What is a Venturi Scrubber?
A Venturi Scrubber is a type of pollution control equipment that is used to remove contaminated particles from gaseous exhaust streams. A type of Wet Scrubber, the Venturi Scrubber uses Venturi technology, which has been used for over 100 years. Named after an Italian physicist, the Venturi effect occurs when gas or fluid is pushed through a throat, or choke, to increase the velocity of the fluid or gas stream passing through. This type of scrubber consists of three sections, each with an important role in the abatement process. The first section is a converging section; it is shaped liked a funnel. This is where the gas inlet stream enters. As the space decreases in the throat, or choke of the funnel, the gas velocity increases. Then liquid is introduced at the entrance of the converging section or near the throat of the funnel. The now fast-moving gas generates turbulence; the high energy turbulence and velocity causes the gas and liquid to mix and atomize it into tiny droplets. Then the gas and atomized liquid go through the second section of the equipment, a diverging cone. Here most of the gas slows down and goes into the third section, the cyclonic separator, where its separated from the remaining liquid. The Cyclonic separator is a vessel where the gas travels in a “cyclone” fashion through the walls removing liquids and particles in a phenomenon called “vortex separation”.
A venturi scrubber excels at removing particulates and even some gaseous pollutants. However, they can require more energy to operate and are not effective as traditional packed bed wet scrubbers for some applications such as those with gaseous/acid streams.
Wet vs Dry Scrubber
Both types of scrubbers perform the same basic function – removing dangerous particles from industrial gas streams. However, how they do it is slightly different. As their names indicate, a wet scrubber uses a solution, generally water or water based, to saturate the particulates and compounds in the exhaust stream to weigh them down and remove them from the gases. A dry scrubber does not saturate the particles; a dry scrubber uses dry reagents that come into contact with the polluted stream, that then react and either neutralize the dangerous compounds or absorb them into a different, less harmful, substance. Compared to a traditional wet scrubber, the Venturi scrubber is more efficient at abating particulate streams because it is not as easily clogged or fouled as a wet scrubber.
Advantages:
- Capable of handling flammable and explosive dusts with little risk
- Relatively simple design
- Versatile
- Higher Sulfur Dioxide removal capabilities
- Lower initial investment
- Several customizable options based on specific output and applications often allowing for a reduction in cost
- Small footprint
- Waste product is collected while wet
- Capable of abating high-moisture streams
- Can provide cooling of hot gas streams
- Able to neutralize corrosive gases and dusts
- Relatively low maintenance requirements
- Handles fluctuating gas flows
- High removal yield
Disadvantages:
- Higher risk of corrosive issues
- Must have protection again freezing temperatures
- Disposal of waste can incur higher costs
- The chemicals collected may be too contaminated to be recycled in any way
- Visible exhaust plume can occur which may require reheating of gas
Options:
- Competitive packages including instrumentation and controls, skid mounting of equipment, H2O storage tanks, metering pumps, and installation
- Vertical and horizontal configurations
- Capacities of 50 to 75,000+ SCFM
- Custom designed systems
- Options to be retrofitted with current equipment
- Faster commissioning time
- Continuous monitoring with Gulfstar
- In-house designed and manufactured control panels
- Portable options and sizes available
- Sized system process fans
Gulf Coast Environmental Systems is proud to employ some of the leading engineers in the industry that specialize in scrubber technology. If you have any questions about a Venturi Scrubber or any of our other scrubber technologies, please email us at sales@gcesystems.com, or call us at 1.832.476.9024