Air pulsed columns have proved to be the workhorse in nuclear reprocessing industry. Column internal design significantly affects the hydrodynamics and mass transfer rate in air pulsed columns. The majority of research in this field focuses on two commonly used plate internals: sieve plates and disc and doughnut plates. In this study, couple of novel designs of pulsed column internals named helical insert and baffled helical insert are reported. A 3D CFD model has been developed and hydrodynamics in each of these novel inserts/internals compared numerically. The computational approach involves solution of Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations along with realisable k-ε turbulence model for single-phase flow. The CFD-based approach has been validated with reported experimental data on axial velocity at a point in a pulsed disc and doughnut column (PDDC). Once validated the model is used to quantify key hydrodynamic features like recirculation zones, streamlines and pressure gradients. These features are compared for both designs of helical insert, and inferences are drawn so as to how these novel inserts affect pulsatile flow fields.