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EVE 402 Air Pollution Generation and Control: Wet Collectors

The document discusses different types of wet collectors used for air pollution control. It describes four main types: spray chamber scrubbers, cyclonic scrubbers, venturi scrubbers, and packed tower scrubbers. It provides details on the collection mechanisms and operating principles of venturi scrubbers. Mathematical models are presented that describe the pressure drop and particle collection efficiency of venturi scrubbers as functions of gas velocity, liquid-gas ratio, particle size, and other variables.

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Christopher Lloyd
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64 views8 pages

EVE 402 Air Pollution Generation and Control: Wet Collectors

The document discusses different types of wet collectors used for air pollution control. It describes four main types: spray chamber scrubbers, cyclonic scrubbers, venturi scrubbers, and packed tower scrubbers. It provides details on the collection mechanisms and operating principles of venturi scrubbers. Mathematical models are presented that describe the pressure drop and particle collection efficiency of venturi scrubbers as functions of gas velocity, liquid-gas ratio, particle size, and other variables.

Uploaded by

Christopher Lloyd
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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11/2/2015

EVE 402
Air Pollution Generation and Control
Chapter #5 Lectures (Part 5)

Wet Collectors
• Water is used to either capture particulate or
increase aerosol size
– Hygroscopic particles (those that attract and hold
water molecules) “grow”
– Optimum water droplet diameter: 50 – 1000 mm
• Same collection mechanisms
– Inertia (assumed dominant mode in models)
– Interception
– Diffusion (Brownian motion)

Type 1: Spray Chamber Scrubber

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Type 2: Cyclonic Scrubber

Type 3: Venturi Scrubber

Type 4: Packed Tower

Used primarily for gas adsorption, which we’ll get to in Chapter 6

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A Simple Model
• A particle approaches a
droplet and undergoes
inertial impaction
• At some point, it leaves
the streamline
If stopping distance (xs) exceeds the • Two forces on particle:
original distance from the point where inertia and drag
it left the streamline, impaction will
occur. • Particle eventually stops
(relative to droplet)

A Simple Model (2)


• Impaction of particles onto a collector body is
characterized by the dimensionless impaction
number (NI) also known as Stokes number (Stk)
• Stk is a ratio of the particle’s stopping distance
(xs) to a characteristic length of the collector
body (e.g., diameter of the water droplet, dD).

A Simple Model (3)


xs τVpo
Stk = NI = =
dD dD
where,
Ni = Impaction Number = Stk = Stokes Number
xs = stopping distance
τ = relaxation time
Vpo = initial velocity of the particle relative to the droplet
dD = droplet diameter

The relaxation time (τ) can be determined by applying


a force balance on a particle that is decelerating
in the horizontal direction

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The stopping distance (xs) needs to be


determined to calculate Stk. Newton’s 2nd law
can be used to describe a decelerating particle
of constant mass moving in the horizontal
direction and assuming Stokes law

Finertial  Fdrag  0
mp dVp 3πμ g d p Vp

dt Kc

See pages 233 – 236 in your text

Particle collection efficiency versus


Stokes Number
See Figure 5-18, pg. 235 In an ideal situation, an
impactor has a "sharp
cutoff", i.e., all particles
greater than a certain
size are collected while
all particles smaller than
that size pass through.
This size is called
the cutoff size

dp 2ρp K c Vpo
Stk = NI =
18μdD

Wet Collector Types: More Detail

• Spray chamber scrubber– typically operates with


liquid collector bodies (scrubber droplets) traveling
downward and the gas stream containing the
particulate contaminant material traveling upward.

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Cyclonic scrubbers, or wet cyclones, atomize droplets of water with a spray


bar that is located along the centerline of the cyclone. These droplets then
collect particulate matter as they are transported to the outer edge of the
cyclone. The liquid also allows cleansing of the walls of the cyclone.

Venturi scrubbers work by accelerating the gas stream to


velocities around 50 to 150 m/s. The gas stream accelerates
because the duct that contains the gas stream is constricted.

At throat
1. Static pressure decreases
2. Velocity increases

Ainlet : Athroat = 4:1

• Equations are developed in Air Pollution: Its


Origin and Control that describe the particle
removal efficiency that can be achieved by a
venturi scrubber and the pressure drop that
results from atomizing the scrubber droplets
and accelerating the droplets to approach the
same velocity as the gas streams.

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Assumptions used in the development of


the venturi scrubber model include:
• Gas velocity is constant throughout the length of the
venturi’s throat
• Flow is one dimensional, incompressible, and adiabatic
• Particles are collected by the atomized droplets by
impaction
• Droplets are uniformly distributed along the cross
section of the venturi’s throat
• Diameter of the scrubber droplets remain constant
• Volume ratio of the scrubber droplets to the gas
stream is small
• Pressure forces around the scrubber droplets are
symmetrical and therefore ignored

By considering a force balance on the atomized


droplets, an equation can be developed that
describes how the scrubber droplets
accelerate along the length of the venturi’s
throat and the pressure drop caused by
accelerating the droplets. Such a force
balance results in the following equation for
pressure drop.

Q 
P   Lu g2  L 
 QG 

Q 
P   Lu g2  L 
Where,  QG 
ΔP = -change in pressure across the length of the venturi’s throat
(-(P2 – P1)) = pressure drop
β = correction factor for droplets lost to walls of venturi = 0.85
ug = velocity of gas in the venturi’s throat
 QL 
   volume ratio of liquid to gas flow rates
 QG 

P  cm H 2 O l  
 
   
u g  cm 
 s
QL
  
QG

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Calvert Equation (mixture of theory


and experimental results)
Q 
ΔP  1.03 103 u G2  L 
 QG 
ΔP  pressure drop [cm H 2 O]
u G  velocity of gas at the throat [cm/s]
QL
  
QG

Equation 5-83, page 244

Hesketh (developed from


experimental data)
Vg,t2 ρg  A 
0.133

ΔP 
507
 0.56  0.125L  2.3 10 3
L2 

ΔP  pressure drop across the venturi [in H 2 O]


Vg,t  gas velocity at the throat [ft/s]
ρg = gas density downstream from the venturi throat [lb/ft 3 ]
A  cross-sectional area of the venturi throat [ft 2 ]
 gal 
L = liquid to gas ratio 
1000 actual ft 
3

Particle collection efficiency achieved by a


venturi scrubber has been described by
considering the removal of particles due to
impaction, pressure drop, contaminant
particle diameter, viscosity of the gas stream,
and densities of the scrubber liquid droplets
and contaminant particles as in the next slide.

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Graded Venturi Collection Efficiency


 2 2 Q  2

 4

  6.3 10 ρ Lρ p K c d p u g  L  f 
ηp  1  exp   QG  
 μ g2 
 
 

where,
ηp = graded particle collection efficiency [-]
ρL = density of scrubber droplets
ρp = density of particulate contaminant
Kc = Cunningham correction factor for particulate contaminant [-]
dp = diameter of particulate contaminant
f = experimental coefficient = 0.1 to 0.4 [-]
μg = gas viscosity

Use any set of dimensionally consistent units

Characteristics of Wet Scrubbers


Advantages Disadvantages
Requires the use of a liquid
Possible to achieve high
medium that needs to
particle collection efficiency
be treated
High pressure drop for high
Humidifies and cools gas stream particle collection
efficiencies
Possible to simultaneously
Corrosion and precipitation
remove particles and gases
can occur
(even sticky particles)
Variable throat area of venturi
allows selection of particle Liquid can freeze
collection efficiency

Typical Values for Venturi Scrubbers


m m
50  u g  100
s s

L QL L
0.2   2.0 3
m3 Qg m

5  10%  d p ~ 0.1μm   ηd  100%  d p ~ 50μm 

10 cm H 2 O l   P  70 cm H 2 O l 

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