INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROORKEE

DEPT. OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

CHN 514: Pollution Control Systems

ASSIGNMENT

Given For All Questions

1 ft3 = 7.48052 US gallon; 1 lb=7000 grains
Stokes’ law Cyclones ESP Venturi scrubber

Gravity settling
chamber
[FPS units]
[FPS units]

Baghouse
[FPS
unit]

Descriptive Questions
Q.1. What are various alternative sources of energy? Describe various alternative fuels that are
being used/researched as substitute to petrol/diesel.

Q.2. What is air pollution? Discuss the causes and effects.

Q.3. Give the classification of air pollutants along with suitable examples. Classify various
sources of air pollutants and discuss the control methods for each of them. Give examples.

Q.4. What are the strategies for air pollution control? Give methods for CO2 Sequestration &
Utilization.

Q.5. Describe in detail with neat diagrams, working of the following air pollution control
devices (APCDs):
(a) Gravity settling chamber,
(b) Cyclone separator
(c) Baghouse
(d) ESP
(e) Venturi scrubber

Q.6. Discuss advantages, disadvantages of various air pollution control devices (APCDs).

1
 GRAVITY SETTLING CHAMBER
Q.1. A hydrochloric acid mist in air at 25°C is to be collected in a gravity settler. You are
requested to calculate the smallest mist droplet (spherical in shape) that will definitely be
collected by the settler. Assume the acid concentration to be uniform through the inlet cross
section of the unit and Stokes’ law applies. Operating data and information on the gravity settler
are given below: Dimensions of gravity settler=30 ft wide, 20 ft high, 50 ft long; Actual
volumetric flowrate of acidic gas=50 ft3/s; Specific gravity of acid=1.6; Viscosity of
air=0.0185cP=1.243×10-5 lb/ft.s; Density of air=0.076 lb/ft3. (Ans.: dp=14.7 μm)

Q.2. A sodium hydroxide spray in air at 30°C is to be collected in a gravity settler. The unit is
30 ft wide, 15 ft high, and 40 ft long. The volumetric flow rate of the gas is 42 ft3/s. Calculate
the smallest mist droplet (spherical in shape) that will be entirely collected by the settler. The
specific gravity of the mist droplets may be assumed to be equal to 1.21. (μ=0.0185 cP;
ρ=0.0728 lb/ft3) (Ans.: dp=5.68×10-5 ft)

Q.3. A monodispersed aerosol 1.099 μm in diameter passes through a gravity settler 20 cm

wide × 50 cm long with 18 plates and channel thickness of 0.124 cm. The gas flow rate is 8.6
L/min, and it is observed that it operates at an efficiency of 64.9%. How many plates would be
required to have the unit operate at 80% efficiency? (Ans.: Number of channels=24)

Q.4. An aerosol consisting of particles 0.63 and 0.83 μm in diameter in equal mass amounts
passes through a gravity settler at a flow rate of 3.60 L/min. Given the following data, use
Stokes’ law with the Cunningham correction factor to calculate the efficiency of the settler.
(Length=50 cm; Width=20 cm; Height of channel=0.124 cm; Number of channels=19; ρ=1.05
g/cm3; λ=0.1 μm; μ=0.0182 cp) (Ans.: E=72.35%)

Q.5. As a recently hired engineer for an equipment vending company, you have been requested
to design a gravity settler to remove all iron particulates from a dust laden gas stream. The
following information is given: dp=35 μm; uniform, i.e., no distribution; gas=air at ambient
conditions; q=130 ft3/s; u, throughput velocity=10 ft/s; ρp=7.62 g/cm3) (Ans.: V=427.5 ft3)

Q.6. Design a gravity-settling chamber to remove (with 100% efficiency) particles larger than
60 mm from an air stream of 24,000 acfm at 77°F. The inlet concentration is 15 gr/ft3, and the
outlet concentration is to be 1.0 gr/ft3. Shelves of 10 ft length and 5 ft width are to be employed.
The superficial velocity should be less than 10 ft/s (use this value in the calculations). The
properties of air at 77°F are Viscosity=1.23 × 10-5 lb/ft.s; Density=0.074 lb/ft3; Specific gravity
of particles=1.8. (Ans.: h=8 in)

Q.7. A plant manufacturing soap detergent explodes one windy day. It disperses 100 tons of
soap particles (specific gravity=0.8) into the atmosphere (70°F, ρ=0.0752 lb/ft3). If the wind is
blowing 20 mph from the west and the particles range in diameter from 2.1 to 1000 μm,
calculate the distances from the plant where the soap particles will start to deposit and where
they will cease to deposit. Assume that the particles are blown vertically 400 ft in the air before
they start to settle. Also, assuming even ground-level distribution through an average 100-ft-
wide path of settling, calculate the average height of the soap particles on the ground in the
settling area. Assume the bulk density of the particles equal to half of the actual density. (Ans.:
D= 0.76 μm)

2
 CYCLONES

Q. 1. The inlet gas to a wet cyclone is at 400°F and is piped through 3.0-ft ID ductwork at 25
ft/s to the cyclone. The water contact cools the gas to 100°F. In order to maintain a velocity of
50 ft/s, what size ductwork would be needed at outlet conditions? Neglect the pressure drop
across the unit and any moisture considerations. (Ans.: D= 20.5 inch)

Q.2. As a graduate student you have been assigned the task of studying certain process factors
in an operation in Roorkee, India that employs three cyclones in series to treat catalyst-laden
gas at 25°C and 1 atm. The inlet loading to the cyclone series is 8.24 gr/ft3, and the volumetric
flow rate is 1,000,000 acfm. The efficiency of the cyclones are 93%, 84% and 73%,
respectively. Calculate the following:
(a) Daily mass of catalyst collected (lb/day).
(b) Daily mass of catalyst discharged to the atmosphere.
(c) Whether it would be economical to add an additional cyclone (efficiency=52%) costing an
additional $300,000 per year. (The cost of the catalyst is $0.75 per pound.)
(d) Outlet loading from the proposed fourth cyclone if the operation is based on 300 days per
year.
(Ans.: Outlet loading= 0.012 gr/ft3)

Q.3. Four cyclones are to be employed in series to treat catalyst-laden gas at 30°C and 1 atm.
The inlet loading to the cyclone series is 9.16 gr/ft3, and the volumetric flow rate is 950,000
acfm. The efficiencies of the cyclones are 92%, 83%, 72%, and 61%, respectively. Calculate
the mass of catalyst discharged from each cyclone, including what is discharged from each unit
in lb/day, the daily mass of catalyst collected, and the overall collection efficiency. (Ans.:
E=99.85%)

Q.4. A plant emits 50,000 acfm of gas containing a dust at a loading of 2.0 gr/ft3. A cyclone
is employed for particle capture, and the dust captured from the cyclone is worth $0.01/lb of
dust. For the sake of simplified calculation, assume that the efficiency of collection E is related
to the system pressure drop ΔP, by the formula E=(ΔP)/(ΔP+7.5), where ΔP is in units of lbf/ft2.
If the fan is 55% efficient (overall) and electric power costs $0.18/kW.hr, at what collection
efficiency is the cost of power equal to the value of the recovered material? What is the pressure
drop in inches of H2O at this condition? (Ans.: E=68.5%)

Q.5. A cyclone on a cement plant suddenly malfunctions. By the time the plant shuts down,
some dust has accumulated on parked cars and other buildings in the plant complex. The nearest
affected area is 700 ft from the cyclone location, and the furthest affected area measurable on
plant grounds is 2500 ft from the cyclone. What is the particle size range of the dust that has
landed on plant grounds? On this day, the cyclone was discharging into a 6.0 mph wind. The
specific gravity of the cement is 1.96. The cyclone is located 175 ft above the ground. Neglect
effects of turbulence. (Ans.: 56.7 m ≤ dp ≤ 132 μm)

3
 ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS

Q.1. A 5.0 μm radius particle traveling through an ESP is subjected to an electric field of 3
kV/cm. The maximum charge (qp,max) can be calculated from the following equation:
qp,max=4πƐoρ(dp/2)2Eo; where ρ=1.0 for a particulate without a dielectric constant,
dimensionless; Ɛo=8.854×10-12 F/m (farads per meter)
a) What is the maximum charge in coulombs (C) that can be acquired by the particle? (Ans.:
qp,max Q.1.=8.34 × 10-16C)
b) Assuming that the particle acquires 90% of its maximum charge, what electrostatic force, in
newtons (N), is the particle subjected to when the electric field across the ESP is constant at 4
kV/cm? (Ans.: F=2.25×10-10 N)
c) The particle, which has a density of 150 lb/ft3, is entrained in an air stream at ambient
conditions. What is its terminal drift velocity? (Ans.: w=13.1 cm/s)
d) If the ESP length is 8 ft and the air stream velocity is 8 ft/s, what is the minimum plate-to-
plate distance that will allow this particle to escape capture? (Plate-to-plate spacing=10.3
inches)

Q.2. An electrostatic precipitator has six collecting plates 10 ft tall and 10 ft long in the
direction of flow. The spacing between the plates is 9 inches (0.229 m). The ESP is to be used
to collect particles having a dielectric constant of 4.0 and an effective diameter of 3 μm. The
carrier gas (air at 20°C) has a throughput veloclty of 24 ft/s. Calculate the voltage (kV) required
for 99.5% collection efficiency. Use the equation w=1.1×10-14p(Ed)2dp/μ where, w=drift
velocity, m/s; Ed=field strength at discharge electrode, V/m; dp=particle diameter, μm; μ=gas
viscosity in kg/m.hr and p=3D/(D+2); D=dielectric constant. (Ed=87.52 kV)

Q.3. A horizontal parallel-plate ESP consists of a single-duct 24 ft high and 20 ft deep with an
11 inch plate-to-plate spacing. A collection efficiency of 88.2% is obtained with a flow rate of
4200 acfm. The inlet loading is 2.82 gr/ft3. Calculate the following:
(a) The bulk velocity of the gas (assume a uniform distribution) (191 ft/min)
(b) The outlet loading (Ans.: 0.333 gr/ft3)
(c) The drift velocity for this system (w=0.156 ft/s)
(d) A revised collection efficiency if the flow rate increased to 5400 acfm (Ans.: 81.2%)
(e) A revised collection efficiency if the plate spacing is decreased to 9 inch

Q.4. An electrostatic precipitator is to be used to clean 100,000 acfm of a particulate laden gas
stream from a blast furnace. The proposed design of the precipitator calls for three bus sections
(fields) arranged in series. The inlet particulate loading has been measured as 3.77 gr/acf, and
an outlet loading of 0.05 gr/acf must be achieved in order to comply with state regulations.
Each section consists of 12 grounded plates, 8 ft high and 20 ft long, spaced 10 in apart and the
gas passes horizontally through the precipitator. Answer the following questions:
(a) What is the minimum collection efficiency that will satisfy the regulation? (Ans.:
E=98.67%)
(b) If the drift velocity w for each section is 0.41 ft/s, what is the collection efficiency of the
proposed unit? (Ans.: Overall=92.5%)
(c) How many identical sections will have to be added (in series) to bring the proposed unit
into compliance? Assume that the added sections also have a drift velocity of 0.41. (Ans.: n=6)
(d) If the proposed unit is limited to a maximum of three sections, how many plates (additional
area) must be added to each section to ensure compliance? Assume that the drift velocity is
unaffected by the addition of more plates. (Ans.: Np=20)

4
Q.5. A single-stage duct-type electrostatic precipitator contains five plates that are 10 ft high,
20 ft long, and spaced 9 inches apart. Air contaminated with gypsum dust enters the unit with
an inlet loading of 53 gr/ft3 and a velocity through the unit of 5.0 ft/s. The dust bulk density is
47 lb/ft3.
(a) Estimate the particle drift velocity w given a efficiency of 99%. (Ans.: w=0.4317 ft/s)
(b) What is the outlet loading? (Ans.: Outlet loading=0.53 gr/ft3)
(c) How many cubic feet of dust are collected per hour? (Ans.: qp=86.12 ft3/hr)

Q.6. You have been requested to calculate the collection efficiency of an electrostatic
precipitator containing three ducts with plates of a given size, assuming a uniform distribution
of particles. Also determine the collection efficiency assuming that one duct is fed 50% of the
gas and the other passages 25% each. Operating and design data include: Volumetric flow rate
of contaminated gas=4000 acfm; Operating temperature and pressure=20°C and 1 atm,
respectively; Drift velocity=0.40 ft/s; Size of the plate=12 ft long and 12 ft high; Plate-to-plate
spacing=8 inches. (Ans.: Overall collection efficiency=98.37%)

Q.7. As a recently hired engineer at the Elias Cleanup Engineering Company, you have been
given a job to prepare a preliminary design of an electrostatic precipitator to treat 175,000 acfm
of a gas laden with catalyst dust. The inlet loading of 6.7 gr/ft3 must be reduced to 0.06 gr/ft3.
Owing to plant space requirements in the catalyst plant, the maximum allowable width of the
unit is 30 ft and the maximum length is 36 ft. Present a design that can meet both space and
collection efficiency requirements. Assume a plate-to-plate spacing of 10 inches and an
effective drift velocity of 0.25 ft/s. (Ans.: v=4.41 ft/s)

BAGHOUSES

Q.1. The dimensions of a bag in a filter unit are 8 inches in diameter and 15 feet long. Calculate
the filtering area of the bag. The filtering unit consists of 40 such bags and is to treat 480,000
ft3/hr of gas from an open-hearth furnace. Calculate the “effective” filtration velocity in feet
per minute and acfm per square foot of filter area. Also calculate the mass of particles collected
daily assuming that the inlet loading is 3.1 gr/ft3 and the unit operates at 99.99+% collection
efficiency. (Ans.: 5102 lb/day)

Q.2. A calcium hydroxide plant is required to treat the exhaust “fume” generated from the
plant. The ash generated from the system is collected at the bottom of the baghouse. The
exhaust gas flow of 350,000 acfm enters the baghouse with a loading of 6.0 gr/ft3. The air-to-
cloth ratio is 8.0, and the operating particulate collection efficiency is 99.3%. The maximum
allowable pressure drop is 10 in H2O. The contractor’s empirical equation for the pressure drop
is given by ΔP=0.3v+4.0cv2t; where ΔP=pressure drop in inches of water; v=filtration velocity
in ft/min; c=dust concentration in lb/ft3 of gas; t=time in minutes since bags were cleaned
(a) How many cylindrical bags, 12 inches in diameter and 30 ft high, will be needed? (Ans.:N=
461 bags)
(b) The system is designed to begin cleaning when the pressure drop reaches 10.0 in H2O, its
maximum allowable value. How frequently should the bags be cleaned? (Ans.: t=34.6 min)

Q.3. A small fabric filter system with four bags is used to clean a gas stream containing a dust
load of 10 gr/ft3 with a cake bulk density of 30.0 lb/ft3. If the system must be cleaned when
there is 1.125 inches of cake on the bags in order to retain its near 100% efficiency, what is the
filtering time allowed between each cleaning? Given: Bag diameter=12 in; Bag height=10 ft;
Flow rate=4000 ft3/min. (Ans.: t= 61.8 min or 1 hr)

5
Q.4. Laboratory tests performed on a filter bag 1 ft × 20 ft indicated that the bag operated at an
efficiency of 99.7% with an average outlet dust loading of 0.03 gr/ft3 over 15 min of operation.
The dust-laden gas had a particle bulk density of 10 lb/ft3 and a volumetric flow rate of 500
acfm. Calculate the thickness of the solids deposited on the bag. How thick would the build-up
be after 25 min? After 25 min the average outlet loading was 0.02 gr/ft3. Compare the changes
in efficiency, outlet loading, and solids build-up between 15 and 25 min. (Ans.: E15=99.7%;
E25=99.8%)

Q.5. LT Industries owns and operates a baghouse system consisting of one compartment with
100 bags. The bags are 4 inches in diameter, and the pressure drop across the system is 7.0 in
H2O. The operating temperature and pressure are 70°F and 1 atm, respectively. The inlet load
to the baghouse is 4.0 gr/ft3, and the system is 99.5% efficient, assuming that all bags are
completely functional. The filtering area is 5500 ft2 and the filtering velocity is 420 ft/hr.
(a) Calculate the efficiency assuming that 3 bags fail. (Ans.: 95.1%)
(b) What is the maximum number of bag failures that can be tolerated to ensure a minimum
coeffection efficiency of 91.50%? (Ans.: L=5.43)

Q.6. An extremely high collection efficiency is desired for a chemical process that produces
an exhaust containing toxic particles. Because the company in question has a large budget to
prevent toxic emissions, they want two APCE devices to be placed in series to clean the exhaust
gas. One design that has been proposed is the use of a baghouse followed by a scrubber. The
following data for the proposed system are provided: Operating conditions=68°F, 1 atm; Inlet
loading to baghouse=7.0 gr/ft3; Density of dust=200 lb/ft3; Pressure drop across baghouse=8
in H2O; Volumetric flow rate=20,000 acfm; Liquid-to-gas ratio (for scrubber) =2 gal/1000 ft3;
Bag diameter=6 in; Baghouse efficiency=97%; Average particle size=3.2 mm; Water droplet
size=100 mm; Scrubber coefficient=0.15 (assume Johnstone’s equation to apply); Viscosity of
gas at operating conditions=1.23 × 1025 lb/ft3.s; Area at throat of scrubber=1.0 ft2; Calculate
the collection efficiency and outlet loading of the baghouse and scrubber (combined). (Ans.:
Outlet loading=0.00294 gr/ft3)

Q.7. (a) Determine the outlet loading (lb/min) from a 200°F operation equipped with a fabric
filter baghouse system. The design cleaning frequency of this system is 25 min, and the
maximum pressure drop across the unit is 8 in H2O. Additional data provided below. Inlet
concentration of particulates=4.0 gr/ft3; Baghouse efficiency=98% (normal/design); Number
of bags=100; Bag diameter=6 in; Bag length=20 ft; ΔP=0.2v f + 5cvft2. (Ans.: Outlet
loading=0.343 lb/min)
(b) If 3 bags fail in this system, what is the new outlet loading? (Ans.: Outlet loading=0.343
lb/min)
(c) Outline how to calculate the number of bag failures associated with a specified operating
efficiency below the normal/design value.

VENTURI SCRUBBERS

Q.1. Calculate the power requirement of a venturi scrubber treating 380,000 acfm of gas and
operating at a pressure drop of 60 in H2O. (Ans.: 5970 HP)

Q.2. A 20,000 acfm fly ash–laden gas passes through a venturi scrubber with a throat velocity
of 250 ft/s. The liquid-to-gas volume ratio is 0.667 L/m3. Find the annual operating cost,

6
assuming that the fan is 55% efficient and the cost of electricity is $0.18/kW.hr. (Ans.:
$103,900=year)

Q.3. A venturi scrubber is being designed to remove particulates from a gas stream. The
maximum gas flowrate of 30,000 acfm has a loading of 4.8 gr/ft3. The average particle size is
1.2 μm and the particle density is 200 lb/ft3. Neglect the Cunningham correction factor. The
Johnstone coefficient k for this system is 0.15. The proposed water flow rate is 180 gal/min
and the gas velocity is 250 ft/s.
(a) What is the efficiency of the proposed system? (Ans.: E=98.84%)
(b) What would the efficiency be if the gas velocity were increased to 300 ft/s? (Ans.:
E=99.24%)
(c) Determine the pressure drop for both gas velocities.
(d) Determine the daily mass of dust collected and discharged for each gas velocity. (Dust
discharged=225 lb/day)
(e) What is the discharge loading in each case? (Ans.: Discharge loading=0.036 gr/ft3)

Q.4. Three identical venturi scrubbers are connected in series. Assuming that each operates at
the same efficiency and liquid-to-gas ratio qL/qG, calculate the liquid-to-gas ratio assuming the
Johnstone equation to apply. Data are provided below: E0 (overall)=99%; Inlet loading=200
gr/ft3; Johnstone scrubber coefficient k=0.14; Inertial impaction parameter Ψ=105. (Ans.:
qL/qG=1.07 gpm/1000 acfm)

Q.5. A vendor proposes to use a spray tower on a lime kiln operation to reduce the discharge
of solids to the atmosphere to meet state regulations. The vendor’s design calls for a certain
water pressure drop and gas pressure drop across the tower. You are requested to determine
whether this spray tower will meet state regulations that require a maximum outlet loading of
0.05 gr/ft3. Assume that contact power theory applies. Operating data are provided: Gas flow
rate=10,000 acfm; Water rate=50 gal/min; Inlet loading=5.0 gr/ft3; Water pressure drop=80
psi; Gas pressure drop across the tower=5.0 in H2O; Maximum gas pressure drop across the
unit=15 in H2O; Maximum water pressure drop across the unit=100 psi; The vendor’s contact
power design data are also available: α=1.47; β=1.05. (Ans.: Es=99.0%)