Additive manufactured helical micro distillation units for modular small-scale plants

The design and manufacture of microstructured distillation equipment is challenging. Additive manufacturing has the potential to facilitate the creation of new, efficient equipment. Our design of modular distillation units with helical flow path demonstrates this potential. We examined the separation efficiency at total reflux with cyclohexane/heptane. Due to the design being ready for manufacturing, various variants with different geometric parameters, including channel height and number of turns, were investigated. The experiments revealed that the primary helical structure is critical to separation performance and that unit coupling can enhance separation efficiency. Additionally, the impact of the mounting angle on separation performance was studied and verified. Especially at low loads, a significant increase was observed. Cold flow experiments using transparent 3D-printed resin columns demonstrate the influence of tilting on flow and aid in understanding the effect. Characterizations throughout the entire operating range, up to the flooding point, conclude the research. • A novel modular additive manufactured distillation apparatus with helical flow path is successfully characterized. • Modular coupling of different units is possible. • Tilting of the units could increase the separation performance at low loads significantly. • HETP values of 13 mm are reached.