MAMBA, RHEA D.

BSChE-5

1. Settling Chamber
The simplest devices for controlling particulates are settling chambers consisting of nothing
more than wide places in the exhaust flue where larger particles can settle, usually with a baffle
to slow the emission stream. Obviously, only very large particulates (>100 μ) can be efficiently
removed in settling chambers.

2. Cyclone
Possibly the most popular, economical, and effective means of controlling particulates is the
cyclone. Figure 1 shows a simple schematic. The dirty air is blasted into a conical cylinder, but off
centerline. This creates a violent swirl within the cone, much like a centrifuge. The heavy solids
migrate to the wall of the cylinder, where they slow down due to friction, slide down the cone, and
finally exit at the bottom. The clean air is in the middle of the cylinder and exits out the top.

Figure 1: Cyclone for Dust Collector

3. Bag (fabric) filters

Bag filters are used for controlling particulates Figure 2 operate like the common vacuum
cleaner. Fabric bags are used to collect the dust, which must be periodically shaken out of the bags.
The fabric will remove nearly all particulates, including submicron sizes. Bag filters are widely
used in many industrial applications but are sensitive to high temperatures and humidity. The basic
mechanism of dust removal in fabric filters is thought to be similar to the action of sand filters in
water treatment. The dust particles adhere to the fabric due to entrapment and surface forces. They
are brought into contact by impingement and/or Brownian diffusion. Since fabric filters commonly
have an air space-to-fiber ratio of 1:1, the removal mechanisms cannot be simple sieving.

Figure 2: Bag Filter for Control of Particulate Air Pollutants

4. Spray Tower Scrubber

The spray tower or scrubber, pictured in Figure 3, is an effective method for removing large
particulates. Scrubbers that are more efficient promote the contact between air and water by violent
action in a narrow throat section into which the water is introduced. Generally, the more violent
the encounter, the smaller the gas bubbles or water droplets and the more effective the scrubbing.
Wet scrubbers are efficient devices but have two major drawbacks:
 They produce a visible plume, albeit only water vapor. The lay public seldom differentiates
between a water vapor plume and any other visible plume, and hence, public relations often
dictate no visible plume.
 The waste is now in liquid form, and some manner of water treatment is necessary.

Figure 3: Scrubber Used for Control of Particulate Air Pollutants

5. Electrostatic Precipitator
Electrostatic precipitators are widely used in power plants, mainly because power is readily
available. The particulate matter is removed by being charged by electrons jumping from one high-
voltage electrode to the other and then migrating to the positively charged collecting electrode.
The type of electrostatic precipitator shown in Figure 4 consists of a pipe with a wire hanging
down the middle. The particulates collect on the pipe and must be removed by banging the pipe
with a hammer. Electrostatic precipitators have no moving parts, require only electricity to operate,
and are extremely effective in removing submicron particulates.

Figure 4: Electrostatic Precipitator Used for Control of Particulate Air Pollutants

6. Wet Scrubbers
Wet scrubbers, as already discussed, can remove gaseous pollutants by simply dissolving them
in the water. Alternatively, a chemical (such as lime) may be injected into the scrubber water that
then reacts with the pollutants. This is the basis for most SO2 removal techniques.

7. Adsorption
Adsorption is a useful method when it is possible to bring the pollutant into contact with an
efficient adsorber, such as activated carbon, as shown in Figure 5.
 Figure 5: Adsorber for Removing Gaseous Air Pollutants

8. Incineration
Incineration or flaring is used when an organic pollutant can be oxidized to CO2 and water as
shown in Figure 6. A variation of incineration is catalytic combustion, in which the temperature
of the reaction is lowered by the use of a catalyst that mediates the reaction.

Figure 6: Incinerator Used for Burning Gaseous Pollutants