ERG (Air Pollution Control) Ltd Two Technical Advances in Wet Chemical Scrubbing Technology Richard Hanson MA MEng CEng MIChemE ERG (Air Pollution Control) Ltd

Introduction | Two Technical Advances V-tex TM technology V-tex TM technology Development Development Process Description Process Description Applications and Case studies Applications and Case studies Zero-effluent scrubbers Zero-effluent scrubbers Process Description Process Description Applications and Case Study Applications and Case Study Summary Summary

ERG (Air Pollution Control) Ltdwww.ergapc.com V-tex TM | Development Developed in UK by AEA Technology Developed in UK by AEA Technology Used in difficult applications Used in difficult applications reliability and performance reliability and performance Eg. nuclear industry Eg. nuclear industry V-tex TM technology used in V-tex TM technology used in Scrubbing Scrubbing Stripping Stripping Distillation Distillation Mixing Mixing

ERG (Air Pollution Control) Ltdwww.ergapc.com V-tex TM | Development V-tex TM Scrubbing V-tex TM Scrubbing Since early 1990s in UK and Ireland Since early 1990s in UK and Ireland Mid-late 1990s in USA Mid-late 1990s in USA More than 400 systems installed More than 400 systems installed Technology is now owned by ERG Technology is now owned by ERG What is it…? What is it…?

ERG (Air Pollution Control) Ltdwww.ergapc.com V-tex TM | Process Description Key features Key features V-tex TM chamber V-tex TM chamber Tangential gas inlet Tangential gas inlet Opposed jet spray nozzle Opposed jet spray nozzle Intense mixing Intense mixing Central gas outlet Central gas outlet

ERG (Air Pollution Control) Ltdwww.ergapc.com V-tex TM | Process Description Opposed jet self-cleaning spray nozzle Opposed jet self-cleaning spray nozzle Fine droplet spray pattern Fine droplet spray pattern Induced swirl from tangential gas flow Induced swirl from tangential gas flow Typical droplet size μ m Typical droplet size μ m Large surface area for mass transfer Large surface area for mass transfer

ERG (Air Pollution Control) Ltdwww.ergapc.com V-tex TM | Process Description Mass transfer models Mass transfer models Traditional packed towers Traditional packed towers Tower diameter = f (gas rate) Tower diameter = f (gas rate) Efficiency = f (packed height) = f (HTU) Efficiency = f (packed height) = f (HTU) HTU = f (packing type, liquor rate, gas rate) HTU = f (packing type, liquor rate, gas rate) V-tex TM V-tex TM Chamber diameter = f (gas rate) Chamber diameter = f (gas rate) Efficiency = f (liquor rate, liquor pressure) Efficiency = f (liquor rate, liquor pressure)

ERG (Air Pollution Control) Ltdwww.ergapc.com V-tex TM | Implications of transfer model (1) Non-clogging No packing to foul No packing to foul Applications for dirty gas/liquor Applications for dirty gas/liquor Scrubbing with slurries Scrubbing with slurries Reliable performance, lower maintenance, guaranteed efficiency Reliable performance, lower maintenance, guaranteed efficiency

ERG (Air Pollution Control) Ltdwww.ergapc.com V-tex TM | Implications of transfer model (2) Significantly reduced vessel height High pseudo-K g a values High pseudo-K g a values Intense mixing, high turbulence Intense mixing, high turbulence Gas residence time reduced approx x10 for same scrubbing efficiency Gas residence time reduced approx x10 for same scrubbing efficiency

ERG (Air Pollution Control) Ltdwww.ergapc.com V-tex TM | Implications of transfer model ERG Packed Tower Scrubber V-tex TM Scrubber Example: Example: 1000 m 3 /hr air 1000 m 3 /hr air HCl removal efficiency 99.5% HCl removal efficiency 99.5% 7.4 m 2.2 m

ERG (Air Pollution Control) Ltdwww.ergapc.com V-tex TM | Case studies Cl 2 scrubbing Cl 2 scrubbing Chemical industry Chemical industry Chlorine scrubbing from process air stream Chlorine scrubbing from process air stream NaOCl by-product for sale NaOCl by-product for sale

ERG (Air Pollution Control) Ltdwww.ergapc.com V-tex TM | Case studies HCl scrubbing HCl scrubbing Pharmaceutical industry Pharmaceutical industry Hastelloy C276 and ECTFE/PTFE Hastelloy C276 and ECTFE/PTFE Pressure and explosion rating certified Pressure and explosion rating certified >99.5% HCl removal efficiency, batch scrubbing >99.5% HCl removal efficiency, batch scrubbing

ERG (Air Pollution Control) Ltdwww.ergapc.com Reactive gas scrubbing + particulate removal Reactive gas scrubbing + particulate removal Optical Fibre Manufacturer Optical Fibre Manufacturer Removal of HCl and SiO 2 Removal of HCl and SiO 2 Scrub liquor contained up to 5% weight SiO 2 with no blockage Scrub liquor contained up to 5% weight SiO 2 with no blockage Constant back pressure improved optical fibre quality Constant back pressure improved optical fibre quality V-tex TM | Case studies

ERG (Air Pollution Control) Ltdwww.ergapc.com V-tex TM | Case studies Multi-component contaminants Multi-component contaminants Tobacco Manufacturer Tobacco Manufacturer Steam quench/sub-cooling with NH 3, VOC and dust scrubbing Steam quench/sub-cooling with NH 3, VOC and dust scrubbing Scrub liquor contained entrained dust – unsuitable for packed tower Scrub liquor contained entrained dust – unsuitable for packed tower SO 2 scrubbing ex-incinerator SO 2 scrubbing ex-incinerator 12,000Am 3 /hr with 5,000mg/m 3 SO 2 12,000Am 3 /hr with 5,000mg/m 3 SO 2 Lime slurry scrubbing Lime slurry scrubbing >99.8% removal SO 2 >99.8% removal SO 2

ERG (Air Pollution Control) Ltdwww.ergapc.com Zero-Effluent | Process Description Vacuum evaporation: application to scrubbing Vacuum evaporation: application to scrubbing Established technology Established technology Process application innovation Process application innovation System integration – optimisation of capital and operating costs System integration – optimisation of capital and operating costs Minimises water usage and effluent disposal Minimises water usage and effluent disposal Simplified flowsheet Simplified flowsheet Evaporator/condenser circuit, heat pump circuit, effluent circuit Evaporator/condenser circuit, heat pump circuit, effluent circuit

ERG (Air Pollution Control) Ltdwww.ergapc.com Zero-Effluent | Process Description Schematic courtesy of H2O GmbH

ERG (Air Pollution Control) Ltdwww.ergapc.com Zero-Effluent | Process Description Typical Scrubber blowdown 500 litre/hr  460 litre/hr process water to system Typical Scrubber blowdown 500 litre/hr  460 litre/hr process water to system Operation at 5kPa and 40 o C Operation at 5kPa and 40 o C Typically 0.15kW per litre water evaporated Typically 0.15kW per litre water evaporated

ERG (Air Pollution Control) Ltdwww.ergapc.com Zero-Effluent | Case study Aerospace industry Aerospace industry Chromic acid scrubber Chromic acid scrubber 200 litre/hr treatment rate 200 litre/hr treatment rate 200 g/litre CrO 3 commodity recovery 200 g/litre CrO 3 commodity recovery Return on investment = 9 months Return on investment = 9 months

ERG (Air Pollution Control) Ltdwww.ergapc.com Zero-Effluent | Applications High water/effluent costs and low energy costs High water/effluent costs and low energy costs Feedstock, product and by-product recovery Feedstock, product and by-product recovery Minimised loading for RO and ion-exchange treatment plants Minimised loading for RO and ion-exchange treatment plants

ERG (Air Pollution Control) Ltdwww.ergapc.com Summary Innovations in Scrubbing technology Innovations in Scrubbing technology V-tex TM V-tex TM Solid-laden gas/liquor applications Solid-laden gas/liquor applications Space limitations Space limitations Zero-effluent Zero-effluent Feedstock/product recovery Feedstock/product recovery Utility optimisation Utility optimisation