2014 Volume 40 Issue 4 Pages 306-312
Abatement of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in low concentration (less than 100 ppm) in various factory exhaust gases by spraying water containing acrylamide polyampholytes (APAs) conventionally employs two-fluid spray nozzles requiring compressed air to atomize the APA solution. The present study aims to develop a sophisticated compact VOC treatment system using one-fluid spray nozzles without compressed air. The fundamental absorption properties of APA solution for toluene vapor were first examined and found to depend on the inlet toluene concentration and the temperature of fed liquid. Electrospray (ES) and modulated electromagnetic field (MEF) methods were then applied to the one-fluid nozzle, and the results were compared with the removal rate of a two-fluid nozzle. Both ES and MEF methods were found to enhance the specific removal rate for toluene vapor, and the MEF method applied to the one-fluid nozzle displayed similar removal performance to the two-fluid nozzle when the residence time of the fed liquid in the applied electromagnetic field was optimized. PDPA measurements to determine droplet size distribution revealed that both ES and MEF methods had a reverse atomizing effect on droplets generated from the one-fluid spray nozzle.
