Air Pollution Control Devices for Gaseous Emissions & Wastewater Treatment

Techniques for controlling gaseous emissions

Recovery technique Destruction technique

Recovery Technique
Absorption Adsorption

Destruction Techniques
Thermal Combustion Catalytic Combustion

Recovery Techniques
ABSORPTION Gas-Liquid operation It involves the transfer of the pollutant from the gas phase to liquid phase by using an appropriate solvent. Two types of towers are generally used i.e. tray tower and packed tower. Effectiveness of an absorption process for air pollution control mostly depends upon proper selection of solvent.

Suitable solvents for various gaseous pollutants

1. Sulphur dioxide 2. Nitrogen Oxides 3. HCl NaOH, Na2SO3, MgO Ca(OH)2, Mg(OH)2 Water, Ammonia solution

Gas Out Mole fracion of pollutant in gas phase y2

Solvent in Mole fraction of pollutant in liquid phase x2 =0

Here x1>x2 & y1>y2

Gas in Mole fraction of pollutant in gas phase y1

Liquid Out Mole fraction of pollutant in liquid phase x1

Material Balance Equation

Gs(Y1 Y2)=Ls(X1-X2) Where
y1 Y1 = 1 1 y y2 Y2 = 1 2 y x1 X1 = 1 1 x x2 X2 = 1 2 x

 Gs = G1(1-y1)

 A gas mixture consisting of 5 percent ammonia (i.e. y1 = 0.05) and 95 percent air (by volume) is to be scrubbed with water to reduce the ammonia content to 0.5 percent (i.e. y2 =0.005). The flow rate of the gas mixture entering the tower at the bottom at 25C and 1 atm is 0.01055 kgmoles/sec(i.e. G1) while ammonia free water enters the top of tower at a rate of 0.01316 kgmoles/sec.(i.e. Ls). Calculate X1

Adsorption by solids
Gas-Solid Operation Adsorption is the surface phenomenon by which pollutant gas gets captured by and adhere to the surface of a solid adsorbent. The adsorbed material can be desorbed or removed by increasing the temperature. This technique is widely used in removing small quantities of pollutants present in a large volume of air.

Adsorption by solids
This technique is used for collecting valuable organic substances. The rate of adsorption depends on the concentration of material around the adsorbent and the surface area of the adsorbent. Adsorption of solids may be carried out in a batch wise or continuous manner of operation.

Fixed Bed Adsorption Column

D
Clean gas out

Pollutant gas in Conc. of pollutant gas in = C 1

Combustion
It is a destruction technique Many industrial processes produce gas streams that have no recovery value, so adsorption and absorption methods may not be economically feasible. If waste gas contains sufficient combustible material then incineration/combustion is the best option.

Types of Combustion
Thermal Combustion Catalytic Combustion

Thermal Combustion
Most efficient technique for destroying diluted gas streams. Here the waste gas is preheated over an auxiliary fuel-fired burner and passed into a combustion chamber where a temperature of around 700C is maintained. At this temperature the complete oxidation/destruction takes place. The major operating cost is in the form of fuel required to sustain appropriate temperature levels.

Catalytic Oxidation
This technique is used when thermal combustion of very diluted pollutants is not economically feasible due to additional fuel cost. Here combustion takes place on a catalyst usually at lower temperatures (i.e. at around 400C)

Other Techniques
Condensation Membrane Separation Bio-filtration

Waste Water Treatment

To remove the contaminants from the water so that the treated water can meet the acceptable quality standards.

Classification of available wastewater treatment processes:

Physical treatment Chemical treatment. Biological treatment.

Physical process
Based on the physical properties of the contaminants. Physical processes mainly comprises screening, sedimentation, flotation and filtration.

Chemical process
Based on chemical properties of the impurities. Chemical processes
Precipitation. Coagulation

Other important physical and chemical processes

Air stripping. Carbon adsorption. Oxidation. Reduction. Ion exchange. Membrane process. Electrodialysis.

Biological process
Utilize Biochemical reactions. Typical examples:
Biological filtration Activated sludge process.

Steps for waste water treatment:

Primary treatment. Secondary treatment Tertiary treatment.

Primary treatment
Involves Physical Processes Suspended solids. Floating matter.

Secondary treatment
To remove organic matter (Biological Processes)

Tertiary treatment
Advance waste treatment
Physical, chemical and biological treatment. Or various combination of these processes

depending upon the nature of impurity. Advance treatment processes are expensive, And are used only when water produced is required to be of higher quality.

Primary Treatment
Pretreatment step Sedimentation Flotation

Pretreatment step
In pretreatment process wastewater is pretreated to remove large floating and suspended solids. Screens are generally used in the pretreatment step. Fixed bar screens are most commonly used for treating domestic water having and opening of size 20-60 mm for coarse screens and 10-20 mm for fine and medium screens.

Sedimentation
In the sedimentation step, the settleable solids are removed by gravitational settling. Sludge formed at the bottom is removed as underflow and clear water is removed as an overflow. Generally Rectangular horizontal flow, circular radial flow or vertical flow basins are used.

Flotation
Flotation may be used in place of sedimentation, primarily for treating industrial wastewaters containing finely divided suspended solids and oily matter. Generally used in paper industry. Aeration technique will be used. To enhance the flotation process certain chemical coagulants such as aluminium and ferric salts or polymer coagulant-aids are often used to increase the flocculent structure of the floated particles. Dispersed air flotation and dissolved air flotation are the two techniques generally used.

Secondary (Biological Treatment)

For removing organic material in waste water which may be present in dissolved or colloidal form. Organic material represents a high demand for oxygen which must be reduced. Here biodegradation of organic matter is done by bacteria.

Methods for Biological Treatment

Activated Sludge Process Biological film Process (Trickling filters)

Activated Sludge Process

Wastewater after primary treatment enters an aeration tank where the organic matter is brought into contact with the sludge which is heavily laden with the microorganisms. Air is also introduced in the form of bubbles. The microorganisms utilize the oxygen in the air and convert the organic matter into stabilized, low energy compounds such as NO3, SO4, CO2 and synthesize new bacterial mass.

Trickling Bed Filters

Conventional trickling filters normally consist of a rock bed 1 to 3 meters in depth, with enough opening between rocks to allow air to circulate easily. The influent is sprinkled over the bed packing which is coated with a biological slime.

Tertiary Treatment (Advanced wastewater treatment)

The effluent from a typical secondary treatment plant still contains 20-40 mg/l suspended solids and 20-40 mg/l BOD which may be objectionable in some streams. There are variety of methods in tertiary treatment for the (i) removal of suspended solids (ii) BOD (iii) plant nutrients (iv) dissolved solids and (v) toxic substances

Removal of suspended solids

Micro straining Chemical Coagulation followed by settling and filtration.

Coagulation
In this method certain chemicals are rapidly dispersed in wastewater to change the characteristics of the suspended particles so that they coalesce and form flocs which sink rapidly. For removal of negatively charged colloidal suspensions by addition of positive ions such as Al3+ This technique is generally used for oily emulsions and finely divided and non settleable solids. Flocs are removed by filtration process.

Removal of dissolved solids

Adsorption on activated carbon Solvent extraction (for phenolic materials from wastewaters of refineries and coke plants)

Advanced Biological Systems

Aerobic Ponds Aerated Ponds Anaerobic Ponds

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