Wet Air Scrubbers for Air Filtration

Oleg Systems Co. engineers industrial packed airCanadian Air Systems Wet-Packed Scrubbers:
scrubbers for air cleaning. Wet type dustHORIZONTAL COCURENT SCRUBBER.
collectors / packed air scrubbers are available inThis wet scrubber depends on the gas velocity to
numerous designs utilizing a number of principlescarry the liquid into the packed bed. It operates
and featuring wide variation in effectiveness, initialas a wetted entrainment separator with limited
cost, operating and maintenance expense, space,gas and liquid contact time. The gas velocity in the
arrangements and material of construction. Wetcollector is limited by liquid retrainment to about
type dust collectors are liquid (usually, but not650 fpm.
necessarily, water) to capture and separateVERTICAL COCURENT SCRUBBER.
particulate matter (dust, mist, and fumes) from aVertical cocurent scrubber can be operated at
gas stream. Some scrubbers operate by sprayingvery high pressure drop - 1 to 3 in. of water per
the scrubbing liquid into the contaminated air.foot of packing depth) because there's no flooding
Others bubble air through the scrubbing liquid.limit for the superficial velocity.
Wet Packed Scrubbers are used to removeCROSS-FLOW SCRUBBER.
gaseous and particulate contaminants from gasThis scrubber uses downward-flowing liquid and a
streams. Scrubbing is accomplished byhorizontally moving air stream. The effectiveness
impingement of particulates and/or by absorptionof absorption processes in cross-flow scrubbers
of soluble gas or vapor molecules on thelies between those for cocurrent and
liquid-wetted surface of the packing. Gas or vaporcountercourent flow scrubbers.
removal is more complex than particulate capture.COUNTERCURRENT SCRUBBER.
The contaminant becomes a solute and has aCountercurrent scrubber uses a
vapor pressure above that of scrubbing liquid. Thisdownward-flowing liquid and an upward-flowing
vapor pressure typically increases with increasinggas. The gas-handling capacity of this wet
concentration of the solute in the liquid and withscrubber is limited by pressure drop or by liquid
increasing liquid temperature. Scrubbing of theentrainment. The contact time can be controlled
contaminant continues as long as partial pressureby the depth of the packing used. This type of
of contaminant in the gas is above its vaporwet scrubber gives the best removal of gaseous
pressure with respect to the liquid. The rate ofcontaminants while keeping liquid consumption to a
contaminant removal is a function of theminimum. The effectiveness of absorption
difference between the partial pressure and vaporprocesses is maximized because the exiting gas is
pressure, as well as the rate of diffusion of thein contact with fresh scrubbing liquid.
contaminant.Wet type dust collectors are liquid (usually, but not
Scrubber packings are designed to present a largenecessarily, water) to capture and separate
surface area that will wet evenly with liquid.  Highparticulate matter (dust, mist, and fumes) from a
efficiency packings promote turbulent mixing ofgas stream. Some scrubbers operate by spraying
the gas and liquid. Packings are available in ceramic,the scrubbing liquid into the contaminated air.
metal, and thermoplastic materials.Others bubble air through the scrubbing liquid. In
There are four different arrangements ofaddition, many gybrid wet scrubbing designs exist.