Evaluation of the efficiency of a Venturi scrubber in particulate matter collection smaller than 2.5 µm emitted by biomass burning

Abstract

Energy demand has increased worldwide, and biomass burning is one of the solutions most used by industries, especially in countries that have a great potential in agriculture, such as Brazil. However, these energy sources generate pollutants, consisting of particulate matter (PM) with a complex chemical composition, such as sugarcane bagasse (SB) burning. Controlling these emissions is necessary; therefore, the aim was to evaluate PM collection using a rectangular Venturi scrubber (RVS), and its effects on the composition of the PM emitted. Considering the appropriate use of biomass as an industrial fuel and the emerging need for a technique capable of efficiently removing pollutants from biomass burning, this study shows the control of emissions as an innovation in a situation such as the industrial one with the use of a Venturi scrubber in fine particle collection, in addition to using portable and representative isokinetic sampling equipment of these particles. The pilot-scale simulation of the biomass burning process, the representative sampling of fine particles and obtaining parameters to control pollutant emissions for a Venturi scrubber, meets the current situation of concern about air quality. The average collection efficiency values were 96.6% for PM> 2.5, 85.5% for PM1.0–2.5, and 66.9% for PM< 1.0. The ionic analysis for PM< 1.0 filters showed potassium, chloride, nitrate, and nitrite at concentrations ranging from 20.12 to 36.5 μg/m3. As the ethanol and sugar plants will continue to generate electricity with sugarcane bagasse burning, emission control technologies and cost-effective and efficient portable samplers are needed to monitor particulate materials and improve current gas cleaning equipment projects.