ENV315: Air Pollution and Control

Lecture 12
Air pollution control: Particulate Matter

Dr. Sadia Nazneen Karobi

Department of Environmental Science and Management
PM is a particular problem in Bangladesh
 Particulate Matter (PM)
Small solid particles or droplets of liquid that
are found suspended in the atmosphere

Also called
– particulates
– total suspended particles (TSP)
– atmospheric aerosol particles
– atmospheric particulate matter (APM)
– suspended particulate matter (SPM)
Control of air pollution can be broken down
into three stages of a process

 before a process starts

 during the process

 after the process

 Control of PM matter
Before the process
Can anything be done before we start the
process that minimizes PM formation?

http://soilerosiononline.com/article-permalink-505.html
 Before the process

• Can the task be carried out in a way that

doesn’t generate PM?

• Can an alternate source be considered

that does not produce PM?

• Can we cover the source of PM?

 Control of PM matter
During the process
Can anything be done during the process
that minimizes PM formation?

http://hqafiltration.com/products-solutions/
 During the process

• Ensure adequate ventilation of the

workplace.

• Use dust removal tools and vacuums

• Wear personal protection equipment
including safety glasses, gloves, earmuffs
and respiratory masks
 End-of-pipe solutions for
removing Particulate Matter
 Gravitational settling chamber

Read!!! http://www.shareyouressays.com/114112/useful-notes-
on-the-gravitational-settling-chamber-important-air-pollution-control-
equipment
 Gravitational settling chamber
F(g) = m ag

F(b) = ρf agVs

F(d) = 6π μ rs v

You can calculate what size of particle can

be removed using a gravitational settling
chamber
 Gravitational settling chamber

For best results, the velocity of particles through

settling chambers should be between 0.5 to 2.5
m/s.

Usually effective for particles > 50 μm.

Is this good or bad?

Can you guess why small particles cannot be

removed by gravitational settling chamber?
 Multiple tray system

http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/air-pollution/5-effective-methods-to-control-air-pollution-
explained-with-diagram/28360/
 Gravitational settling
Advantages:
 Low capital and maintenance cost
Low energy cost
 Low maintenance requirements (No moving
parts)
 Low pressure drop
 Not corrosion or abrasion
 Not temperature and pressure dependent
 Dry collection and disposal
 Gravitational settling
Disadvantages :

Only effective for PM > 50 µm

 Efficiency is not high
 Unable to handle sticky material
 Devices are large
 Cyclone separator
(vortex separation)

http://dir.indiamart.com/kolkata/cyclone-separators.html
Read!
https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Cyclone_separator
Video on Gravitational Settling Chamber
 Cyclone Separator
By a spinning gas stream, a
centrifugal force moves
particulate matter towards the
wall of the cyclone separator

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclonic_separation
 Cyclone separator
Centrifugal force is used to remove particulates

Centrifugal force is an
outward force which
depends on mass of
object, the speed of
rotation and the
distance of object from
center

http://schools.wikia.com/wiki/Centrifugal_force
https://nptel.ac.in/content/storage2/courses/103103027/pdf/mod5.pdf
Calculating cyclone separator efficiency

dp is the size of particle that will be collected

µ = air viscosity
W = width of inlet
N = number of turns inside the device
Vi = gas inlet velocity
ρp = density of the particle
ρa = density of air

https://www.dartmouth.edu/~cushman/courses/engs37/Cyclones.pdf
 Cyclone separator
Cyclone separator efficiency generally improves with:

increase in particle size

particle density
inlet duct velocity
cyclone body length
number of revolutions in the cyclone
ratio of cyclone body diameter to gas exit diameter
smoothness of the cyclone inner wall.
 Cyclone separator
Advantages: Disadvantage:

Low initial cost  Requires large head

 Requires less floor space
space  Can only remove
Simple construction and particles greater than
maintenance 10μm
Can handle large Sensitive to flow rate
volume of gas
No moving parts
 Watch!
How Cyclone Separators Work (How
Dust Collectors Work) (14:18)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwGXu4e6T1A
 After the process:
End of pipe solution

How does nature

remove PM from air?

 Wet Scrubber

A device that removes PM from polluted air

by “acting like rain”

- spraying the air with liquid

- forcing air through a pool of liquid

http://www.globalspec.com/learnmore/manufacturing_process_equipment/air_quality/scrubbers
 Wet Scrubber

http://www.globalspec.com/learnmore/manufacturing_process_equipment/air_quality/scrubbers
 Packed Bed Wet Scrubber

https://www.monroeenvironmental.com/air-pollution-control/packed-bed-wet-scrubbers/
 Impingement Plate Scrubber

https://slideplayer.com/slide/10951986/39/images/26/Wet+Scrubbers
%3A+Spray+Tower+and+Impingement+Plate+Scrubber.jpg
 Venturi Wet Scrubber

https://www.apzem.com/india/products/venturi-wet-scrubber.html
 Wet Scrubber

https://www.teachengineering.org/view_activity.php?url=collection/cub_/activities/cub_air/
cub_air_lesson10_activity1.xml
Industrial Wet Scrubber
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeVwVJ6jan4
(2:42)

Dynamic Wet Scrubber

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nix0eZyrAc
(1:03)
 Wet scrubber parameters
Solubility of PM in water

PM have widely different solubility in water depending

on their composition (dust, oil, minerals, salts).

Solubility can be controlled by changing:

• Volume of solution
• pH of solution
• Conductivity of solution
– How many free ions there are in solution
– Oxidation Reduction Potential
 Wet Scrubber
Advantages:

 Wet scrubbers have the ability to handle high-temperature,

high-humidity gas streams.

Can remove both gases and particulate matter.

Smaller overall size of equipment.

Capital cost low (if waste water treatment system not

required)

Minimal fire and explosion hazards

Ability to achieve high collection efficiency (>95%)

 Wet Scrubber

Disadvantages:

 Creation of water-disposal problem: treatment

of liquid

Corrosion of equipment: relatively high

maintenance costs