CONTROL OF

PARTICULATE
MATTER
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 150
ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS ENGINEERING
OUTLINE
• Air Pollution Control
• Atmospheric Cleansing Processes
• Prerequisites for Air Pollution Control

• Particulate Pollutants Control

• Physical Principles
• Equipment
Air Pollution
Control
ATMOSPHERIC CLEANSING
PROCESSES
• Dispersion: wind currents lessen the
concentration of pollutants in any one place.
• Rainout: small particles acting as nuclei may
fall as rain.
ATMOSPHERIC CLEANSING
PROCESSES
• Washout: raindrop collides with and collects
particles as it falls.
• Chemical Reaction:
• Example: Removal of Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)
2H2S +3O2  2H2O + 2SO2
SO2 + H2O  H2SO3
H2SO3 + PbO  PbSO4 + H2
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
• Process Change:
• changes in processes to reduce raw materials and fuels
• use of alternative energy sources
• Change in fuel:
• low sulfur instead of high sulfur
• unleaded gasoline
• Good operating practices
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS
• Knowledge of source and the environment.
• Nature and quantity of pollutants
• Air Pollution Regulations
• Waste/s generated from the technology.
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT
• Destroy
• Mask
• Counteract
• Trap (collect pollutant before it gets to the
atmosphere)
DILUTION
• Can be accomplished through the use of tall
stacks.
• Based on the concept of dilution of
contaminants.
• Designed to disperse contaminants into the
upper atmosphere, away from the immediate
area.
• Use of this approach is discouraged.
SMOKE STACK
Particulate
Pollutants
Removal
PHYSICAL PRINCIPLES
• Gravity
• Inertia
• Filtration
• Particle Enlarging
• Electrostatic Attraction
EQUIPMENT
• Mechanical Collectors
• Wet Scrubbers
• Fabric Filters
• Electrostatic Precipitators
Particulate
Pollutants
Removal
MECHANICAL COLLECTORS
MECHANICAL COLLECTORS
• Use the principles of gravity or momentum in
collecting particulates.
• Types:
• Gravity Settling Chambers
• Baffle Collectors
• Cyclones
GRAVITY SETTLING CHAMBERS
GRAVITY SETTLING CHAMBERS
• Theory of Operation
• Rely on gravitational settling as collection mechanism.
• Removal of Particulate Matter (PM) by reducing gas
velocity so that the force of gravity prevails.
• Applicable Pollutants:
• PM > 10 microns
• Most designs are effective for PM > 50 microns
GRAVITY SETTLING CHAMBERS
• Industrial Application:
• Mostly as pre-cleaner.
• Efficiency:
• < 50%
• Depends on residence time, which in turn, depends on
velocity.
GRAVITY SETTLING CHAMBERS
• Advantages:
• Low capital cost
• Very low energy cost
• No moving parts
• Low pressure drops
• Dry collection and disposal
GRAVITY SETTLING CHAMBERS
• Disadvantages:
• Low collection efficiency
• Large physical size
BAFFLE COLLECTORS
BAFFLE COLLECTORS
• Theory of Operation
• operate by forcing waste gas to sharply change
direction through the use of strategically placed baffles.
• particulates separate from gas because of momentum.
• Applicable Pollutants:
• for PM between 5 to 25 microns.
BAFFLE COLLECTORS
• Industrial Application:
• As pre-cleaner.
• Efficiency:
• 50 to 90%
• Increases with particle size and/or density, increased
gas stream velocity, number of baffles.
BAFFLE COLLECTORS
• Advantages:
• low capital cost
• no moving parts
• smaller space requirements than gravity settling
chamber
• relatively low pressure drop
• dry collection and disposal
BAFFLE COLLECTORS
• Disadvantages:
• relatively low efficiency
• unsuitable for sticky materials
• higher pressure drop than gravity settling chambers
CYCLONES
CYCLONES
MULTICLONE
CYCLONES
• Theory of Operation
• removal of PM by centrifugal and inertial forces
induced by forcing waste gas to change direction.
• Applicable Pollutants:
• PM of sizes < 10 microns but > 2.5 microns.
CYCLONES
• Industrial Application:
• as pre-cleaner.
• first stage PM control for sinter plants, roasters, kilns
and furnaces.
CYCLONES
• Efficiency:
• increases linearly with: particle density, gas stream
velocity and rotational passes.
• linear decrease with fluid velocity.
• exponential increase with particle diameter.
CYCLONES
• Advantages:
• operation at elevated temperatures possible
• no moving parts
• relatively low pressure drop
• relatively small space requirements
• dry collection and disposal
CYCLONES
• Disadvantages:
• relatively low collection efficiency
• prone to internal erosion / corrosion
• high efficiency units may cause high pressure drops
Particulate
Pollutants
Removal
WET SCRUBBERS
WET SCRUBBERS
THEORY OF OPERATION
• remove particulate matter from gas streams by
incorporating the particles into liquid droplets
directly on contact.
• either inertial impingement or interception
during gravitational settling maybe the contact
mechanism.
APPLICABLE POLLUTANTS
• particulate matter less than or equal to 10
microns.
• hazardous pollutants that are in particulate
form like metals.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS
• iron foundries
• petroleum refineries
• paper mills
• control of SO2 emissions
EFFICIENCY
• depends on energy consumed in the contact
process.
• 90 to 99% depending on type of scrubber.
ADVANTAGES
• simultaneous gas absorption and particulate
removal.
• ability to cool and clean high temperature
moisture-laden gases.
• reduced dust explosion risk
• efficiency can be varied
DISADVANTAGES
• corrosion/erosion problems
• added cost of wastewater treatment
• contamination of effluent stream by liquid
entrainment
• reduction in buoyancy and plume rise
• water vapor contributes to visible plume under
some atmospheric conditions
TYPES
• Packed Wet Scrubber
• Fluidized Bed Wet Scrubber
• Venturi Wet Scrubber
PACKED WET SCRUBBER
FLUIDIZED BED WET
SCRUBBER
FLUIDIZED BED WET
SCRUBBER
VENTURI WET SCRUBBER
VENTURI WET SCRUBBER
Particulate
Pollutants
Removal
FABRIC FILTERS
BAGHOUSE FILTERS
BAGHOUSE FILTERS
THEORY OF OPERATION
• dry particulates are trapped on filters made of
cloth, paper or similar materials.
• particles are shaken or blown from the filters
down into a collection hopper.
APPLICABLE POLLUTANTS
• particulate matter less than or equal to 10
microns.
• hazardous pollutants that are in particulate
forms like metals.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS
• in most process where dust is generated and
can be collected and ducted to a central
location.
• industrial boilers, iron and steel production,
steel foundries, cement manufacturing,
quarrying and grain milling.
EFFICIENCY
• depends on fabric chosen, cleaning frequency
and methods and particulate characteristics.
ADVANTAGES
• high collection efficiencies
• collection of small particle possible
• dry collection
• decrease of performance is noticeable
DISADVANTAGES
• over-temperature limitations
• sensitivity to filtering velocity
• affected by relative humidity
• susceptibility of fabric chemical attack
TYPES
• Baghouse
• Mechanical Shaker Baghouse
• Reverse Air Baghouse
• Reverse Jet Baghouse
BAGHOUSE
MECHANICAL SHAKER
BAGHOUSE
REVERSE AIR BAGHOUSE
REVERSE JET BAGHOUSE
Particulate
Pollutants
Removal
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
ELECTROSTATIC
PRECIPITATORS
ELECTROSTATIC
PRECIPITATORS
ELECTROSTATIC
PRECIPITATORS
ELECTROSTATIC
PRECIPITATORS
ELECTROSTATIC
PRECIPITATORS (PLATE TYPE)
ELECTROSTATIC
PRECIPITATORS (TUBE TYPE)
ELECTROSTATIC
PRECIPITATORS
THEORY OF OPERATION
• uses electrical forces to move particles
entrained within an exhaust stream onto
collection surfaces.
• entrained particles are given an electrical
charge when they pass thru a corona.
THEORY OF OPERATION
• particles once charged are attracted to a
collector which assumes a charge opposite that
of entrained particles.
• particles are removed from the collector plates
by “rapping”.
APPLICABLE POLLUTANTS
• PM > 1 micron.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS
• Non-ferrous Metallurgy (smelters and
furnaces)
• Petroleum Refineries (sludge incinerators)
• Cement Manufacturing (kilns)
• Kraft Paper Mills (recovery furnaces)
• Acid Manufacture (thermal processes)
EFFICIENCY
• typical designs efficiencies between 99 and
99.9%.
• equipment size
• varies with electric field strength.
• dependent on gas temperature, dust resistivity,
chemical composition of the dust and gas,
particle size distribution.
ADVANTAGES
• 99+ % efficiency obtainable.
• very small particles can be collected.
• particles maybe collected wet or dry.
• pressure drops and power requirements are
small compared with other high efficiency
collectors.
ADVANTAGES
• maintenance is nominal unless corrosive or
adhesive materials are handled.
• few moving parts.
• can be operated at high temperatures (300 to
450°C).
DISADVANTAGES
• relatively high initial cost.
• subject to clogging in the hopper.
• precautions are required to safeguard
personnel from high voltage.