Performance Improvement of Wave Plate Mist Eliminator through Geometry Modification

Abstract

In this study, the geometry of a popular wave plate type mist eliminator used in the wet flue gas desulfurization process was improved. Subsequently, the equipment was fabricated and experimentally evaluated. A mist eliminator is a type of inertial particle collector, whose collection efficiency is proportional to the velocity of the gas phase. However, as the amount of reentrainment is also proportional to the gas phase velocity, the gas phase flow rate is limited. Reentrainment is one of the most crucial issues in a mist eliminator and likely to occur as the input of the liquid phase and flow rate of the gas phase increase. To resolve this problem, the projection angle of the improved mist eliminator is modified by 30° compared to that of the conventional one while maintaining the cross-section. Under low flow rate conditions, the modified mist eliminator showed a similar pressure drop and overall collection efficiency compared to those of the conventional equipment. However, under conditions where re-entrainment was significant, the modified mist eliminator showed better performance in draining droplets than the conventional one.As a result, the modified mist eliminator attained higher overall collection efficiency.