University of Isfahan Gas Processing Journal 2322-3251 12 1 2024 03 01 Numerical Investigation of CO2 Capture from N2-Rich Gas Mixtures Using a Zeolite 13X Packed Bed with Aluminum Foam Heat Transfer Enhancement 1 16 30774 10.22108/gpj.2026.149197.1147 EN Mojtaba Mahdavi Asl Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran Mohammad Hojjat Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran Mohsen Gholami Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran / Department of Chemical Engineering, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium Journal Article 2026 06 05 A numerical investigation of CO₂ adsorption and desorption in a 13X zeolite packed bed enhanced with aluminum foam for thermal management is presented using a two-dimensional transient model. The rectangular bed (10–30 mm thick) with a 15 mm gas channel is simulated via the finite element method, solving coupled momentum, mass, and energy equations under local thermal equilibrium. Effects of inlet gas velocity, cooling/heating fluid temperatures, and bed thickness on breakthrough, temperature, capacity, desorption, and thermal efficiency are examined with and without foam. Results show that increasing inlet velocity from 0.001 to 0.01 m/s reduces breakthrough time (defined as C_out/C_in=0.05) from ~300 s to 38 s due to faster saturation. Aluminum foam enhances heat transfer, reducing the time to reach 2.6 mol/kg adsorption capacity in a 30 mm bed from 1995 s to 1540 s (23% reduction). During desorption at 470 K, foam reduces the time for CO₂ loading to drop from 2.72 to 2.38 mol/kg from 1680 s to 1420 s. Higher cooling fluid temperature raises bed temperature and lowers capacity, while higher desorption temperature accelerates regeneration. Thicker beds improve adsorption performance but reduce thermal efficiency due to thermal inertia. Aluminum foam causes a ~5% reduction in thermal efficiency from added thermal mass. Overall, aluminum foam significantly enhances heat transfer and dynamic adsorption performance, demonstrating the potential of foam-enhanced zeolite beds for compact temperature swing CO₂ capture systems. https://gpj.ui.ac.ir/article_30774_7aeecbc770c97b68a4a33aed014cbc24.pdf