Experimental investigation of mass transfer performance of a 3D printed novel structured packing – SpiroPak

Abstract

Traditional structured packings used in petrochemical engineering are commonly constrained by their corrugated and sectional design, which may limit their hydrodynamic and mass transfer capabilities under certain conditions, leading to a growing need for innovative packings to overcome these potential constraints. This research studies the effectiveness of a novel 3D-printed structured packing, known as SpiroPak, specifically in the context of carbon dioxide absorption. It is observed that SpiroPak outperforms conventional commercial packing in terms of mass transfer efficiency. Extensive experimental data was gathered to compare packing performances under varying process parameters. The study included parametric analyses to explore the impact of gas and liquid loads, as well as CO₂ and NaOH concentrations. The results demonstrate that SpiroPak exhibits a 40 % more enhancement in mass transfer efficiency compared to conventional packing. Notably, the investigation into factors impacting SpiroPak's performance highlights that gas load has the most substantial impact on mass transfer compared to other operating conditions. This study presents a comprehensive comparison and benchmark of the packing performance, offering in-depth observations for optimising packing parameters and driving further advancements in this field.