Preliminary Numerical Evaluation of Directly Heated Structured Packings to be Used for Separation Processes

ABSTRACT Separation processes, such as distillation and stripping, are highly energy‐intensive. Typically, energy is supplied indirectly via a reboiler, which is often associated with heat losses. We present a preliminary theoretical evaluation of a novel concept to supply energy directly inside the column using heatable structured packings. These packings can be produced by multi‐material 3D printing, resulting in a conductive inner layer and an insulating outer layer. Functioning as electric resistance heaters, these packings serve as heating elements. In this numerical study, we compared different scenarios of energy supply along the height of the column, including uniform distribution, applying a temperature profile, and using or omitting a reboiler.