Confined Vortex Scrubber (Final Technical Report)

Technical Report · Fri Nov 30 19:00:00 EST 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5993136· OSTI ID:5993136

A novel fine particulate control concept based on a Confined Vortex Scrubber (CVS) has been proven in an experimental program. The overall program objective was to demonstrate efficient removal of fine particulates to sufficiently low levels to meet proposed small-scale coal combustor emission standards. This objective has been met for a simulated coal flue gas at ambient temperature: greater than 99 percent capture of extremely fine fly ash (mean particle size of 3 microns) has been demonstrated in the CVS at low pressure drops and low liquid flow rates. Projected particulate emissions from a small-scale coal combustor equipped with a CVS would be well below the proposed emissions limit of 0.02 lbs/MM Btu. The CVS consists of a cylindrical chamber with multiple tangential flue gas inlets. The clean gas exit is via two vortex finder outlets, one at either end of the tube. Liquid is introduced into the chamber and is confined within the chamber by the centrifugal force generated by the gas flow itself. This confined liquid forms a layer through which the flue gas is then forced to bubble, producing a strong gas/liquid interaction, high inertial separation forces and efficient particulate cleanup. In effect, each of the sub-millimeter diameter gas bubbles traversing the liquid layer acts as a micro-cyclone, inertially separating particles into the surrounding liquid. The end wall secondary flows which occur in all cyclonic type flows are explicitly used as a removal path for water laden with solids inertially separated from the bulk flow. In order to allow further development of the device, tests should be carried out both at realistic flue gas temperatures and at larger scales. In addition, the potential for SO_x and NO_x removal should be evaluated.

• Research Organization: Avco Research Lab., Inc., Everett, MA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC22-89PC89806
• OSTI ID: 5993136
• Report Number(s): DOE/PC/89806--T1; ON: DE91009051
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010800* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Waste Management
AERODYNAMICS
AEROSOL WASTES
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
AMBIENT TEMPERATURE
ASHES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHALCOGENIDES
COAL
COMBUSTORS
CONCENTRATORS
CONTROL
CYCLONE SEPARATORS
DEASHING
DESIGN
DOCUMENT TYPES
EFFICIENCY
EMISSION
ENERGY SOURCES
EQUIPMENT
EVALUATION
FLOW RATE
FLUE GAS
FLUID FLOW
FLUID MECHANICS
FLY ASH
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GASEOUS WASTES
INERTIAL SEPARATORS
LAYERS
LIQUID FLOW
MATERIALS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MEASURING METHODS
MECHANICS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLE SIZE
PERFORMANCE TESTING
POLLUTION CONTROL
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
PRESSURE DROP
PROGRESS REPORT
RECOMMENDATIONS
REMOVAL
RESIDUES
SCRUBBERS
SEPARATION EQUIPMENT
SIZE
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR OXIDES
TESTING
TWO-PHASE FLOW
VORTEX FLOW
WASTES