F. Reinke, C. Straube, J. Meyer, A. Dittler

In: Klahn, C., Meboldt, M., Ferchow, J. (eds) Industrializing Additive Manufacturing. AMPA 2023. Springer Tracts in Additive Manufacturing. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-42983-5_26

Additive manufacturing processes are gaining increasing attention in various gas cleaning applications since new process optimizations can be achieved (e.g. higher particle separation efficiency, lower process energy consumption and less entrainment of secondary aerosol into the clean gas).
When processing metals by grinding, brushing and polishing, submicron metal particles as well as airborne liquid droplets (e.g. oil droplets) may occur. These contaminants in the process air are undesired and need to be separated from the gas stream. Hence, new technologies are aiming to separate these submicron particles at a high particle separation efficiency and a comparatively low pressure drop.
By utilizing additive manufacturing processes in gas cleaning applications, novel 3D printed nozzle geometries for innovative wet separators can be applied. Using those nozzles as pre-separator, the service life of downstream filter elements can be extended.
Regarding the separation of airborne oil droplets from a gas stream, highly efficient coalescence filters are required. However, entrainment of secondary aerosols into the clean gas may ruin the overall filtration efficiency. Therefore, novel 3D printed support structures on the filter downstream side are developed in order to reduce this secondary aerosol, by applying e.g. drainage channels on the filter rear side to accelerate the drainage of oil.

n this contribution the implementation of additive manufactured parts in gas cleaning applications, exemplary for an innovative 3D printed wet-scrubber nozzle and novel 3D printed support structures for oil mist filters, are presented.