Department of

Chemical
Engineering

Lecture 5
 Department of
Particulates
Particulates Chemical
Engineering

Major Focus
finely divided solid or liquid particles
< 100 m - remain suspended
Typical constituents
carbonaceous material metal oxides
silica inorganic salts
Particulates
microorganisms

Common Sources
combustion;
cement dust
mining operation

2
Characteristics
Characteristics
0.10

0.08

q(dp) Probability Density

0.06

Aerosol Size Distribution 0.04

normal; log-normal; Rosin-

Function
0.02
Rammler, etc
0.00
0 10 20 30 40 50

Real Aerosols dp (m)

most mass in 0.1-10 m range

responsible for light scattering (overlap visible)

Light scattering efficiency

Removal Devices
sedimentation (gravity & centripetal)
inertial deposition/interception
electrostatic attraction 0.01 0.1 1 10

filtration dp
(m) 3
 Department of
Chemical

Characteristics Engineering

The particulate pollutants can be formed in the

atmosphere from gaseous pollutants, e.g.,
hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen, and oxides of
sulfur.
These particles are often called secondary
particles, to distinguish them from those found in
the atmosphere in the form in which they were
emitted, which are called primary particles.
 Department of
Chemical
Engineering

 Fine particles that is different from our experience with particles

as large as sand grains is that when two fine particles are brought
into direct physical contact, they generally will stick together by
electrostatic and van der Waals bonding forces.
 Electrostatic and van der Waals forces are, in general,
proportional to the surface area of the particle.

 Gravity and inertial forces are proportional to the particle mass,

which is proportional to D3, whereas the surface area are
proportional to D2.
 Department of
Chemical
Main Atmospheric Sinks Engineering
Main Atmospheric Sinks

Deposition
Stokes’ Law Microscopic
slide

gd2p (s   g ) large-diameter orifice low gas

vd  velocity
large massive particles collected
18

Precipitation
rain

small-diameter orifice
Key Impacts low gas velocity
small particles collected
reduced visibility
aesthetic
water supply contamination Outlet gas

inhibition of plant growth

6
 Efficiency
Efficiency
Models
normally either of two bases
mass M Aerosol-laden gas Cleaned gas
number N [c0, n0] [c, n]

Gas flowrate Q0 Gas flowrate Q

assume
inflow ~ outflow Aerosol Emission
Rate = E

Removed
cons tan t flowrate : Q Q0 aerosol

implies  c0  c Mass rate = Q0c0  E

M 
c0
Q  volumetric flowrate m3s1; c  aerosol concentration kg m3
Alternatively, number basis

implies  n0  n
N 
n0

7
 Department of
Chemical
Engineering
Stokes’ Law
The forces acting on a spherical particle settling
through a fluid under the influence of gravity.
 Department of
Chemical
Engineering
Stokes’ Law
 Writing Newton’s law for the particle, we obtain

ma   p  6  D g   f
 3
 6  D g  Fd
 3
(1)

 The three terms on the right represent, respectively, the

gravity, buoyant, and drag forces acting on the particle.
 The drag (or air resistance) forces increase with increasing
speed and are zero for zero speed.
 The particle accelerates rapidly; as it accelerates, the drag
force increases as the velocity increases, until it equals the
gravity force minus the buoyant force.
 At this terminal settling velocity, the sum of the forces acting
is zero, so the particle continues to move at a constant
velocity.
 Department of
Chemical
Control of Particulate Engineering

Pollutants

Settling Chamber
Spray chamber
Cyclone
Bag house
Venturi
Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP)
 Department of

Particle trajectories
SettlingChemical
Settling
Engineering
small particle fluid flow Chamber
Chamber
large particle

Simplest & oldest device drag

horizontal or vertical rectangular chambers

relies on gravity settling weight

typically incorporated into exhaust systems

Performance Specification
T < 500 °C
removes coarse particles > 100-150 m efficiency:
 ~ 50% < 50 m;  ~ 95% > 300 m P ~ 50 Pa

11
 Department of
Chemical
Log Normal Distribution Engineering

The log normal distribution is often used to approximate the

particle size distribution of Aerosols, aquatic particles and
pulverized material.

Rosin–Rammler Distribution
The Weibull distribution or Rosin–Rammler distribution is a
useful distribution for representing particle size distributions
generated by grinding, milling and crushing operations.
 Department of
Chemical
Spray Chamber Engineering

Primary collection mechanism:

Inertial impaction of particle into water droplet
Efficiency:
< 1% for < 1 um diameter
>90% for > 5 um diameter
Pressure drop: 0.5 to 1.5 cm of H2O
Water droplet size range: 50 - 200 um

Collection efficiencies for wet scrubbers vary with the particle size
distribution of the waste gas stream. In general, collection efficiency
decreases as the PM size decreases
 Department of
Chemical
Spray Chamber Engineering

 A Spray Chamber (wet scrubber) is an air pollution

control device that removes PM and acid gases from
waste gas streams of stationary point sources.

 The pollutants are removed primarily through the

impaction, diffusion, interception and/or absorption of the
pollutant onto droplets of liquid.

 The liquid containing the pollutant is then collected for

disposal.
 Department of
Spray Chamber Chemical
Engineering
 Department of
Chemical
Spray Chamber Advantages Engineering

 Spray Chamber systems have some advantages

over electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) and
baghouses. Spray Chamber are smaller and more
compact than baghouses or ESPs.

 They have lower capital cost and comparable

operation and maintenance (O&M) costs.
 Department of
Chemical
Spray Chamber Characteristics Engineering

Sticky and/or hygroscopic materials (materials that

readily absorb water)
Combustible, corrosive and explosive materials
 Particles which are difficult to remove in their dry form
PM in the presence of soluble gases; and
PM in waste gas streams with high moisture content
Simultaneous particle/gas removal
Wet scrubbers have numerous industrial applications
including industrial boilers, incinerators, metals
processing, chemical production, and asphalt
production, and fertilizer production.
 Department of
Disadvantage of Spray Chamber Chemical
Engineering

 The primary disadvantage of Spray Chamber is that

increased collection efficiency comes at the cost of
increased pressure drop across the control system.

 Another disadvantage is that they are limited to lower

waste gas flow rates and temperatures than ESPs or
baghouses. Current Spray Chamber designs accommodate
air flow rates over 47 actual cubic meters per second (m3
/s) (100,000 actual cubic feet per minute and temperatures
of up to 400°C (750°F).
 Department of
Chemical
Engineering

Disadvantage of Spray Chamber

 Another disadvantage is that they generate waste in

the form of a sludge which requires treatment and/or
2-5 disposal. Lastly, downstream corrosion or plume
visibility problems can result unless the added
moisture is removed from the gas stream.