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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Wooster, Ohio » Application Technology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #329552
Title: Laboratory evaluation of electrostatic spray wet scrubber to control particulate matter emissions from poultry facilities

Author
item YU, RU - Nanjing Forestry University
item ZHAO, LINGYING - The Ohio State University
item HADLOCON, LAURA JANE - The Ohio State University
item Zhu, Heping
item RAMDON, SANJAY - The Ohio State University

Submitted to: Environmental Technology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/6/2016
Publication Date: 2/23/2017
Citation: Yu, R., Zhao, L., Hadlocon, L.S., Zhu, H., Ramdon, S.K. 2017. Laboratory evaluation of electrostatic spray wet scrubber to control particulate matter emissions from poultry facilities. Environmental Technology. 38(1):23-33.

Interpretive Summary: Particulate matter (PM) emission from animal houses carries toxic gases, nuisance odor, and pathogenic bacteria and viruses that can potentially transmit airborne diseases. The health and potential environmental concerns, caused by PM emissions from animal facilities, have urged the needs to control PM in animal facilities. Existing PM mitigation technologies for animal facilities have low efficiency and cannot meet livestock industrial requirements. In this research, an electrostatic spray technology was investigated to reduce the PM emissions from poultry facilities. A laboratory simulation unit was developed to identify and test key design and operating parameters that affect performance of electrostatic spray wet scrubbers. A mathematical model was developed to determine the PM removal efficiency with the primary factors such as droplet size and electrostatic charge complying with reduced energy and water consumption. This study demonstrated the electrostatic spray wet scrubbers could be effective, efficient and economic devices for reducing PM concentration from poultry facilities.

Technical Abstract: Particulate matter (PM) is a major air pollutant emitted from animal production and has significant impacts on health and the environment. Abatement of PM emissions is imperative and effective PM control technologies are strongly needed. In this work, an electrostatic spray wet scrubber (ESWS) technology designed for removal of PM (PM10 and PM2.5) emissions from poultry facilities was evaluated under simulated laboratory conditions. Effects of primary operating parameters including charging voltage (0 to 14 kV), air speed (0.5 to 3.5 ms-1), droplet diameter (100 to 300 µm), and PM concentration (1 to 5 mg m-3) on the PM removal performance of the ESWS were investigated. Empirical models for predicting performance of the ESWS in terms of PM10 and PM2.5 removal efficiencies were developed. The preliminary results showed that the ESWS technology reduced emissions of PM10 by 85% to 94% and PM2.5 by 85% to 88% with a charging voltage of 7 kV, air speed of 0.5 to 0.75 m s-1, and droplet diameter of 100 to 150 µm. The water consumption rate was approximately 2.35 L min-1, while total power consumed was 249 W for the pump to produce droplets and 21 W for the electrode to charge droplets. This study demonstrates that the ESWS could be a potentially effective and feasible tool in controlling PM emissions for commercial poultry facilities.