Time as a Factor

For many environmental problems time is an important factor in establishing the degree of severity
of the problem or in designing a solution.

In these instances, Equation for an environmental process:

Accumulation = input – output (2-2)

Modified to the following form:

Mass rate of accumulation = Mass rate of input - Mass rate of output (2-3)

where rate is used to mean “per unit of time.” In the calculus this may be written as

𝑑𝑀 𝑑(𝑖𝑛) 𝑑(𝑜𝑢𝑡)
= − (2-4)
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡

where M refers to the mass accumulated and (in) and (out) refer to the mass flowing in or out of
the control volume. As part of the description of the problem, a convenient time interval that is
meaningful for the system must be chosen.

Efficiency
The effectiveness of an environmental process in removing a contaminant can be determined using
the mass balance technique. Starting with Equation 2-4,

𝑑𝑀 𝑑(𝑖𝑛) 𝑑(𝑜𝑢𝑡)
= − (2-4)
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡

The mass of contaminant per unit of time [d(in)/dt and d(out)/dt] may be calculated as

𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠
= (𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛) (𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒)
𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒

For example,
 𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑚𝑔 𝑚3 𝑚𝑔
= ( 3) ( ) =
𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑚 𝑠 𝑠

This is called a mass flow rate. In concentration and flow rate terms, the mass balance equation is

𝑑𝑀
= 𝐶𝑖𝑛 𝑄𝑖𝑛 − 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑄𝑜𝑢𝑡 (2-5)
𝑑𝑡

Where,
𝑑𝑀
= rate of accumulation of contaminant in the process
𝑑𝑡

Cin, Cout = concentrations of contaminant into and out of the process

Qin, Qout = flow rates into and out of the process

The ratio of the mass that is accumulated in the process to the incoming mass is a measure of how
effective the process is in removing the contaminant

𝑑𝑀
𝑑𝑡 = 𝐶𝑖𝑛 𝑄𝑖𝑛 − 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑄𝑜𝑢𝑡 (2-6)
𝐶𝑖𝑛 𝑄𝑖𝑛 𝐶𝑖𝑛 𝑄𝑖𝑛

For convenience, the fraction is multiplied by 100%. The left-hand side of the equation is given
the notation η. Efficiency (η) is then defined as

mass 𝑖𝑛−mass 𝑜𝑢𝑡

η= 𝑋 100 % (2-7)
mass 𝑖𝑛

If the flow rate in and the flow rate out are the same, this ratio may be simplified to

concentration 𝑖𝑛−concentration 𝑜𝑢𝑡

η= 𝑋 100 % (2-8)
concentration 𝑖𝑛
Example 2-4. The air pollution control equipment on a municipal waste incinerator includes a
fabric filter particle collector (known as a baghouse). The baghouse contains 424 cloth bags
arranged in parallel, that is 1/424 of the flow goes through each bag. The gas flow rate into and
out of the baghouse is 47 m3/s, and the concentration of particles entering the baghouse is 15 g/m3.
In normal operation the baghouse particulate discharge meets the regulatory limit of 24 mg/m3.
During preventive maintenance replacement of the bags, one bag is inadvertently not replaced, so
only 423 bags are in place.

Calculate the fraction of particulate matter removed and the efficiency of particulate removal when
all 424 bags are in place and the emissions comply with the regulatory requirements. Estimate the
mass emission rate when one of the bags is missing and recalculate the efficiency of the baghouse.
Assume the efficiency for each individual bag is the same as the overall efficiency for the
baghouse.

Solution. The mass balance diagram for the baghouse in normal operation is shown here.

In concentration and flow rate terms, the mass balance equation is

𝑑𝑀
= 𝐶𝑖𝑛 𝑄𝑖𝑛 − 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑄𝑜𝑢𝑡 (2-5)
𝑑𝑡
The mass rate of accumulation in the baghouse is

𝑑𝑀 𝑚𝑔 𝑚3 𝑚𝑔 𝑚3 𝑚𝑔
= [15000 3 𝑋 47 ] − [24 3 𝑋 47 ] = 703,872
𝑑𝑡 𝑚 𝑠 𝑚 𝑠 𝑠

The fraction of particulates removed is

𝑚𝑔
[703,872 𝑠 ]
= 0.9984
𝑚𝑔 𝑚3
[15000 3 𝑋 47 𝑠 ]
𝑚

The efficiency of the baghouse is

𝐶𝑖𝑛 𝑄𝑖𝑛 − 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑄𝑜𝑢𝑡

η=
𝐶𝑖𝑛 𝑄𝑖𝑛

𝑚𝑔 𝑚𝑔
[15000 −24 3 ]
𝑚3 𝑚
η= 𝑚𝑔 𝑋 100 % = 99.84%
15000 3
𝑚

Note that the fraction of particulate matter removed is the decimal equivalent of the efficiency.

To determine the mass emission rate with one bag missing, we begin by drawing a mass balance
diagram. Because one bag is missing, a portion of the flow (1/424 of Qout) effectively bypasses the
baghouse. The “Bypass” line around the baghouse is drawn to show this.
As shown in the diagram there are three unknowns: the mass flow rate out of the baghouse, the
rate of mass accumulation in the baghouse hopper, and the mass flow rate of the mixture.

Because we know the efficiency and the influent mass flow rate, we can solve the mass balance
equation for the mass flow rate out of the filter.

𝐶𝑖𝑛 𝑄𝑖𝑛 − 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑄𝑜𝑢𝑡

η=
𝐶𝑖𝑛 𝑄𝑖𝑛

Solving for Cout Qout

𝑚𝑔 𝑚3 423
𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑄𝑜𝑢𝑡 = (1 − η)𝐶𝑖𝑛 𝑄𝑖𝑛 = (1 − 0.9984) (15000 𝑋 47 )( ) = 1,125 𝑚𝑔/𝑠
𝑚3 𝑠 424

This value can be used as an input for a control volume around the junction of the bypass, the
effluent from the baghouse and the final effluent.

A mass balance for the control volume around the junction may be written as

𝑑𝑀
= 𝐶𝑖𝑛 𝑄𝑖𝑛 from bypass + 𝐶𝑖𝑛 𝑄𝑖𝑛 from baghouse − 𝐶𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑄𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝑑𝑡

As there is no accumulation in the junction

𝑑𝑀
=0
𝑑𝑡
And the mass balance equation is

𝐶𝑖𝑛 𝑄𝑖𝑛 from bypass + 𝐶𝑖𝑛 𝑄𝑖𝑛 from baghouse = 𝐶𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑄𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛
 𝑚𝑔 𝑚3 1 𝑚𝑔 𝑚𝑔
 𝐶𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑄𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 = (15000 𝑋 47 ) (424) + 1125 = 2788
𝑚3 𝑠 𝑠 𝑠

The effluent concentration is

𝑚𝑔
𝐶𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑄𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 2788
= 3
𝑠
= 59 𝑚𝑔/𝑚3
𝑄𝑜𝑢𝑡 47 𝑚 /𝑠

The overall efficiency of the baghouse with the missing bag is

𝑚𝑔 𝑚𝑔
[15000 −59 3 ]
𝑚3 𝑚
η= 𝑚𝑔 𝑋 100 % = 99.61%
15000 3
𝑚