Randomly packed 3D printed absorption column load designing to increase the absorption efficiency

Abstract

This thesis investigates how 3D-printed random packings influence CO2 absorption efficiency and hydrodynamic behavior in a laboratory-scale packed column. Three packing geometries created by scaling the same original design, were tested to evaluate the effects of surfacr area and porosity on mass transfer. The results show that smaller packings with higher specific surface area significantly improved efficiency-reaching nearly 20%, while also reducing pressure drop. These findings algn with the two-film theory, which predicts enhanced mass transfer with thinner liquid films and larger interfacial area, and with the Ergun equation, which explains the lower hydraulic resistance at higher porosity. Comparisons with literature demonstrate that 3D-printed packings can outperfom conventional packings such as rasching or pall rings in both efficiency and energy demand.