Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS) structures have recently attracted attention as novel structured packings for intensified gas–liquid contact, where efficient liquid distribution is critical for mass transfer performance; however, their liquid distribution characteristics remain poorly understood. In this study, liquid maldistribution was systematically investigated in seven TPMS packings—Diamond, Gyroid (sheet-network, 75% and 85% porosity), solid-network Gyroid, Primitive, Fischer–Koch S, and I-WP—to evaluate the effects of topology, porosity, and network architecture. Experiments were conducted in a laboratory-scale column under steady-state conditions at three liquid flow rates (300, 580, and 1180 mL·min⁻¹), corresponding to liquid loads of 27, 56, and 108 m³·m⁻²·h⁻¹, using single- and five-inlet configurations. Liquid distribution was quantified using a 13-segment collector, and the maldistribution factor ( M f ) was used as the performance metric. Results show that increasing liquid flow rate and the number of inlets consistently reduced maldistribution, although the extent of improvement strongly depended on topology. Sheet-network structures with high channel interconnectivity, particularly Gyroid and Fischer–Koch S, exhibited the most uniform distribution, with M f reductions of up to 61% and 41%, respectively. Increasing Gyroid porosity from 75% to 85% further enhanced uniformity, yielding the lowest M f (0.262). In contrast, geometries with limited lateral connectivity, such as Primitive, I-WP, and solid Gyroid, showed more pronounced maldistribution, though reductions of 17–30% were still achieved. These findings demonstrate the critical role of TPMS topology and porosity in governing liquid distribution and provide practical guidance for the design of TPMS-based packed columns, where conventional correlations may not be directly applicable. • Gyroid 85% shows most uniform distribution with M f = 0.262. • Increasing Gyroid porosity from 75% to 85% reduces M f by 41%. • Sheet-network TPMS outperform solid-network in liquid spreading. • I-WP and Primitive show preferential flow, M f up to 1.014 and 0.774. • Higher liquid flow rates and multiple inlets reduce maldistribution.
Ameri et al. (Wed,) studied this question.