Industrial Emissions Control
Technologies: Introduction
Szymon Kwiatkowski
1 , Merve Polat
1 , Weijia Yu
1
and Matthew Stanley Johnson
1,2
1 Department of Chemistry, University of
Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
2 Airlabs, Copenhagen, Denmark
Article Outline
Glossary
Definition
Introduction
Chemical Description of Pollution
Economic Analysis
Filtration, Thermal Oxidation, Electrostatic
Precipitator, and Cyclone
Heterogeneous Catalysis
Scrubbers
Gas Phase Advanced Oxidation and Vapor
Recovery
Green Chemistry
Conclusion and Future Prospects
Literature
Glossary
Aerosol Aerosols are suspensions of solid or liquid
particles in a gas and occur when mixing from
diffusion and circulation is more rapid than gravitational settling. In common usage, “aerosol”
can refer to the particulate matter. Atmospheric
particulate matter can be emitted directly (“primary aerosol”) or formed in the atmosphere by
gas-to-particle conversion processes (“secondary
aerosol”). Atmospheric aerosol particles range in
size from a few nanometers (nm) to tens of
micrometers (mm) in diameter [1].
By-Product By-products are formed in emissions
control processes due to incomplete mineralization. Ideally, pollution is completely broken
down or trapped; often this is not the case.
Contact Time The contact time t is a crucial
metric in characterizing a pollution control
system, aiding design and allowing comparison between different systems. It is the ratio
between the length of the treatment system l,
for example, the contact region of a scrubber,
catalyst, or adsorbent, and the velocity of air
flow v. In all, t ¼ l=v. The treatment system can
be described using a first-order removal rate k,
linking the pollution’s input and output concentrations C out and C in [2]:C out = C in Á e
Àkt
Energy Intensity The energy intensity in the pollution control system can be described using the
specific energy input (energy input per mass of
air, e.g., J/kg) or the volumetric energy input,
also called the energy density (e.g., J/m
3
).
Explosion Limits and Range A mixture of a
given combustible compound in the air is typically explosive over a range extending from
the lower explosion limit to the upper explosion limit [3]. The limits are given in %(v/v).
The lower limit is the concentration below
which flame cannot spread and vapor doesn’t
ignite from a spark. The upper limit is the
concentration above which a flame does not
spread. For example, the explosion range
for ammonia is 15–28% [3]; for methane,
5–15% [3]; for benzene, 1.2–7.8% [3]; and
for formaldehyde, 7.0–73% [4].
Exposure Limit The exposure limit describes
the legally allowable average concentration a
human can be exposed to for a given period. It
can be expressed as an 8-hour time-weighted
average or a yearly average. Exposure limits
assure workers health and safety in different
fields of employment.
Externality An externality is a cost or benefit
imposed on a third party unrelated to those
who buy and sell [5]. Positive or negative
effects on the third party are called positive
and negative externalities, respectively [6]. For
Szymon Kwiatkowski and Merve Polat contributed
equally to the article.
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2021
M. E. Goodsite et al. (eds.), Air Pollution Sources, Statistics and Health Effects,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-0596-7_1083
Originally published in
R. A. Meyers (ed.), Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC,
part of Springer Nature 2019, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2493-6_1083-1
477
Technologies: Introduction
Szymon Kwiatkowski
1 , Merve Polat
1 , Weijia Yu
1
and Matthew Stanley Johnson
1,2
1 Department of Chemistry, University of
Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
2 Airlabs, Copenhagen, Denmark
Article Outline
Glossary
Definition
Introduction
Chemical Description of Pollution
Economic Analysis
Filtration, Thermal Oxidation, Electrostatic
Precipitator, and Cyclone
Heterogeneous Catalysis
Scrubbers
Gas Phase Advanced Oxidation and Vapor
Recovery
Green Chemistry
Conclusion and Future Prospects
Literature
Glossary
Aerosol Aerosols are suspensions of solid or liquid
particles in a gas and occur when mixing from
diffusion and circulation is more rapid than gravitational settling. In common usage, “aerosol”
can refer to the particulate matter. Atmospheric
particulate matter can be emitted directly (“primary aerosol”) or formed in the atmosphere by
gas-to-particle conversion processes (“secondary
aerosol”). Atmospheric aerosol particles range in
size from a few nanometers (nm) to tens of
micrometers (mm) in diameter [1].
By-Product By-products are formed in emissions
control processes due to incomplete mineralization. Ideally, pollution is completely broken
down or trapped; often this is not the case.
Contact Time The contact time t is a crucial
metric in characterizing a pollution control
system, aiding design and allowing comparison between different systems. It is the ratio
between the length of the treatment system l,
for example, the contact region of a scrubber,
catalyst, or adsorbent, and the velocity of air
flow v. In all, t ¼ l=v. The treatment system can
be described using a first-order removal rate k,
linking the pollution’s input and output concentrations C out and C in [2]:C out = C in Á e
Àkt
Energy Intensity The energy intensity in the pollution control system can be described using the
specific energy input (energy input per mass of
air, e.g., J/kg) or the volumetric energy input,
also called the energy density (e.g., J/m
3
).
Explosion Limits and Range A mixture of a
given combustible compound in the air is typically explosive over a range extending from
the lower explosion limit to the upper explosion limit [3]. The limits are given in %(v/v).
The lower limit is the concentration below
which flame cannot spread and vapor doesn’t
ignite from a spark. The upper limit is the
concentration above which a flame does not
spread. For example, the explosion range
for ammonia is 15–28% [3]; for methane,
5–15% [3]; for benzene, 1.2–7.8% [3]; and
for formaldehyde, 7.0–73% [4].
Exposure Limit The exposure limit describes
the legally allowable average concentration a
human can be exposed to for a given period. It
can be expressed as an 8-hour time-weighted
average or a yearly average. Exposure limits
assure workers health and safety in different
fields of employment.
Externality An externality is a cost or benefit
imposed on a third party unrelated to those
who buy and sell [5]. Positive or negative
effects on the third party are called positive
and negative externalities, respectively [6]. For
Szymon Kwiatkowski and Merve Polat contributed
equally to the article.
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2021
M. E. Goodsite et al. (eds.), Air Pollution Sources, Statistics and Health Effects,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-0596-7_1083
Originally published in
R. A. Meyers (ed.), Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC,
part of Springer Nature 2019, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2493-6_1083-1
477