PackedColumnGen is a tool for building CAD models of absorber columns with customized structured packing designs. The tool generates these designs from a user-defined set of input parameters. This tool is designed as Workbench for FreeCAD, a free and open-source CAD software with a user-friendly interface. The tool currently supports the following features:
- Parametric construction of three-dimensional columns with structured packing.
- Addition of cooling channels to create process intensified structured packing.
- Built-in functions that extend support for scripted packing generation.
Refer to the user guide to learn more and get started with example cases.
FreeCAD version 0.19 or newer needs to be installed before running the setup. The latest version can be downloaded here.
The tool source code is packaged into the Setup.exe executable file, which extracts to the default FreeCAD modules directory. On Windows, the module directory is %APPDATA%\FreeCAD\Mod\, which is usually C:\Users\username\Appdata\Roaming\FreeCAD\Mod\. Restart FreeCAD after extraction for changes to take effect and the module should be accessible as Packed Columns workbench in FreeCAD as shown below.
- Find the FreeCAD workbench directory by typing
App.getUserAppDataDir()in FreeCAD Python console. - Navigate to the workbench directory and copy or extract the contents of this repository to a new folder within this directory.
- IMPORTANT Rename the folder to "packedColumnGen" (case sensitive).
- Restart FreeCAD for changes to take effect. The workbench
Packed Columnsshould now in the list of workbenches in FreeCAD.