Page 20 - 3D Metal Printing magazine Fall 2022

3D AM Ideal for Battling Climate Change
mization capability of AM toward these carbon capture and utilization systems, we have the potential to dra- matically boost performance and efficiency, approaching lossless energy.
• Design freedom—AM enables freedom of design to express the novel archi- tecture required to efficient- ly capture and process car- bon from the atmosphere, and do something useful with it.
• Performance—AM can produce parts from a range of high-temperature, cor- rosion-resistant alloys that possess high thermal con- ductivity.
• Scalability—Rapidly available via scalable man- ufacturing, AM can support the massive need in the field for equipment.
Fig. 1—An example of a stage-one mechanical filter, designed and additively manufactured to maximize air contact and capture.
Heat Exchangers
A common problem in carbon capture: heat waste. Carbon captured in the first direct-air-con- tact stage must be evac- uated from mechanical filters into downstream refinement stages. Often, this occurs via pressur- ized steam liberating the carbon from the filter. Heat exchangers can be applied to eliminate sur- plus heat from the steam- generation process, and more commonly down- stream to reduce the tem- perature of carbon-rich steam that exits the filter stage. Furthermore, novel heat-exchange strategies such as design of exchangers for AM pro- duction (Fig. 2), couple with downstream distil- lation and refinement steps to keep the process
• Supply-chain efficien-
cies —AM provides for part consolidation and monolithic design, allowing for streamlining of the supply chain. We cannot overlook the carbon foot- print of using multiple suppliers across the country to produce a single assembly.
with distributed production and opera- tion, it’s even more critical to make use of novel, compact turbine technology that enables high-efficiency, small-footprint operation.
Mechanical Filters
A critical component of carbon capture involves “catching” the carbon in the first place with a structured mechanical filter, typically coated with an amine that attracts carbon. Air is drawn into the sys- tem through the first stage, or the direct- air-contact stage.
Direct-air-contact filter efficiency can be maximized by filter structures that allow for maximum contact between incoming air and the filter surface. AM allows for the function-first design of such filters (Fig. 1), which can induce high levels of turbulence and mixing as well as high surface area for maximum air contact. The challenge: How do we create the max- imum amount of surface area with the least pressure drop?
at a stable temperature in order to sustain a chemical reaction and produce output carbon product.
Diffuser Plates
Diffuser plates, commonly applied in chemical processing, take and collimate, or align, some volume of gas or fluid. Fluid diffusion works similarly to the concept of light collimation, which takes a light source and organizes the energy so that light emits diffusely with parallel beam paths. Diffusor plates operate similarly to a garden-hose spray nozzle that turns a chaotic fluid flow into a structured and even flow. Liquid diffuser plates, impor- tant components of process stacks, ensure uniform flow and treatment of carbon- rich fluid as it flows through the process.
AM allows for large-volume diffusor plates to provide high-efficiency fluid dif- fusion primarily by enabling design com- plexity in diffusor-plate and diffusor-nozzle shape. Borrowing concepts from aerospace fuel-nozzle design and semiconductor and
AM satisfies all of the requirements for the production of DAC components and enables applications that address a variety of needs for carbon capture.
Microturbine Equipment
Microturbines, emerging in various industries including power generation, present an opportunity to provide high- pressure, high-efficiency gas and fluid conveyance in a small form factor, with a minimal energy/carbon footprint. Effi- ciency in carbon capture, much like in power generation, is a function of yield over energy input.
High-performance, reliable air com- pression and system-pressure stability are critical to the function of carbon-capture systems. As industrial carbon-capture sys- tems trend toward more commercial units
18 | 3D METAL PRINTING • FALL 2022
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