Fouling mechanism in airblast atomizers and its suppression for water desalination

Sharma, Deepak; Ghosh, Durga Prasad; Dennis, Sandra Jean; Abbasi, Bahman

doi:10.1016/j.watres.2022.118726

Fouling mechanism in airblast atomizers and its suppression for water desalination

Journal Article · Tue Jun 07 00:00:00 EDT 2022 · Water Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2022.118726· OSTI ID:1977707

^[1]; ^[2]; Dennis, Sandra Jean ^[3]; ^[2]

Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States); OSTI
Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States)
Oregon State Univ., Cascades, OR (United States)

A detailed experimental study is presented on fouling behavior of the anti-clogging perforated plate atomizer designed for high salinity applications, and compared with a conventional (plain-jet) airblast atomizer. Low-pressure regions around fast moving air in the outer layer of spray (as in conventional atomizers: plain-jet and prefilming) due to Venturi suction were identified as the root cause of atomizer clogging, as they facilitate salt accumulation on the atomizer surface from spray. Accordingly, severe atomizer fouling, and fluctuations in spray cone angle were observed in the conventional airblast atomizer over 2 h at 100°C air and 50°C saline (44° to 76° at 35,000 ppm, and 44° to 91° at 100,000 ppm). In this regard, the perforated plate atomizer provides a novel liquid-film airblast atomization by maintaining a liquid-annulus film (around the air outlet) as the outer layer of spray. Doing so we achieved nearly complete suppression of fouling, and spray cone angle fluctuations (28° ± 1° at 35,000 ppm, and 30° ± 1° at 100,000 ppm). Later, novel liquid-film atomization was adopted in the conventional airblast atomizer. While, the conventional airblast atomization needed atomizer cleaning/maintenance after 35 min for 175°C air and 65°C saline at 100,000 ppm, the liquid-film atomization showed no sign of fouling over 14 h. Hence, current work establishes a benchmark liquid-film airblast atomization mechanism in the anti-clogging perforated plate atomizer for complete suppression of fouling in airblast atomization. Furthermore, this extends the application of airblast atomizers from high evaporation jet engines to ZLD-HDH desalination systems, spraying, powder metallurgy, pharmaceuticals and hospitals, and spray drying and cooling.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office

Grant/Contract Number:: AR0001000; EE0008402

OSTI ID:: 1977707

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1872997

Journal Information:: Water Research, Journal Name: Water Research Journal Issue: C Vol. 221; ISSN 0043-1354

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
Conventional airblast atomization
Desalination
Engineering
Environmental Sciences & Ecology
Fouling mechanism
Fouling mitigation
Humidification-dehumidification
Liquid-film airblast atomization
Water Resources
Zero liquid discharge

Fouling mechanism in airblast atomizers and its suppression for water desalination

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