Common Factors that Affect Wet Scrubber Performance

Wet scrubbers help abate chemical emissions from process equipment. But in many cases, the scrubbers don’t perform as expected or optimally. Inefficient or sub-optimal performance could be the result of many factors. Let’s look at some essential factors that could impact the performance of web scrubbers.

5 Factors Affecting Wet Scrubber Performance

From incorrect pump size to biological growth buildups, here are five factors that could affect the performance of a wet scrubber.

• Incorrect Pump Size

The pump must work efficiently to allow the liquid to move properly through the wet scrubber. The movement should also overcome gravity, strainers, and various other elements that can slow down the flow. Often, it is the improper pump size that affects adequate fluid flow. In situations like these, you must hire a professional engineer to design the pump and size it appropriately to serve the needs of wet scrubbers.

• Solid Accumulation

Accumulation of solids like encrusted solids and polymers on mist eliminators hamper scrubber performance. Additionally, inadequate mist disentrainment, vapor-liquid contacting, and lowered pressure impact the scrubber internals.

• Incorrect Velocity Profile Consideration

Velocity limitations are another crucial aspect that affects the performance of a wet scrubber. The cross-sectional area becomes fixed once scrubbers start operating.

The performance and efficiency of a scrubber reduce when the device’s design is 10,000 CFM, and the fan exhausts at 14,000 CFM. This design combination leads to a pressure loss rise. An incorrect or disproportionate velocity profile reduces the mist eliminator’s performance, affecting evaporation and absorption losses.

• Inaccurate Addition of Scrubbing Liquid

The scrubbing liquid serves as a solvent to absorb pollutants from the gas. Thus, you must use the right liquid amount for the wet scrubber’s performance. Incompatible solvent negatively impacts efficiency and contributes to the scrubber’s cost.

In addition, an incorrect liquid-to-gas ratio prevents pollutant absorption. Hence, you must use the right neutralizing scrubbing liquids per the product type removed from the gas that moves through the wet scrubber.

• Biological Growth Buildup

Biological growth buildup also can impact the function of a wet scrubber. Factors that block the gas flow lead to channeling. Biological growth buildup is one of those factors. Systems with high pH values readily foster biological growth, especially in the warm and moist environment in the wet scrubber’s heads. One way to identify biological growth is by keeping a watch on the pressure drop, an indication of channeling.

Now, how do you prevent the growth of bacteria and algae? The key to avoiding the growth is to regularly acid clean the internal unit. In addition, chlorination and bromination also decrease algae and bacteria buildup. You may also use UV treatment to recirculate and provide liquids to kill microbes.

We hope the above tips help you maintain optimal wet scrubber performance. Partner with us for custom column internal solutions, demister pads, and structured packaging solutions. We are a reliable provider within this realm with proven results. To learn more about our solutions, please write to chetan@s3dist.in or call +919960400912.