based on the formation of continuous liquid sheets in the shape of multiple blade8 or helices issuing from slots in a centrally rotating tube. The resulting rotating liquid sheets provide a high interfacial area of contact with the gas and are shaped in such a way that the rotation of the liquid sheet is able to pump the gas through the otherwise empty column at rates comparable to that seen in packed bed contactors. The centrifugal action of the device significantly reduces the entrainment of droplets, while the control of the generation of the liquid surface also makes the device suitable for solvents that are too viscous to be utilized in a packed bed or similar conventional contactors. This paper sets out the design equations for the RLS contactor, provides a basis for comparison with conventional contactors including packed beds consisting of random or structured packing. Experimental evidence for the pumping capacity and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling are applied to justify the performance of the RLS contactor and the choice of the design approach. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.