In this study, wet scrubbing and activated-carbon adsorption technologies were tested to investigate their abilities to remove total hydrocarbons (THCs) and other odorous compounds in the effluent gas from food-cooking operations such as frying, toasting, grilling, and steaming. A full-scale scrubber (gas-liquid contacting cross section 0.58 m¡Ñ0.50 m, height 0.80 m) was used in the present study for testing its performance on removing odorous compounds from a gas stream of 102 m3/min drawn from a Japanese-type grilling restaurant located in the Kaohsiung city. The scrubbing liquid had a flow rate of 67.2 L/min which is equivalent to a liquid/gas ratio of (L/G) 0.0065 m3 liquid/(m3 gas). Tap water, aqueous sodium hypochlorite solution, and aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution were used as scrubbing liquids. For the activated carbon tests, a 2-cm i.d. glass column packed with 20 g activated carbon which gives a packing height of 10.5 cm was used to obtain the adsorption isotherms by introducing a 15 L/min gas stream drawn from an oven toasting sausage. The gas flow resulted in a superficial gas velocity of 1.06 m/s over the cross section of the column. In addition, a pilot-scale adsorption unit (cross section 0.50 m sq., packed with 30 kg granular activated carbon) was installed for the adsorption test. A gas flow drawn from a vent of a restaurant kitchen cooking Chinese-type food was introduced into the pilot adsorber. A flow rate of 12.6 m3/min was used and the superficial gas velocity was 0.84 m/s. Results indicate that THC and odor (sensory test) removals of 15-35 and 35-65% were obtained, respectively, form the scrubbing test. There was no significant difference in the performance by using one of water or the two aqueous chemical solutions as the scrubbing liquor. Most of the characteristic food-grilling and flavoring smells were removed by the scrubber and some bitter smells like burnt carbon were found in the scrubbed gas. High moisture contents (around 95% in relative humidity) of the vent gas from the sausage-toasting oven resulted in a significant reduction in the activated carbon adsorption capacity for THCs from the tested gas. From results of the pilot-scale adsorption test, THC removals of 60-80% form the vent gas (around 50-60% in relative humidity) of the Chinese-type kitchen were found during the initial adsorption time of 0-50 hr. A long time (200 hr) operation resulted in a decrease in the THC removal efficiency. However, the adsorber exhibited as an odor equalization unit by reducing peaks of the odor emissions from the kitchen. Characteristic odors from various food cooking operations were reduced by the adsorber. It was estimated that a total of around NT$ 57 is required for the full-scale scrubber for treating the gas flow of 102 m3/min for an operation time of 7 hr per day, and the cost is equivalent to NT$ 1.33/(1,000 m3 gas). The cost for the activated carbon adsorption unit of 13 m3/min was estimated to be NT$ 134 for 8 hr per streaming day. The unit cost is NT$ 22.1/(1,000 m3 gas).

Air emissions from the combustion of fossil fuel, including carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and nitric oxide, have caused severe health and environmental problems. The post-combustion wet scrubbing has been employed for control of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide emissions. However, it is restricted by the sparingly water soluble nitric oxide, which accounts for 90-95% of nitrogen oxides. It is desirable and cost-effective to remove nitric oxide from flue gas by existing wet scrubbers for reduced capital costs and foot prints. In this research, absorption of nitric oxide from simulated flue gas using three different absorbents was first conducted in a bubble column system at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Through performance comparison, ammoniacal cobalt(II) solutions were chosen as the optimum absorbent for nitric oxide absorption. Then the effects of fresh absorbent composition, pH value and temperature on nitric oxide absorption were investigated. Experimental results showed that the best initial NO removal efficiency of 96.45% was measured at the inlet flow rate of 500 mL·min-1; the room temperature of 292.2 K; the pH value of 10.50; and the concentrations of cobalt(II) solution, NO and O2 of 0.06 mol·L-1, 500 ppmv and 5.0%, respectively. For in-depth understanding of NO absorption into ammoniacal cobalt(II) complexes, equilibrium constants of reactions between nitric oxide and penta- and haxa-amminecobalt(II) solutions, respectively were determined using a bubble column reactor, in which the operation was performed continuously with respect to gas phase and batch-wise with respect to liquid phase. The experiments were conducted at temperatures from 298.2 to 310.2 K and pH from 9.06 to 9.37, all under atmospheric pressure. All experimental data fitted well to the following equations: K_NO^5=1.90×10^7 exp(3598.5/T) and K_NO^6=3.56×10^11 exp(1476.4/T), which give the enthalpy of reactions between NO and penta- and hexa-amminecobalt (II) nitrates as ∆H^5=-29.92 kJ·mol^(-1) and ∆H^6=-12.27 kJ·mol^(-1). In kinetic study, a number of experiments were conducted in a home-made double-stirred reactor at temperatures of 298.2 and 303.2 K and pH from 8.50 to 9.87 under atmospheric pressure. The reaction rate constants were calculated with the use of enhancement factor derived for gas absorption accompanied by parallel chemical reactions. The reaction between NO and pentaaminecobalt(II) was first order with respect to NO and pentaamminecobalt(II) ion, respectively. Similarly, the reaction between NO and hexaaminecobalt(II) was also first order with respect to NO and hexaamminecobalt(II) ion, respectively. The forward reaction rate constants of these two reactions were 6.43×10^6 and 1.00×10^7 L·mol-1·s-1, respectively at 298.2 K, and increased to 7.57×106 and 1.12×107 L∙mol-1∙s-1, respectively at 303.2 K. Furthermore, regeneration of used absorbent was attempted but fails. None of the additives tested herein including potassium iodide (KI), sodium persulphate (Na2S5O8) and activated carbon (AC) showed capability of regeneration at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. In addition, the effect of oxygen was investigated. With ammoniacal cobalt(II) compounds a positive effect of oxygen on NO absorption was observed. Calculated NO amount absorbed into the aqueous solution showed that with the oxygen the absorption reaction could be considered as irreversible. This fact was probably the reason for the failure of regeneration of the tested reagents. Last but not least, volumetric liquid-phase mass transfer coefficient, kLa, in some popular industrial absorbers including bubble column (BC), conventional stirred tank reactor (CSTR) and gas-inducing agitated tank (GIAT) were determined by modeling removal of oxygen from water. The experimental results could be well interpreted by mathematical models with 90% of deviations less than ±10 %.

This doctoral thesis deals with potentials of methods for cleaning of flue gas from pollutants such as acidic components. Wet method of flue gas cleaning is analysed in detail with special focus on elimination of sulphur dioxide (SO2). Introduction presents advantages and disadvantages of thermal processing of waste and production of undesired pollutants. Following parts comprise facts about main pollutants produced from incineration. Legislation providing for emission of gaseous pollutants from incinerators is also given. Chapter concerning methods of pollutants elimination is mostly focused on absorption (wet and/or semidry scrubber) and adsorption methods. Several up-to-date technological procedures are mentioned; they have a multifunctional effect such as elimination of acidic components, heavy metals, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxines and dibenzo-furanes from flue gas using single injection of suspense. Elimination of mercury (Hg) is among the technologies for heavy metal elimination which is described in detail. Main part of the thesis is related to experiments at two-stage flue gas cleaning equipment. Function of this experimental unit is described along with methods for measurement of individual quantities and detailed description of all the equipment and its components. Experimental measurements carried out at this equipment are explicated and assessed. Along with experimental work, the author has created a simulation model of wet flue gas cleaning in ChemCad programme. Particular operational parameters were tested on this model. This thesis contains results of the measurement which provide background for verification of the mathematical model. Further, the balance of heavy metals conducted on the basis of measurements in waste incinerator is displayed. Main contribution of the thesis may be summed up as follows: ­ Author has designed and constructed experimental equipment for two stage flue gas cleaning. ­ He also formed calculation for pressure drop of O-element prototype equipment and for packing column with FLEXIPAC structured packing. ­ He created data file with measurements at the experimental unit. ­ He determined temperature at outlet of a random device where liquid is injected into stream of hot flue gas. ­ He designed a simulation model which is identical with experimental equipment and which usage enabled comparison of measured and calculated data; it also serves as a basis for industrial applications. ­ Last part deals with creation off heavy metals balance in a case industrial waste incinerator.