Simulation of an orifice scrubber performance based on Eulerian/Lagrangian method.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Fluid Dynamics
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Orifice scrubbers are crucial for removing particles from gas streams.
• Accurate prediction of particle collection efficiency is essential for scrubber design and optimization.
• Existing models may not fully capture the complex interactions within orifice scrubbers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a comprehensive mathematical model for predicting particle collection efficiency in orifice scrubbers.
• To investigate the influence of key operating parameters on particle collection efficiency.
• To provide a tool for optimizing orifice scrubber performance.

Main Methods:

• Development of a hybrid Eulerian/Lagrangian mathematical model.
• Incorporation of the particle-source-in-cell (PSI-CELL) model for droplet concentration.
• Utilizing the k-epsilon turbulent flow model for fluid velocity profiles.
• Validation against experimental data from Taheri et al. (1973).

Main Results:

• The developed mathematical model shows good agreement with experimental data.
• The model successfully predicts particle collection efficiency.
• The study quantifies the impact of liquid-to-gas ratio, gas velocity, and particle diameter on collection efficiency.

Conclusions:

• The Eulerian/Lagrangian model with PSI-CELL is effective for predicting particle collection in orifice scrubbers.
• The model provides valuable insights into the effects of operating parameters.
• This validated model can aid in the design and enhancement of gas cleaning technologies.