Most companies use techniques that introduce emissions into the air, harming the environment and endangering human health. A wet scrubber system is an efficient solution that seeks to manage air pollution by removing such particles and gases from industrial exhausts. These systems employ water or a chemical solution to wash air and meet environmental requirements. Featuring different designs, wet scrubbers are versatile and deployable in diverse industries including manufacturing, power generation and chemical processing.
This article will discuss wet scrubber cost, types, designs, and benefits for industrial uses.
What is a Wet Scrubber?
So, you might be wondering: What is a wet scrubber?
A wet scrubber is a machine that cleans dirty gases coming from things like furnaces or other sources. It uses a liquid to trap and remove harmful stuff from the gas. This happens when the gas and liquid mix, either by spraying the liquid, forcing the gas through it, or other ways.
Wet scrubbers work by using big droplets of liquid to grab tiny dust particles. Most of these liquid droplets are bigger than 50 micrometers (to compare, a human hair is about 50 to 100 micrometers thick). The size of the dust particles depends on where they come from.
For example, dust from crushing or grinding is usually bigger (over 10 micrometers). On the other hand, dust from burning or chemical reactions has many tiny particles (less than 5 micrometers) or even super small ones.
The hardest particles to catch are the really tiny ones, between 0.1 and 0.5 micrometers, because they are so small that they can escape more easily.
How Wet Scrubbers Work
Water is the most common liquid used to remove harmful substances from the air. In a simple wet scrubber, water is kept in a container made of metal or another material. Contaminated air flows through the water, and the water absorbs the harmful substances. The clean air then exits the scrubber.
Besides water, other liquids can also be used to remove different types of contaminants. By changing the chemical makeup of the liquids, we can make them have a positive, negative, or neutral charge. Since pollutants can have different charges, wet scrubbers are filled with the liquid that will work best to remove the harmful substances. The most common liquid used to control acid gases like HCl or SO2 is a solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH), but other liquids like sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) or calcium hydroxide (Ca[OH]2) can also be used.
Types of Wet Scrubbers
There are several types of wet scrubber systems used for controlling air pollution in industrial settings. Wet scrubbers have different parts that help clean the air. These parts include:
- Venturi scrubber
- Spray chamber/tower
- Cyclonic spray scrubber
- Packed bed
- Ejector venturi scrubber
Each type has unique features, making it essential to assess your requirements before choosing the right wet scrubber system.
Key Factors to Consider When Designing a Wet Scrubber
Designing an effective wet scrubber involves several calculations to ensure optimal performance. Key parameters include:
- Airflow Volume
- Particle Size
- Scrubbing Liquid Properties
- Pressure Drop
Professional wet scrubber manufacturers use these calculations to tailor solutions for industries such as chemical processing, power generation, and metal refining.
Benefits of Wet Scrubber Systems
Takes up less space: Wet scrubbers cool and shrink the exhaust gases before they leave. This means fans, ducts, and other equipment can be smaller. Smaller equipment costs less and fits into tighter spaces.
- No extra dust problems: Once the scrubber traps dust, it stays put. The dust won’t escape during storage or transport.
- Works with hot, humid air: Wet scrubbers can handle very hot and damp air without issues like overheating or condensation, which can cause problems for other systems.
- Safe from fires or explosions: Dry dust can catch fire or explode, but using water in a wet scrubber stops that from happening.
- Cleans both gases and dust: Wet scrubbers can trap both harmful gases and dust particles at the same time.
Conclusion
More than ever, industries are required to lower emissions to a bare minimum and it makes the wet scrubber systems highly relevant. These systems are cost effective, efficient and enable industries to comply with the environmental regulations. To alleviate the research burden regarding the best options, a number of top wet scrubber suppliers should be considered for pricing, design and setup.
