Specifying Venturi Scrubber Throat Length For Effective Particle Capture at Minimum Pressure Loss Penalty
Specifying Venturi Scrubber Throat Length For Effective Particle Capture at Minimum Pressure Loss Penalty
Specifying Venturi Scrubber Throat Length For Effective Particle Capture at Minimum Pressure Loss Penalty
To cite this article: Howard E. Hesketh & Krishna Mohan (1983) Specifying Venturi Scrubber
Throat Length for Effective Particle Capture at Minimum Pressure Loss Penalty, Journal of the
Air Pollution Control Association, 33:9, 854-857, DOI: 10.1080/00022470.1983.10465662
A simplified equation for specifying the optimum minimum length Previous studies
for commercial venturi scrubber throats is presented in this paper.
The EPA study by Calvert1 derived a relation for collection
This theoretical correlation is derived using an optimum velocity ratio
efficiency as a function of throat length, as shown in Figure
(velocity of collector droplet at end of venturi throat to velocity of gas 1. In this figure the terms used are:
in throat) and is a function of throat gas velocity and liquid to gas ratio.
d 2V *
This velocity ratio establishes the minimum throat length and is based KP0 = ^ T (1)
on available literature data. Predicted venturi scrubber particle col-
lection for throats specified by this procedure compare favorably with R =
reported commercial venturi collection efficiencies and with modeled
(Q g )(Pg)C D o
venturi efficiencies over the practical range of venturi scrubber op-
_3CD0Xtpg
eration.
2d d p d
where Kpo impaction parameter at entrance of the
throat, dimensionless
B a dimensionless parameter for the
throat
CDO drag coefficient of droplet at point of
liquid injection, dimensionless.
L = dimensionless throat length (where
Venturi scrubbers are widely used for the control of particu- droplet initial axial velocity s 0)
late air pollution emissions. Much of the commercial venturi Pt = penetration, which is 1 minus fractional
collection data is either unavailable or in a form that is un- efficiency
usable. One of the most comprehensive studies undertaken dd = liquid drop diameter, fim
to correlate venturi collection efficiency with design and op- dp = particle diameter, /xm
erating parameters was assembled under an EPA contract by Qi = liquid volumetric flow rate
Yung et al.1 This study includes the effects of converger, Q g = gas volumetric flow rate
throat, and diverger on particle collection efficiency. However, p d = liquid density, g/cm
3
the correlation procedures are very detailed and complex and 3
Pg = gas density, g/cm
a simplified approximation is needed.
Hg = gas viscosity, g/(cm s)
Most of the particle collection in a venturi occurs by inertial X t = throat length
impaction in the throat and it occurs within a few inches from
where the liquid is atomized. Additionally, about another 5% Associated with the L term would be a factor to account for
occurs in the downstream diverger section. The bulk of col- diverger length if appropriate. Note from Figure 1 that effi-
lection which occurs at the throat is related to the velocity of ciency (-In Pt/B) increases rapidly up to 2-3 dimensionless
the gas, the amount of liquid, and how long it takes to accel- throat lengths and increases little beyond about 4 throat
erate the collector droplets. Therefore, the throat length of lengths.
a venturi will influence collection efficiency and is significant. Crowder et al.2 calculates minimum venturi throat lengths
To a limited degree, the longer the throat, the more efficient required for atomized droplets to reach gas velocity for various
the scrubber. However, the gas phase pressure loss also in- velocities with liquid to gas ratio as a parameter, as shown in
creases with throat length, so it is imperative for economical Figure 2. This shows that at any given velocity, the throat
operation to optimize the length of the throat. length required to enable an atomized droplet to reach the gas
velocity increases as the liquid to gas ratio (L/G) increases.
Copyright 1983-Air Pollution Control Association Reflected in these data is the fact that particle collection ef-
7.5
20 -
n
0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2
Velocity ratio V^g, dimensionless
5 10 15 20 25 30
Liquid to gas ratio L/G, gallons/1000 acf
Figure 4. Velocity ratio vs. liquid to gas ratio for typical
venturi scrubbers operating at 200 ft/s.
These results are given in Table I. The generalized equation for minimum venturi scrubber
Fuch's5 solution to the unsteady state equation of motion throat length is derived from Figure 5:
for accelerating particles in a constant velocity gas stream
is:
X t = 328.582 ygt[o.O2343(L/G) - 0.8657] eXp[-0.063(L/G)] (7)
where X t = throat length, inches
(5)
L/G = liquid to gas ratio, gal/1000 acf
where subscripts f and i denote final and initial conditions and
Red is droplet Reynolds number. Vgt = throat gas velocity, ft/s
The Dickinson and Marshall equation6 is used to obtain the
drag coefficient, CT>: Validation of Findings
94 The theoretical, generalized Eq. 7 for minimum venturi
CD = 0.22 + - p - (1 + 0.15 Red0-6) (6)
Red throat length can be compared for particle collection efficiency
1 1 1 1 11
1.0 1
and liquid to gas ratios. Predicted particle collection effi-
ciences in venturi scrubbers designed with these throat lengths
are compared to empirical venturi data for l-/im size particles;
within the ranges of typical venturi operation, the correlation
is good.
1
1
References
This study
0.1 — 1. S. C. Yung, S. Calvert, H. F. Barbarika, "Venturi Scrubber Per-
Illl I I
i
0.001
0 10 20 30 40
Venturi AP, inches H2O
Figure 6. Comparison of predicted venturi scrubber
efficiencies on 1-/xm particles for various designs.
Howard E. Hesketh, P.E. is a Professor of Air Pollution
Control Engineering at Southern Illinois University, Car-
bondale, IL 62901, and Chairman of APCA's Education
l-fim particles and the results for this study are plotted as Council. Krishna Mohan holds an M.S. in Engineering from
Figure 6. Also in Figure 6 are shown predicted efficiencies for the Department of Thermal and Environmental Engineering
at Southern Illinois University. This technical paper was
l-/tm particles estimated by the Cut Diameter Theory,7 by the submitted for editorial review on February 7, 1983; the re-
commercial Leisegang Venturi,8 and by the compilation of vised manuscript was received June 20,1983.
industrial scrubber data.9