The basics of a wet scrubber
A wet industrial scrubber is a machine that helps improve the quality and breathability of air in and around an industrial or commercial facility.The air quality is often affected owing to the presence of particulate matter(PM),combustible dust,oil mist,hot gases,chemical substance fumes,and volatile organic compounds(VOCs).These substances are typically the by-product of a manufacturing process where the scrubber is required to strip the particulate matter that may be in the form of a solid,liquid or vapor from the process air stream.Many of these byproducts are combustible or toxic,and hold the potential to cause serious accidents or risk to plant personnel and nearby communities.
Wet scrubbers make use of water;the world's most widely used solvent,to trap the pollutant in suspension for later disposition.Some manufacturers refer to these machines as a'Hydrodynamic Wet Scrubber'.Low energy scrubbers are a prudent investment,as the pressure drop across the unit is not more than 2"of water column.
Types of wet scrubbers
Wet scrubbers are usually classified on the basis of their pressure drop.A pressure drop is defined as the decrease in pressure levels of fluid or gas as it moves downstream.A pressure drop commonly occurs because of factors such as multiple bends in the pipe,a rough inner surface of the tube or pipe,or the viscosity of the fluid flowing.Here are the types of wet scrubbers:
1.Low energy scrubbers:These scrubbers operate at a pressure drop of 1 inch to 2 inch water gauge.These scrubbers are most efficient with particles that measure less than 10 micrometers/microns.The low energy scrubbers do not clog despite handling high dust loading or concentration.
2.Medium energy scrubber:These scrubbers comprise several layers of packing elements such as coke,gravel or other media.As the liquid passes through this bed of materials,the dust gets deposited on the bed of materials.The bed or packing may also increase the solvent dwell time needed for efficient removal of the pollutant.These scrubbers are useful for collection of dust that is finer than 10 microns,and can penetrate deep into the respiratory system.This is referred to as respirable dust.
3.High energy scrubbers:These are also referred to as venturi scrubbers.They are widely used in the chemical industry to get strip gas streams of light,fine particulate and respirable dust.The high energy scrubbers are effective when used with sticky materials without clogging.
There are certain applications wherein a dry type industrial dust collector may not be a good fit for the application,such as combustible dusts.In such a case,industrial wet scrubber may be is the best option.A dry type industrial dust collector is usually chosen for collecting high volumes of dust,however vapors will pass through dry filter media.
Importance of using an industrial scrubber
The presence of particulate contaminants can adversely affect the health of your work force.In many cases, dust and contaminants can also affect the final quality of your product.Using industrial wet scrubber helps you to maintain clean, breathable air at your site,facility and air discharged to the atmosphere.As the liabilities associated with negligent handling of industrial pollutants continue to rise,industries must proactively consider investing in high-performance and energy efficient air pollution control devices and dust collection systems.
Source:
http://goarticles.com/article/A-Brief-Overview-of-the-Role-of-an-Industrial-Scrubber/7035745/
