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Optimization of Ammonia Absorption Using Acid Spray Wet Scrubbers

Article  in  Transactions of the ASABE (American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers) · February 2014
DOI: 10.13031/trans.57.10481

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 OPTIMIZATION OF AMMONIA ABSORPTION
USING ACID SPRAY WET SCRUBBERS
lục giác bất lợi
L. S. Hadlocon, R. B. Manuzon, L. Y. Zhao
nghịch đảo

ABSTRACT. Packed-bed wet scrubbers are effective for abatement of ammonia (NH3) emissions from animal feeding op-
erations (AFOs) but result in high air resistance. Spray scrubbers generally have relatively low air resistance and high
NH3 removal potential. This study aimed to develop a spray scrubber module (SSM) through optimization of the design
and operating parameters of spray scrubbing for recovering NH3 emissions from the exhaust air streams of animal facili-
ties. The design parameters, including nozzle type, scrubber column size and geometry, and number of stages of the spray
scrubber module, were optimized. Effects of operating parameters such as acid concentration, superficial air velocity,
retention time, and inlet NH3 concentration were quantified. Superficial air velocity adversely affected scrubber perfor-
mance significantly due to its direct relationship with air residence time. The inlet NH3 concentration was inversely pro-
portional to the scrubber efficiency. The SSM was optimized as a hexagonal scrubber column with a diameter of 45.7 cm
(18 in.) equipped with three stages of PJ40 spray nozzles, spraying 1% (w/v) H2SO4 scrubbing liquid counter-current to
the exhaust air stream with superficial gas velocity of 3 to 4 m s-1, equivalent to air retention times of 0.55 to 0.41 s. The
SSM recovered about 91% of the NH3 at an operating liquid pressure of 0.51 MPa, a superficial air velocity of 4 m s-1,
and an inlet NH3 concentration of 30 ppmv when operated with a single stage of spraying. For high inlet NH3 concentra-
tion of 100 and 400 ppmv, the SSM was able to reduce NH3 by 86% and 74%, respectively, when operated at a maximum
pressure of 0.62 MPa with three stages of spray nozzles and a superficial air velocity of 4 m s-1. The pressure drop of the
spray scrubber was mainly caused by the mist eliminator. The total static pressure drop of the SSM was under 15 Pa when
the air velocity ranged from 2 to 4 m s-1. The results of this study demonstrate that acid spray scrubbers could be a very
effective and feasible NH3 mitigation technology for U.S. animal farms.
Keywords. Acid spray wet scrubber, ammonia emissions, ammonia absorption, wet scrubber, nitrogen fertilizer.

A
mmonia (NH3) is associated with both environ-
mental and health impacts (NRC, 2002). It con-
tributes to the generation of fine particulate mat-
ter of ≤2.5 μm aerodynamic size (PM2.5), eu-
trophication of surface water, formation of haze, and acidi-
fication of the ecosystem (Ndegwa et al., 2008). It has
physiological impacts on the respiratory and cardiovascular
health of humans, as well as on the reproduction and ener-
getic efficiencies of animals in barns (Beker et al., 2004;
Homidan et al., 2003; WHO, 2005). Animal agriculture
contributes about 81% of NH3 emissions to the atmosphere,
corresponding to about 2.4 million tons of NH3 in 2002
(USEPA, 2004). NH3 is not a regulated air pollutant by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) under the
Clean Air Act but is required to be reported under the
Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-know Act
(EPCRA) (USEPA, 2009) if the farm-level emission rate is
Submitted for review in October 2013 as manuscript number SE
10481; approved for publication by the Structures & Environment
Division of ASABE in February 2014.
The authors are Lara Jane S. Hadlocon, ASABE Member, Graduate
Student, Roderick B. Manuzon, Research Associate, and Lingying
Zhao, ASABE Member, Associate Professor, Department of Food,
Agricultural, and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University,
Columbus, OH 43210-1057. Corresponding author: Lingying Zhao,
590 Woody Hayes Dr., Columbus, OH; phone: 614-598-8958; phone:
614-292-2366; e-mail: zhao.119@osu.edu.
larger than 45 kg within a 24 h period. In recent years, NH3
has been given serious attention due to its role as a precur-
sor in the formation of PM2.5, a criteria pollutant regulated
through the National Ambient Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS). Mitigating NH3 emissions is thus important not
only the protection of human health and the environment
but also the sustainability of animal agriculture in the U.S.
as animal producers are becoming vulnerable to lawsuits
and new air regulations.
Current NH3 abatement strategies include improvement
of feed management, housing ventilation, manure storage
management, and treatment of the exhaust air (Melse et al.,
2009; Ndegwa et al., 2008). Although significant efforts
have been made to improve housing design, climate condi-
tions, animal diet, and manure removal and handling sys-
tems (Philippe et al., 2011), mitigation technologies for
NH3 emissions from the exhaust fans of large AFOs are
still in the development stage. The off-the-shelf NH3
abatement techniques used on European AFOs include bio-
trickling filters, bio-scrubbers, packed-bed acid scrubbers,
and water curtains, among which bio-trickling filters
showed 35% to 90% NH3 removal efficiencies, while acid
packed-bed scrubbers reached 90% to 99% for treatment of
inlet NH3 concentrations ranging from 8 to 29 ppmv (Melse
and Ogink, 2005).
Packed-bed scrubbers are widely used in Europe for re-
duction of NH3 emissions because of their high efficien-

Transactions of the ASABE

Vol. 57(2): 647-659 © 2014 American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers ISSN 2151-0032 DOI 10.13031/trans.57.10481 647
cies. However, this type of scrubber has high air resistance
or pressure drop. Packed-bed scrubbers also become easily
clogged with dust accumulation, which consequently re-
duces their efficiency. Shah et al. (2008) developed a re-
generating scrubber to reduce NH3 emissions using an end-
less polypropylene screen in contact with an alum solution
that achieved 58% efficiency and a considerable pressure
drop of approximately 110 Pa. Spray scrubbers are promis-
ing as they do not significantly affect the ventilation system
due to their low backpressure on fans and the benefit of
utilizing the effluent as an N fertilizer for crops (Manuzon
et al., 2007). In the U.S., reports on the use of scrubbers are
limited, and studies are still being conducted on application
of wet scrubbers in animal facilities. Manuzon et al. (2007)
experimentally simulated spray scrubbing operation using a
prototype designed for a 0.61 m (24 in.) axial fan. The
scrubber achieved an NH3 removal efficiency of 35% ±1%
with counter-current single-stage operation using a full-
cone PJ20 nozzle operated at a pressure of 0.62 MPa (90
psig), an air retention time of 0.2 s or airflow speed of 6.6 m
s-1, and an inlet NH3 concentration of 30 ppmv. A multi-
stage scrubbing simulation using three nozzles resulted in
scrubber efficiencies of 60% ±1%, 45% ±3%, and 27%
±2% for inlet NH3 concentrations of 10, 30, and 100 ppmv,
respectively, with a backpressure of 27.5 Pa on the fans
(Manuzon et al., 2007). The above simulation of spray
scrubbing encountered the following problems: droplet
interaction (droplet coagulation and breakage), limited ben-
eficial effects of multi-stage scrubbing, air leakage from
non-uniform spray coverage, low efficiency, and a narrow
inlet NH3 concentration range that did not cover many
practical application conditions. There is therefore a need
to improve and further optimize spray wet scrubbing tech-
nology for practical application in animal facilities.
In this work, we aimed to optimize a spray scrubber
module (SSM) for high NH3 absorption efficiency with a
wider range of exhaust air stream conditions expected in
most AFOs. The specific objectives of this study were to:
(1) optimize the design parameters of an SSM including
selection of appropriate spray nozzle type and operating
pressure, nozzle position, and scrubber diameter and geom-
etry to minimize spray droplet interaction and improve NH3
absorption efficiency; (2) evaluate the effects of operating
parameters and environmental conditions on NH3 removal
performance, including acid concentration of the scrubbing
liquid, superficial air velocity and air retention time, inlet
NH3 concentration, air temperature, and number of spray
stages; (3) quantify the performance of the optimized SSM
for exhaust air streams with both low and high NH3 con-
centrations; and (4) determine the static pressure drop of
the scrubber on fans to assess the feasibility of the scrub-
ber’s application on farms.
droplets. Figure 1 shows a schematic of the process. Spray
nozzles are used to generate liquid droplets, which provide
surface area for chemical reaction. The spray droplets hit
the scrubber walls and form a liquid film, another surface
area for chemical reaction. The greater the surface area for
chemical absorption is, the higher the efficiency that can be
achieved. Spray droplets can either ascend or descend in
the scrubber column. The majority of larger droplets move
down counter-currently against the airflow, while some
smaller droplets can be potentially entrained by air flowing
up. Typically, spray scrubbers operate in a closed loop in
which the sprayed liquid is collected in a tank and recircu-
lated back to the spray nozzles using pumps. Spray scrub-
bers are also equipped with a mist eliminator or demister to
recover entrained droplets, while much finer droplets,
smaller than the cutoff size of the demister, exit the scrub-
ber.
During the process, NH3 is absorbed in the dilute acidic
solution and converted to its reduced form (NH4+) through
the principle of gas absorption with chemical reaction. The
equilibrium reactions for NH3 solubility in acidic solutions
are (Melse and Ogink, 2005; Swartz et al., 1999):
H
NH3( g ) ⇔ NH3( aq ) (1)
k ′f , kr′
NH3( aq ) + H +aq ⇔ NH 4+ aq Keq
( ) ( )
′ ( ) (2)
Equation 1 describes the solubility of NH3 in water,
where H is the Henry’s law constant, estimated to be 5.33 ×
101 M atm-1 at 298.15 K, which is relatively high compared
to other gases such as CO2, CH4, and H2S with H values of
3.47 × 10-2, 1.5 × 10-3, and 1.0 × 10-1 M atm-1, respectively
(Sander, 1999). The equilibrium constant (K′eq) in equa-
tion 2 is equal to the ratio of the rate constants of the for-
ward and reverse reactions and can be written as:

MATERIALS AND METHODS

PRINCIPLE OF NH3 ABSORPTION IN
AN ACID SPRAY WET SCRUBBER
In a spray wet scrubber, NH3-laden air reacts counter-
currently with a dilute acidic solution in the form of liquid
Figure 1. Schematic of a typical counter-current spray scrubber.

648 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ASABE

  NH +4 (aq ) 
′ =
K eq  
 NH 3(aq )  H (aq ) 
 +
   let size and distribution, as well as the liquid flow rate.
where [NH4+(aq)], [NH3(aq)], and [H+(aq)] are the concentra-
tions of each component. The equilibrium constant (K′eq)
can be derived as the reciprocal of the acid dissociation
constant of NH4+ and has a value of 1.78 × 109 at 25°C,
favoring forward reaction (Perrin, 1969).
The overall solubility can be expressed in terms of the
effective Henry’s law constant (H*, M atm-1), as represent-
ed by the sum of the dissolved NH3(aq) and protonated
NH4+(aq), as shown in equation 4 (Swartz et al., 1999):
{ NH 3(aq )
+
+ NH 4( }

aq )  = H pNH 3
* ly affects the retention time of air in the scrubber. The mass
=  NH3(g )  RTH *
mặt phân cách
( ′ H+ 
=  NH3(g )  H 1 + K eq
 
where pNH3 is the partial pressure of NH3 (atm), T is the air
temperature (K), and R is the gas constant (atm M-1 K-1).
SINGLE-STAGE SCRUBBER PERFORMANCE MODEL
A performance model of counter-current gas absorption
in a wet scrubber was developed by Calvert and Englund
(1984) based on material balance. The model (eq. 5) was
further generalized by Manuzon et al. (2007) assuming an
empirical relationship for the interfacial area provided by
spray droplets per unit volume of the scrubber:
 G
1 − H * 
η = 1−  L
 6 RTKG Z N  L  G n
exp   − H *  − H *
3
 ΔuD2  G   L
where η is the collection efficiency, H* is the effective Hen-
ry’s law constant, G is the moles of air per unit time and
unit tower cross-section (mol air s-1 m-2), L is the molar
flow rate of the NH3-free liquid stream per unit cross-
sectional area of the tower (mol water s-1 m-2), R is the uni-
versal gas constant (8.314 J mol-1 K-1), T is the absolute air
temperature (K), KG is the individual mass transfer coeffi-
cient of NH3 in air (moles NH3 s-1 m-2 Pa-1), ZN is the col-
umn length for liquid-gas contact (m), Δu is the relative
velocity between the droplets and the airflow (m s-1), and
D32 is the Sauter mean diameter of spray droplets (m).
This model is limited to assumptions that the droplet
sizes are described only by their mean diameter, the drop-
lets have uniform velocity traveling vertically, and the
scrubber is operated without recirculation. Sensitivity anal-
ysis showed that the main variables that affect scrubber
performance in decreasing order are KG, D32, G/L, Δu, and
ZN (Manuzon et al., 2007). These parameters are both di-
rectly and indirectly affected by the design parameters of
the scrubber, such as the nozzle type (D32), nozzle position
(ZN), scrubber diameter (G/L), and scrubber geometry, and
also by operating parameters such as the acid concentration
in the liquid phase (H*), superficial air velocity (Δu), inlet
57(2): 647-659
NH3 concentration (KG), air temperature (T), and number of
(3) scrubbing stages (G/L). The nozzle operating pressure is
also an important parameter, as it directly affects the drop-
The droplet size is mainly affected by the nozzle type,
which is chosen to provide a good balance of liquid flow
rate and nozzle operating pressure. To study the effect of
the gas-to-liquid ratio, the scrubber diameter, which direct-
ly affects the gas flow rate, as well as the number of spray
stages, which is directly related to the liquid flow rate, are
considered. The type of nozzle to be used can also affect
this ratio when the nozzle is operated at different pressures.
The relative velocity of the droplets with respect to the air-
flow is evaluated by varying air velocity, which significant-
transfer coefficient or diffusion rate of NH3 in air can be
(4) evaluated by varying the inlet NH3 concentration and inves-
tigating its temperature dependence, although the absorp-
) tion is also limited by the effective Henry’s law constant,
which is correlated with the acid concentration in the
scrubbing liquid. The scrubber geometry is considered for
the practical aspects of the design, but it is also reported to
indirectly affect the absorption rate due to its effectiveness
in providing better gas-liquid mixing in the scrubber.
MULTI-STAGE SCRUBBER PERFORMANCE MODEL
The efficiency of a multi-stage scrubber can be estimat-
ed based on the single-stage efficiency using the concept of
penetration for control devices in series. Assuming that
there is no strong interaction among liquid droplets be-
tween stages to cause variation in the scrubbing efficiency
for each stage (De Nevers, 2000), the efficiency for n-stage
scrubbing can be predicted using equation 6:
(5)
ηoverall = 1 − (1 − η1− stage ) (6)
where n is the number of stages, ηoverall is the total collec-
tion efficiency of the n stages, and η1-stage is the scrubber
efficiency of one stage.
SPRAY SCRUBBER LABORATORY SIMULATION UNIT
The spray scrubber laboratory simulation unit used in
this study is shown in figure 2. It consisted of five sections:
an air mixing chamber, scrubbing column, spraying system,
mist eliminator (or demister), and instrumentation. The air
mixing chamber was used to simulate the exhaust air
streams of various animal buildings with different air ve-
locities and NH3 concentrations. It was equipped with an
NH3 tank, a transition section for inlet air, a mixing section,
and a ventilation fan. A perforated 0.64 cm pipe was con-
nected to a commercial anhydrous NH3 tank through a
flow-regulated gas line to deliver different levels of NH3
into the chamber. Desired concentrations of NH3 in the air
were achieved by regulating the flow of NH3 into the
chamber. The air mixing chamber was a 40 cm × 40 cm
rectangular wooden duct with a length of 91 cm to fully
stabilize the airflow before it reached the scrubber. A
35.6 cm variable-speed axial fan (AT14Z, Aerotech, Inc.,
Mason, Mich.) was used to create airflow resembling the
exhaust air stream of a commercial animal facility. The
khan, không ngậm
nước
649
 Legend:
Liquid Line Signal
Gas Sampling Line Electrical Wire
hình lục giác
Ammonia Line Pump
Figure 2. Schematic of the laboratory simulation unit for the spray wet scrubbing process.
NH3-laden air was diverted using a 90° elbow toward the
vertical scrubber column, which had enclosed spray nozzles
and liquid pipes. The scrubber column had a starting equiv-
alent diameter of 35.6 cm and could be easily modified
using flange connections to vary the scrubber settings, such
as the number of spray stages, the scrubber column diame-
ter, and the scrubber geometry. Figure 2 also shows a pho-
tograph of the simulation unit with a hexagonal scrubber
column installed. The scrubber column can contain a max-
imum of three stages of spray nozzles, which are spaced
55 cm apart. The position of the nozzle in the scrubber, as
well as the spacing between nozzles, was designed to be at
least 30.5 cm, which is the spray height of the PJ40 nozzles
used in this study (BETE, 2013).
The spraying system delivered a prepared solution of di-
lute sulfuric acid (H2SO4) into each nozzle stage from a
114 L feed tank through a magnetically driven pump with a
rated pressure range of 0 to 0.7 MPa. A pressure relief
valve was used to regulate the pressure and liquid flow rate
supplied to the tank. The liquid droplets of known concen-
tration of H2SO4 interacted with the NH3-laden air in coun-
ter-current mode inside the scrubber column. The cleaner
exhaust air passed through a commercial mist eliminator
(T-271 vertical flow mist eliminator, Munters Corp., Ft.
Myers, Fla.) made of polypropylene that collected tiny liq-
uid droplets entrained by the air. The demister utilized a 9°
transition of the airflow to slow down and accumulate en-
trained droplets and allow them to drain down the inside
surfaces of the scrubber. This drainage was recycled back
to the tank using a recycle pump and was pumped back into
the spray nozzles with the feed pump. The entire scrubber
system was installed with appropriate instrumentations to
monitor pH, electrical conductivity, liquid temperature,
NH3 concentration, pressure drop, and air temperature and
650
Gate Valve P Pressure Gauge
Pressure Relief Fl Liquid Flow Meter
Valve
Mixer Fg Gas Flow Meter
relative humidity, as described in the next section. The di-
mensions of the spray column and air mixing chamber and
static pressure measurement locations in the scrubber are
shown in figure 3.
NOZZLE SELECTION AND OPERATING CONDITIONS
The choice of appropriate spray nozzles or atomizers is
critical for the optimization of spray scrubber performance.
The spray used for wet scrubbers can be characterized
based on its droplet size and concentration, dispersion, ini-
tial droplet velocity, spray angle, and spray pattern
(Lefebvre, 1989). The droplet size generated by the atomiz-
ers has significant impact on the surface area needed to
enhance gas-liquid contact for the chemical absorption pro-
cess. The total surface area is dictated by the concentration
of droplets inside the scrubber column. Dispersion refers to
the volume of liquid within the spray given a certain period
of time, or the ratio of spray volume to the liquid volume
contained in it. This property is also driven by the spray
angle, which is the angle formed after the spray is dis-
charged from the orifice. Good spray dispersion promotes
good mixing of the liquid with the surrounding gas, which
helps promote contact; however, the rate of evaporation is
consequently high. Patternation is another important prop-
erty that refers to the symmetry of the spray pattern, which
is necessary for good liquid-gas mixing and process effi-
ciency.
The two types of spray pattern examined in this study
were hollow cone and full cone. Hollow-cone nozzles gen-
erate a ring pattern of spray liquid on the outside of the
cone. This is typically used to gain good penetration and
coverage, and it generates the smallest droplets (Lefebvre,
1989). Hollow-cone nozzles were also expected to generate
droplets that were concentrated closer to the wall. This
TRANSACTIONS OF THE ASABE
 0.36m -
0.46 m

0.15 m Demister
ΔPs after the
scrubber column or
before demister
0.55 m

Scrubber
2.12 m Column
0.55 m

0.55 m
ΔPs after the
divergence section
0.25 m ΔPs after Total
the elbow Scrubber Axial Air Mixing Entrance Air
ΔPs before ΔPs Fan Chamber Transition
the elbow
0.66 m

0.40 m 0.45 m

0.91 m
Anhydrous
1.82 m 0.81 m 0.30 m 1.10 m 0.42 m NH3 Tank

Note: ΔPs refers to the differential static pressure with respect to ambient static pressure.
Figure 3. Dimensions of the spray scrubber simulation setup and static pressure measurement locations.

would allow some of the droplets to turn into a liquid film
on the wall, thereby lowering the concentration of droplets
responsible for providing surface area for the chemical re-
action. A full-cone nozzle produces droplets that occupy
the full cone and generally generates much larger droplets
as compared to a hollow-cone nozzle for a given nozzle
type.
Manuzon et al. (2007) conducted a preliminary analysis
of different nozzles for their application in spray scrubbers.
Two full-cone nozzles (PJ15 and PJ20) and two hollow-
cone nozzles (UM300 and L40) were studied, and the re-
sults showed that maximum efficiencies of 35% ±1% and
31% ±1% were achieved using the PJ20 and L40 nozzles,
respectively. The increase with pressure in the ratio of liq-
uid flow rate to droplet size enhanced the scrubber efficien-
cy linearly for all nozzles, but not quite significantly for the
hollow-cone nozzle L40 nozzle, from which it was con-
cluded that hollow-cone nozzles need additional flow to
meet the same performance as full-cone nozzles. The PJ40
nozzle (BETE Fog Nozzle, Inc., Greenfield, Mass.) is part
of the same group of full-cone nozzles under the PJ classi-
fication and produces larger droplets and liquid flow rate
compared with other PJ nozzles at a given operating pres-
sure. Therefore, PJ40 was chosen in this study for high NH3
concentration applications. In addition, the AAP01 nozzle
(Ikeuchi USA, Inc., West Chester, Ohio) was chosen as the
hollow-cone counterpart of the PJ40 nozzle, as both noz-
zles do not differ much in liquid flow rate at a given pres-
sure. The performances of these nozzles in NH3 absorption
were compared to the PJ20 nozzle studied by Manuzon et
al. (2007) by obtaining the efficiency of each nozzle at var-
ying pressure from 0.21 to 0.62 MPa. A summary of the
characteristics of the nozzles is shown in table 1. There was
much preference for using a full-cone nozzle over a hol-
low-cone nozzle, but the practical significance associated
with the bigger orifice size of the AAP01 nozzle, which is
beneficial to reduce nozzle clogging, warranted a study of
its performance on NH3 scrubbers.
MEASUREMENT AND INSTRUMENTATION
Gas-Phase Measurements
Ammonia concentrations were measured both at the in-

Table 1. Characteristics of the nozzles used for scrubber optimization.

PJ20 Nozzle PJ40 Nozzle AAP01 Nozzle
Operating pressure (MPa) 0.21 0.41 0.62 0.21 0.41 0.62 0.21 0.41 0.62
Spray capacity (L min-1) 0.21 0.31 0.37 0.78 1.00 1.21 0.95 1.24 1.65
Sauter mean diameter (μm) 100 80 74 122 100 90 329 274 250
Spray angle (°) 168 139 137 107 107 112 99 82 87
Spray height (cm) 15.5 30.5 11.4
Orifice diameter (μm) 50 100 200
Spray pattern Full cone Full cone Hollow cone

57(2): 647-659 651

let and outlet ports of the scrubber using a photo-acoustic
NH3 analyzer (Chilgard RT NH3 analyzer, MSA, Inc.,
Pittsburgh, Pa.) with an accuracy of ±2 ppmv that was cali-
brated for NH3 in the range of 0 to 100 ppmv for low NH3
concentration measurement (<30 ppmv) and in the range of
0 to 1000 ppmv for high NH3 concentration measurement
(100 to 400 ppmv). The sensor could operate at a tempera-
ture range of 0°C to 50°C and relative humidity range of
0% to 95% and produce 90% of the response within 70 s
after detecting a step change in the input concentration.
Sample air was drawn into the photo-acoustic sensor at a
minimum flow rate of 0.75 L min-1 through a particulate
filter and a solenoid valve.
Temperature and relative humidity (% RH) were meas-
ured using weatherproof data loggers (HOBO U23 Pro,
U23-001, Onset Computer Corp, Bourne, Mass.) with built-
in sensors. The accuracies of the temperature and RH sen-
sors are ±0.21°C from 0°C to 50°C (±0.38°F from 32°F to
122°F) and ±2.5% from 10% to 90% RH, respectively.
Both sensors have 90% response within 5 min in air mov-
ing at 1 m s-1. The sensors were set to log data every 2 min
during the field experiment.
Air speed was measured periodically using a velocity
meter (VelociCalc 8345, TSI, Inc., Shoreview, Minn.). The
scrubber column was traversed using the log-Tchebycheff
method (ASHRAE, 2009). The airflow rate was calculated
by multiplying the average air speed with the cross-
sectional area of the scrubber column.
Total static pressure drop caused by the entire scrubber
and by different components of the scrubber was measured
at the locations indicated in figure 3 using a manometer
(Durablock 115-AV, Dwyer Instruments, Inc., Michigan
City, Ind.). Differential static pressure was determined
across the 90° elbow, divergence section, scrubber column
with spray, and demister. The pressure drop caused by the
demister at different air velocities was obtained from the
manufacturer’s specifications for the mist eliminator
(Munters, 2006). The total static pressure was calculated
based on the accumulated pressure drop or gain of each
component.
Liquid-Phase Measurements
Scrubbing liquid pH was the primary measurement for
the acidity of the solution. It was controlled and monitored
using a pH controller and transmitter (PHCN-961, Omega
Engineering, Inc., Stamford, Conn.) with a range of -2 to
16 pH and an accuracy of ±0.01 pH. The controller can be
operated from -10°C to 50°C (14°F to 122°F). The data
were obtained from the 4 to 20 mA analog output of the
controller using an Onset data logger. The sensing elec-
trode for pH was an in-line flat-surface electrode (PHE-
5460, Omega Engineering, Inc.) that can be used in appli-
cations with temperatures of 0°C to 88°C (32°F to 190°F)
and up to 100 psig pressure. Due to the exposure of the
probe to acidic conditions, it was calibrated every week.
Liquid samples were also brought to the laboratory for sec-
ondary pH measurement to ensure accuracy. Measurement
of the pH of these samples was done using a bench-scale
pH meter (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Hannover Park, Ill.),
and the values were compared for precision.
652
Liquid conductivity determined the amount of electro-
lytes in the solution; however, it was not specific and re-
sponded both to the scrubbing solution and the byproducts
of scrubbing, such as (NH4)2SO4. Conductivity was meas-
ured with a conductivity probe (CDTX-45P, Omega Engi-
neering Inc.) that used a four-electrode system to compen-
sate for fouling effects. It had an accuracy of ±3% of the
span (±0.1 μS) and a response time of 12 s. It was connect-
ed to a separate transmitter (CDTX-45, Omega Engineering
Inc.) with 4 to 20 mA output that could display a range of
conductivity values from 0.0 μS to 2000 mS.
Liquid pressure and flow rate were consistently moni-
tored. Pressure values were manually read from a liquid-
filled stainless steel pressure gauges (Fertilizer Dealer Sup-
ply, Anna, Ohio), while liquid flow rate was monitored
using a polysulfone flowmeter with ±2% F.S. accuracy
(VFA Visi-Float flowmeter, Dwyer Instruments, Inc.,
Michigan City, Ind.).
AMMONIA REMOVAL EFFICIENCY
The scrubber’s ammonia removal efficiencies for the la-
boratory simulation and the field tests were calculated us-
ing equation 7:
C NH3 ,in − C NH 3 ,out
Efficiency ( % ) = × 100 (7)
C NH 3 ,in
where CNH3,in and CNH3,out are the concentrations of NH3 at
the inlet and outlet ports of the scrubber, respectively.
EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
In exploring the effect of different design and operating
parameters, one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) experiments were
conducted using the high-performing nozzle based on the
nozzle optimization results. Table 2 summarizes the treat-
ment factors and the levels that were investigated. The ef-
fects of both design parameters (tests 1 and 2) and operat-
ing parameters (tests 3 to 7) on scrubber efficiency were
investigated. The scrubber was operated at a superficial air
velocity of 5 m s-1 except for test 4, where the air velocity
was varied. The feed pump was operated at a nozzle pres-
sure of 0.62 MPa for tests 1 to 6; for test 7, the pump was
only operated at 0.55 MPa. The inlet NH3 concentration
was set to 30 ppmv for most tests, except for tests 1 and 5.
Test 1 had additional runs for an NH3 concentration of
200 ppmv, while test 5 had varied concentrations at differ-
ent levels. All experiments were conducted in the laborato-
ry with a room air temperature of 20°C to 25°C and relative
humidity of 20% to 70%. One-factor-at-a-time (OFAT)
Table 2. Summary of treatments and levels.
Test Treatment Levels
1 Scrubber diameter (cm) 35.6, 45.7, 61.0
2 Scrubber geometry Circle, square, hexagon
3 H2SO4 concentration in the 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1
scrubbing liquid (% w/v)
4 Superficial air velocity (m s-1) 2, 3, 4, 5, 5.3
5 Inlet NH3 concentration (ppmv) 10, 20, 30, 50, 80,
100, 200, 300, 400
6 Air temperature (°C) 12, 23, 30
7 Number of spray stages 1, 2, 3
TRANSACTIONS OF THE ASABE
experiments were more economical in this study because
the interaction effects of the experimental factors are rela-
tively small compared to the main factor effects (Mont-
gomery, 2001; Qu and Wu, 2005). Although designed ex-
periments such as full or fractional factorial experiments
are preferable to obtain comprehensive effects of factors
and their interactions, OFAT was practical and appropriate
in this study for screening factors and isolating their practi-
cal and optimum settings for high scrubber performance.
Spray scrubber module
SSM DEVELOPMENT AND PERFORMANCE TESTS
The optimized parameters based on the above experi-
mental factors were used as the design and operating condi-
tions of the SSM. The SSM was intended for a wide range
of NH3 concentration conditions. The European packed-bed
scrubbers described by Melse and Orink (2005) were nor-
mally designed to achieve 90% NH3 removal efficiency.
Because spray scrubbers tend to have lower efficiency in
comparison with packed-bed scrubbers, especially when
working with high-speed air streams, the development goal
for this scrubber was to achieve 80% to 90% of NH3 re-
moval efficiency. Typical NH3 concentrations observed in
mechanically ventilated swine finishing facilities with pit
exhausts are about 2 to 30 ppmv (Aarnink et al., 1995).
Typical sizes for swine pit fans range from 25.4 to 45.7 cm
in diameter. Therefore, a single SSM with simple round
geometry was used for swine applications. For air streams
with large airflow rates and high NH3 concentrations (30 to
400 ppmv), such as from poultry exhaust fans (Zhao et al.,
2008), a scrubber with multiple SSMs is needed.
Response surface methodology involving a central com-
posite design was applied to evaluate the performance of
the SSM designs. For the SSM for swine applications (low
ammonia concentrations), the effects of superficial gas ve-
locity and operating liquid pressure on the performance of
the SSM were quantified using single-stage spray scrub-
bing. The superficial gas velocity was varied to simulate
variable-speed pit fan operation. For the SSM for poultry
applications (high ammonia concentrations), the response
surface curve was generated for the effects of ammonia
concentration and operating liquid pressure on the perfor-
mance of the SSM using three-stage scrubbing. Because the
ventilation control of poultry facilities often uses fan stag-
ing, i.e., turning fans on and off, the operating exhaust fans
have relatively constant flow rates but the NH3 concentra-
tions vary due to diurnal and seasonal ventilation rate
changes. Table 3 summarizes the range and levels of the
independent variables for used generating the optimized
curves.
DATA ANALYSIS
The data collected were analyzed by general descriptive
statistical analysis. In studying the effects of the parameters,
three replicate runs were performed for each treatment. The
data were analyzed with JMP 10.0 software (SAS Institute,
Inc., Cary, N.C.) using analysis of variance (ANOVA), anal-
ysis of covariance (ANACOVA), t-tests for paired compari-
sons, and Tukey-Kramer’s honest significant difference
(HSD) for pairwise mean comparisons at 95% confidence
interval. Linear regression analysis was used to fit the model.
57(2): 647-659
Table 3. Range and levels of variables in central composite design.
Range and Levels
SSM Design and Variables -α -1 0 +1 +α
Single-stage scrubbing for low inlet NH3
Superficial gas velocity (m s-1) 2.6 3 4 5 5.4
Operating liquid pressure (MPa) 0.32 0.34 0.41 0.48 0.51
Three-stage scrubbing for high inlet NH3
Inlet NH3 concentration (ppmv) 100 144 250 356 400
Operating liquid pressure (MPa) 0.50 0.52 0.57 0.62 0.64
đường kính
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
NOZZLE SELECTION AND OPERATING CONDITIONS
The performance of the PJ20 nozzle used by Manuzon et
al. (2007) for treating air with an inlet NH3 concentration of
30 ppmv was compared to the performances of the new
nozzles (PJ40 and AAP01) in this study using a 35.56 cm
(14 in.) scrubber simulation unit. As shown in figure 4,
increasing operating pressure improved scrubber efficiency
for all nozzles due to increase in liquid flow rate and sub-
sequent increase in liquid-to-gas ratio. An increase in pres-
sure also generated smaller droplets, which increased the
surface area for chemical reaction. The maximum scrubber
efficiency was observed using the PJ40 nozzle with values
of 70.2% ±3.7%, 59.6% ±2.5%, and 26.1% ±0% at operat-
ing pressures of 0.62, 0.48, and 0.21 MPa, respectively. At
the highest operating pressure of 0.62 MPa, PJ40 gave the
highest removal efficiency while PJ20 and AAP01 gave
efficiency values of 53.9% and 49.1%, respectively. Pair-
wise comparisons using Tukey’s HSD test revealed that the
mean performance of PJ40 and PJ20 differed by 15.5%
(SE = 6.7%, p = 0.07), while the performances of PJ20 and
AAP01 did not significantly differ, with mean difference of
4.8% (SE = 6.8%, p = 0.76). The hollow-cone AAP01 noz-
zle, which has a liquid flow rate comparable with the PJ40,
did not perform well at higher pressure relative to other
nozzles and would require additional stages for a compara-
ble efficiency. However, its large orifice diameter of
200 μm made it a practical alternative to the PJ20 nozzle
optimized by Manuzon et al. (2007) to avoid clogging is-
sues possibly caused by dust particles in the exhaust air
streams of animal buildings. In terms of scrubber efficien-
cy, the full-cone PJ40 was chosen to be the best nozzle for
further optimization of NH3 absorption.
Figure 4. Performance of nozzles with respect to operating pressure
using a 35.56 cm round scrubber column.
653
EFFECT OF SCRUBBER COLUMN DIAMETER
The effect of scrubber column diameter on scrubber per-
formance was investigated using three different sizes of
duct: 35.6, 45.7, and 61.0 cm. The scrubber was operated at
constant mean air velocity of 5 m s-1 and constant pressure
of 0.62 MPa using the PJ40 nozzle. According to the manu-
facturer’s specifications, the cone-shape coverage of the
PJ40 nozzle is about 61.0 cm in base diameter and 30.5 cm
in height. Decreasing the scrubber diameter from 61.0 to
45.7 cm yielded an increase in scrubber efficiency of about
43% and 23% for inlet NH3 concentrations of 30 and
200 ppmv, respectively, as shown in figure 5. This effect
might be a result of increased droplet concentration per unit
volume of the spray tower due to the decrease of the scrub-
ber column diameter. Higher droplet concentration had
higher effective surface area for ammonia absorption inside
the scrubber and thus resulted in the high scrubber efficien-
cy. However, further decreasing the scrubber diameter from
45.7 to 35.6 cm reduced the scrubber efficiency by 13%
and 2% for inlet NH3 concentrations of 30 and 200 ppmv,
respectively. Further reduction in the scrubber diameter
likely limited the span of droplets with a large initial re-
lease angle, forced the droplets to hit the scrubber wall to
form a liquid film (also called wall wetting effect), and
caused significant droplet coagulation. This phenomenon
significantly reduced the liquid surface area and therefore
reduced the scrubber efficiency. The results showed that
maximum efficiencies of 87% (±5%) and 50% (±0%) were
observed for 30 and 200 ppmv, respectively, when using the
45.7 cm diameter scrubber given the operating gas velocity.
EFFECT OF SCRUBBER GEOMETRY
The effect of scrubber geometry was studied using three
different ducts of the same cross-sectional area (922 cm2).
The hydraulic diameters or equivalent diameters for each
duct were 35.56, 33.86, and 31.55 cm for the round, hexag-
onal, and square shapes, respectively. Duct shape has a
significant effect on scrubber efficiency [F(2,3) =
1.02e+16, p < 0.0001)] with maximum scrubber efficiency
of 63% observed when using the hexagonal duct. The in-
crease in efficiency observed with a duct geometry change
from circular to hexagonal, as shown in figure 6, could be
attributed to the increase in turbulence inside the scrubber,
Figure 5. Effect of scrubber column diameter on scrubber efficiency
investigated using a round scrubber column.
654
which further atomizes liquid droplets and thus provides
greater surface area for the absorption process. Flow in
ducts with more complex geometry, such as non-circular
ducts, has been an important topic of study in fluid dynam-
ics. Jarungthammachote (2010) showed that hexagonal
ducts tend to have higher entropy generation than circular
ducts, while Turgut and Sarı (2012) provided experimental
and numerical data for turbulent flow inside hexagonal
ducts that showed 12% to 15% difference in flow charac-
teristics between circular ducts and hexagonal ducts under
turbulent regime. In terms of reducing flow resistance, the
optimal shape is a circle. Bejan (2000) explained that the
shape of the perimeter affects the flow resistance. As the
shape closely approaches round, flow resistance tends to
decrease in proportion. While this might be true, the pres-
sure drops observed when using the three different geome-
tries did not show differences, and all averaged 17.4 ±2.5
Pa. It can be concluded that the hexagonal duct was most
effective in terms of scrubber efficiency. In addition, hex-
agonal ducts with planar walls provide a practical ad-
vantage over circular ducts in that they can be packed effi-
ciently, with no unused space between them.
EFFECT OF SCRUBBING LIQUID ACID CONCENTRATION
Acidity can be quantified by the pH of the solution,
which by definition is -log[aH+], where aH+ is the activity of
H+ and is equivalent to [H+] in an aqueous environment. As
expected, the degree of acidity of the scrubbing medium
greatly enhanced absorption of gas-phase NH3 into the liq-
uid phase as a result of greater Henry’s law solubility and
higher chemical reaction rate of NH3 with the acid solution.
Figure 7 illustrates the effect of increasing the H2SO4 con-
centration on the absorption efficiency of the scrubber for a
constant inlet NH3 concentration of 30 ppmv. Results
showed that acid concentration had a significant effect on
the absorption efficiency of the scrubber [F(5,6) = 68.11,
p < 0.11)]. Upon increase of H2SO4 concentration from 0%
to 0.2% (w/v) or equivalently a decrease from pH = 6.12
(±1.65) to pH = 1.72 (±0.16), scrubber efficiency rapidly
increased by 44% (SE = 4%, p = 0.0004). As discussed by
Swartz et al. (1999) on the uptake of gas-phase NH3 by
H2SO4 surfaces, at pH > 4 the solubility of NH3 was further
limited by its Henry’s law solubility (eq. 1), which caused
Figure 6. Effect of scrubber column shape on scrubber efficiency.
TRANSACTIONS OF THE ASABE
the re-evaporation of NH3 back to gas phase. The increase
in [H+] improved the conversion of gaseous NH3 to its liq-
uid form by shifting the equilibrium reaction (eq. 2) toward
NH4+, making it nearly irreversible. This was expected un-
der highly acidic conditions at pH < 2. Post-hoc compari-
sons using Tukey’s HSD test revealed that for scrubbing
liquid with acid concentration above 0.8% (w/v), absorp-
tion efficiency started to level off and did not significantly
change with respect to acidity.
Manuzon et al. (2007) observed that efficiencies did not
significantly vary above 0.2 N or 1% (w/v) (0.2 to 0.6 N)
acid concentration when the maximum gas-carrying capaci-
ty of the acid solution was achieved at a given retention
time. It was concluded that the presence of excess acid was
critical to maintaining the driving force for absorption to
take place if the scrubbing medium was to be recirculated
or recycled. This trend was confirmed in this study, and the
maximum efficiency of 68% (±7%) was observed at 1%
(w/v) H2SO4, which was experimentally equivalent to pH =
1.48. This also revealed that the chemical absorption of
NH3 using acidic solution above 1% (w/v) acid was limited
by the gas-carrying capacity of the scrubbing medium and
not by the concentration of NH3 in air. This was also ob-
served in absorption experiments conducted by Lahav et al.
(2008), who reported that, at pH < ~2.15, NH3 concentra-
tion in air is not the rate-limiting parameter during the ab-
sorption process. Thus, it would be safe to assume at least
1% acid concentration for treating highly concentrated air
streams above 30 ppmv. In the subsequent experiments, 1%
(w/v) H2SO4 was used as the optimized concentration of
acid in the scrubbing medium. Although the presence of
excess acid is a technical advantage, it should be well con-
trolled such that it does not exceed the optimized concen-
tration. A highly acidic solution can be an operational chal-
lenge, as it is highly corrosive and can strongly oxidize
metals. Its exothermic nature when dissolved in water is
also a safety issue in operating the scrubber. It can irritate
eyes and skin as well as damage living tissues. Therefore,
safety precautions should be observed during scrubber op-
eration with acidic effluents.
EFFECT OF SUPERFICIAL AIR VELOCITY
As shown in figure 8, there was a significant inverse lin-
Figure 7. Effect of scrubbing liquid acidity (pH) or H2SO4 concentra-
tion (% w/v) on NH3 collection efficiency.
57(2): 647-659
ear relationship (R2 > 0.98) between absorption efficiency
and superficial air velocity for each nozzle. Full-cone noz-
zle PJ40 had a slope of -7.09, while hollow-cone nozzle
AAP01 had a slope of -11.82. PJ40 performed well at high-
er velocity, with 73% (±0%) efficiency at 5.0 m s-1, while
AAP01 produced a mean efficiency of 46% (±1%) at the
same velocity. The expected decrease in scrubber perfor-
mance was attributed to the decrease in the residence time
or retention time of air in the scrubber column, which di-
rectly affects the contact time between the gas and liquid
droplets during the absorption process (Bandyopadhyaya
and Biswasa, 2006; Jia et al., 2011; Manuzon et al., 2007).
Air residence time is a critical factor for gaseous pollutant
scrubbers, where adequate contact time between the scrub-
bing liquid and gas is needed. It should also be noted that
decreasing the air residence time also means decreasing the
liquid-to-gas ratio, which could negatively affect the mass
transfer from gas to the liquid.
EFFECTS OF NH3 CONCENTRATION
AND AIR TEMPERATURE
Figure 9 shows that the effect of NH3 concentration on
scrubber efficiency was directly proportional to the natural
log of NH3 concentration [F(1,27) = 304.29, p = 0.55)].
Scrubber efficiencies ranged from 90% to 34% when the
NH3 concentration varied from 10 to 400 ppmv under nor-
mal room conditions. The natural log relationship suggest-
ed that scrubber efficiency would stabilize at a constant
value as the inlet NH3 concentration is increased further, at
which point the scrubber is operating at steady-state condi-
tions and the amount of NH3 that the acidic solution can
absorb remains constant given a certain gas-liquid contact
time. Such an effect was due to the decrease in the availa-
ble sorbent capacity of the liquid, thus lowering the rate of
absorption (Kiil et al., 1998). This effect could only be
compensated by increasing the liquid-to-gas ratio, which
could be done by decreasing the flow rate of gas into the
scrubber or by increasing the number of spray stages. Even
though the ventilation rates of animal facilities change di-
urnally and seasonally as the weather changes, due to the
use of stage ventilation control that operates different num-
bers of fans at a time, the airflow rate of an individual fan is
normally constant as long as the fan is running. Therefore,
Figure 8. Effect of superficial air velocity or gas flow rate on scrubber
efficiency using a 35.56 cm round scrubber column.
655

Figure 9. Effect of inlet NH3 concentration and air temperature on
scrubber efficiency using a 35.56 cm round scrubber column.
multi-stage scrubbing would be a recommended option for
mitigating higher levels of inlet NH3 concentration to pro-
mote a higher liquid-to-gas ratio.
Figure 9 also shows the results of a regression analysis
obtained from using the PJ40 nozzle at different air tem-
peratures. Qualitative observation on the effect of tempera-
ture did not show an obvious trend for performance in the
lower concentration range. Efficiency did not decrease pro-
portionately for each increase in temperature at fixed inlet
NH3 concentration. Air temperature is a significant factor
for gas solubility in liquid. Technically, gas solubility in
liquid is dependent on the equilibrium between the gas
phase and the liquid phase, which is affected by the Hen-
ry’s law solubility. Increasing air temperature tends to in-
crease the vapor pressure of a gas, which causes distress at
the gas-liquid surface interaction, allowing some of the
dissolved gas to re-evaporate back to the liquid phase.
However, statistical analysis through analysis of covariance
(ANACOVA) with air temperature as the covariate variable
did not show a significant effect of air temperature on effi-
ciency (p = 0.82) for temperatures ranging from 12°C to
30°C. For this operating temperature range, it was assumed
that temperature did not play an important role in the
scrubbing process, which is a favorable conclusion for out-
door scrubber operation where inlet air temperature is
among the uncontrollable variables expected in animal fa-
cilities due to seasonal variation.
Figure 10. Effect of number of stages on scrubber efficiency using (a) results from this study and (b) results of Manuzon et al. (2007).
656
EFFECT OF NUMBER OF STAGES
The effect of the number of stages is shown in fig-
ure 10a. Scrubber efficiency observed from single-stage
scrubbing was 57.4% (±2.8%). Efficiency increased further
to about 89% (±2%) upon increasing the spray stages to
three. The actual results showed very good agreement of
the multi-stage scrubber’s performance with its predicted
performance using penetration calculations from single-
stage scrubbing efficiency (eq. 6). The degree of error be-
tween the actual observation and theoretical calculation
reflects the interaction between the spray stages. Thus, the
results suggested that each stage was behaving inde-
pendently. Compared to the results of the scrubber proto-
type by Manuzon et al. (2007) (fig. 10b), the new scrubber
significantly reduced interaction problems and improved
scrubber efficiency by using a fully optimized scrubber
module to isolate droplet interaction and ensure the opti-
mized conditions throughout the scrubber column. The
scrubber module has an optimized scrubber diameter, ge-
ometry, column height, spray nozzle, and liquid-to-air flow
rate ratio. As discussed earlier, increasing the number of
stages promotes a higher liquid-to-gas ratio sufficient to
improve the absorptive capacity of the scrubbing liquid for
a given loading rate of NH3. For a scrubber application that
has a lower concentration of NH3 to be treated, a lesser
number of stages is sufficient.
PERFORMANCE OF OPTIMIZED SCRUBBER MODULE
An optimized SSM was developed to be able to treat dif-
ferent levels of inlet NH3 concentration. The SSM consists
of a 1.65 m tall scrubbing column with a hexagonal geome-
try that has an equivalent diameter of 45.7 cm. It is
equipped with three stages of PJ40 spray nozzles operated
at about 0.55 to 0.62 MPa. The scrubbing liquid is a dilute
sulfuric acid solution with a concentration of at least 1%
(w/v) H2SO4. The optimized air velocity ranged from 3 to
4 m s-1, equivalent to air retention times of 0.55 to 0.41 s.
For treating exhaust air streams of animal facilities with
low airflow rates and low NH3 concentrations (less than
30 ppmv), such as exhaust air from the pit fans of swine
buildings, the SSM can be simplified to a round geometry
with a smaller diameter and fewer spray nozzles. For treat-
ing exhaust streams with higher airflow rates and high NH3
concentrations (100 to 400 ppmv), such as the exhaust air
TRANSACTIONS OF THE ASABE
from poultry facilities, different numbers of SSMs can be
packed together to form large-scale commercial scrubbers
with more stages of spray nozzles.
Single-Stage Scrubber for Low NH3 Concentrations
Figure 11 shows the performance of the single-stage
scrubber (with round geometry and 35.6 cm in diameter)
with respect to two operating parameters: nozzle pressure
and gas velocity. The performance curve of the optimized
single-stage scrubber was evaluated with an operating pres-
sure range of 0.32 to 0.51 MPa and air velocity range of
2.59 to 5.41 m s-1. Based on the performance results, the
scrubber can achieve 91% efficiency at a liquid pressure of
0.51 MPa and a superficial air velocity of 4.0 m s-1. If the
air velocity is 3 m s-1, the scrubber efficiency increases to
about 95% at the same liquid pressure of 0.51 MPa. If the
performance goal is set to 90% for this velocity, the pump
pressure can be reduced to 0.47 MPa. This reduction in
operating pressure has a practical advantage because low-
pressure pumps are inexpensive and easy to operate and
maintain. The performance can be mathematically de-
scribed by a fitted regression equation:
η = 1.26P − 0.04V + 0.43 (8)
where η is the scrubber efficiency (%), P is the nozzle
pressure (MPa), and V is the air velocity (m s-1). Equation 8
reflects the positive effect of operating pressure (as corre-
lated to the droplet size properties and liquid flow rate) and
the negative effect of air velocity on scrubber efficiency,
which are both consistent with earlier findings.
Three-Stage Scrubber for High NH3 Concentrations
Figure 12 shows the surface plot of the three-stage
scrubber efficiency with respect to inlet NH3 concentration
and nozzle operating pressure. The performance curve of
the SSM showed that the projected efficiencies were 86%
and 74% for inlet NH3 concentrations of 100 and 400 ppmv,
respectively, with an operating pressure of 0.62 MPa and
superficial air velocity of 4.0 m s-1. If operating pressure is
Figure 11. Response surface of SSM performance with a single-stage
nozzle operating at different pressures for air streams with low NH3
concentrations (<30 ppmv) and different air velocities.
57(2): 647-659
reduced to 0.59 MPa, the efficiencies decrease to 85% and
73% given inlet NH3 concentrations of 100 and 400 ppmv,
respectively. At 0.55 MPa, the performance is further re-
duced to 82% and 70% for inlet NH3 concentrations of 100
and 400 ppmv, respectively. Reducing the working pressure
offers practical benefits for the operation and maintenance
of the pump, which runs continuously in the acidic solu-
tion. The total performance for the three-stage operation
can be fitted by a regression equation:
η = 55.33P − 0.04C + 56.14 (9)
where η is the scrubber efficiency (%), P is the nozzle
pressure (MPa), and C is the inlet NH3 concentration
(ppmv). Equation 9 is also consistent with previous findings
for the effects of operating pressure and NH3 concentration.
However, it reveals a higher effect of operating pressure on
scrubber efficiency at a higher NH3 concentration range
compared to equation 8.
STATIC PRESSURE DROP AND AIRFLOW RATE
Figure 13 shows the differential static pressures of each
scrubber component and of the whole scrubber. The 90°
elbow did not contribute significantly to the static pressure
drop; instead, it helped regain about 4 to 10 Pa when the air
velocity changed from 2 to 4 m s-1. The 140% divergence
section significantly contributed to the static pressure gain
of about 1.2 to 22.3 Pa for air velocities of 2 to 4 m s-1. The
spray column did not contribute to a measurable pressure
drop. The mist eliminator is the greatest contributor of
pressure drop for the entire scrubber and gave static pres-
sure drops of 15, 30, and 55 Pa for air velocities of 2, 3, and
4 m s-1, respectively. The total pressure drop of the scrub-
ber was reduced to less than 15 Pa for air velocities less
than 4 m s-1 due to static pressure gain from the divergence
section of the scrubber. The static pressure increase caused
by the divergence section helped offset the static pressure
loss caused mainly by the demister; in effect, the total static
pressure drop of the scrubber was significantly reduced and
Figure 12. Response surface of SSM performance with three-stage
nozzles operating at different pressures and inlet NH3 concentrations.
657

Figure 13. Differential static pressure of the whole scrubber and the
components of the scrubber with respect to superficial air velocity.
even lower than that caused by the demister. This level of
total static pressure drop is within the capacity of most ag-
ricultural axial fans on the U.S. farms, which commonly
encounter static pressures between 0 to 60 Pa (Teitel et al.,
2008). The total static pressure drop contributed by this
spray wet scrubber was also significantly lower than that of
the packed-bed scrubbers reviewed by Melse and Ogink
(2005), which ranged from 50 to 200 Pa, and the regenerat-
ing scrubber developed by Shah et al. (2008), which had an
average pressure drop of 110 Pa.
CONCLUSIONS
An acid SSM was developed and optimized to resolve
issues such as spray interaction and low NH3 removal effi-
ciencies encountered by Manuzon et al. (2007) during pre-
liminary simulation of spray NH3 scrubbing for air streams
from animal facilities. The design and operating parameters
of the scrubber that directly affect NH3 absorption efficien-
cy were optimized. The PJ40 (full-cone) nozzle was identi-
fied as the best performing nozzle through the simulation
study, especially for air streams with high NH3 concentra-
tions. The optimized scrubber diameter was 45.7 cm, while
a hexagonal geometry was found to be the most effective
scrubber column design. Operating parameters including
acid concentration, superficial air velocity, inlet NH3 con-
centration, and air temperature were investigated for their
effects on scrubber performance. A 1% (w/v) H2SO4 solu-
tion, with an equivalent pH of 1.46 (±0.05), was verified as
the optimized scrubbing liquid. Superficial air velocity ad-
versely affected scrubber performance significantly due to
its direct relationship with air residence time or contact
time between the gas and the liquid droplets. The scrubber
efficiency was observed to be inversely proportional to the
natural log of the inlet concentration. Typical indoor air
temperatures did not play an important role in the scrub-
bing process. Based on theoretical analysis and experi-
mental simulation, increasing the number of scrubbing
stages enhanced the absorptive capacity of the SSM, espe-
cially for recovering high levels of NH3.
Performance of the SSM was quantified for both low and
high NH3 concentration applications. For air streams with
high NH3 concentrations, the design of the SSM is character-
658
ized by a hexagonal scrubber column with a diameter of
45.72 cm (18 in.) equipped with three stages of PJ40 spray
nozzles. For air streams with low NH3 concentrations, the
design of the SSM can be simplified to a round scrubber
column with a smaller diameter of 36.0 cm (14 in.) and sin-
gle-stage nozzle operation. The scrubber is operated with 1%
(w/v) H2SO4 scrubbing liquid sprayed counter-current to the
inlet air stream with a superficial gas velocity of 3 to 4 m s-1,
equivalent to air retention times of 0.55 to 0.41 s. The per-
formance of the SSM for a low NH3 concentration of
30 ppmv varied from 91% to 95% at superficial air velocities
of 4.0 and 3.0 m s-1, respectively. For inlet NH3 concentra-
tions of 100 and 400 ppmv, the efficiencies were 86% and
74%, respectively, with an operating pressure of 0.62 MPa
and superficial air velocity of 4.0 m s-1. The SSM can be
used for commercial scale-up to treat NH3-laden air streams
with high airflow rates.
The pressure drop of the spray scrubber was mainly con-
tributed by the mist eliminator, which was evaluated to be
15, 30, and 55 Pa for air velocities of 2, 3, 4 m s-1, respec-
tively. The scrubber column resulted in a negligible static
pressure drop. A divergence section of the scrubber con-
tributed to a static pressure increase. The total static pres-
sure drop was under 15 Pa when the air velocity ranged
from 2 to 4 m s-1. The pressure drop was significantly lower
than that reported for other types of wet scrubbers, which
make the spray scrubber feasible for applications on U.S.
animal farms.
Based on the results of the optimization study, acid
spray scrubbing was found to be an effective and feasible
NH3 mitigation technology for a wider range of application
scenarios anticipated at different animal facilities.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This project was supported by National Research Initia-
tive Competitive Grant No. 2008-55112-1876 from the
USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Exten-
sion Service Air Quality Program. The authors acknow-
ledge the help and support provided by Mr. Carl Cooper,
Mr. Alan Yost, and Mr. Jared Felder of the Department of
Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering of The
Ohio State University.
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