The following processes then take place:
- An aerosol mixture forms as a result of the change in direction (owing to forces of inertia)
- The energy of the gas leads to an entrainment of wall liquid, with simultaneous liquid dispersion.
Basic conditions that must be observed:
Cyclone scrubbers must be operated with air volume flow that is practically constant. If the flow is not constant, the following will occur:
Reduction in the flow of untreated air produces unsatisfactory dispersion of the scrubbing fluid. If the volumetric flow of air increases, this will produce a reduction in the level of the scrubbing fluid on the upstream side (untreated-gas side), which in turn means that the cyclone zone will not be sufficiently flooded.
Droplet collectors are installed in the cyclone scrubber to enhance the separation of the droplets formed in this process. A cyclone zone with a spiral form will enhance the phase-transition process. The pressure difference among cyclone scrubbers is around 1500 … 3000 Pa: i.e., greater than in scrubbers with or without inserts. The separation efficiency, however, is greater.
Additional advantages:
In addition to the separation of aerosols, the gas flowing through is moistened (conditioned) and cooled: whereby gaseous aerosols (e.g., oil vapour) condense out and can be separated.
An additional advantage of scrubbers is their ease of maintenance. There is no filter to replace, and the only work necessary is removal of the sludge from the bottom of the scrubbers. The use of sludge removers makes this work fully automatic.
Medium-pressure washers can be ideally combined with electrostatic and duct air filters, in order to achieve even more satisfactory results.