Characteristics of a Wet Air Cleaning System for Removal of Air Pollutants

습식 공기청정장치의 공기오염물질 제거 특성

  • Bae, Gwi-Nam (Global Environmental Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology) ;
  • Kim, Yong Pyo (Global Environmental Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology) ;
  • Baik, Nam Jun (R&D Center, Samsung Engineering Co.. Ltd.)
  • 배귀남 (한국과학기술연구원 지구환경연구센터) ;
  • 김용표 (한국과학기술연구원 지구환경연구센터) ;
  • 백남준 (삼성엔지니어링(주) 기술연구소)
  • Received : 1999.03.16
  • Accepted : 1999.09.17
  • Published : 2000.01.31

Abstract

Performance characteristics of a wet air cleaning system were investigated experimentally, and discussed in relation with physicochemical properties of the target pollutants. The system is composed of an air cleaner, a separator, and a medium filter. Removal efficiency of the system was measured for ambient particles and gaseous air pollutants: $SO_2$, NO, $NO_2$, HCHO, and $NH_3$. For particle removal test, particles were introduced into the system through a fan, and the particle size distribution was measured at three locations by using two laser particle counters. Particle removal efficiency for each system component was obtained from the particle size distribution. It was found that the separator primarily removed coarse particles greater than $5{\mu}m$ in diameter, and that the medium filter mainly removed fine particles less than $5{\mu}m$ in diameter. For gas removal test, air with gaseous air pollutant was injected into the outlet of the fan, and the concentration was measured both at the upstream of the air cleaner and at the downstream of the separator. It was found that the gaseous species with high Henry's law coefficients, such as $SO_2$, HCHO, and $NH_3$, showed high removal efficiency, but the gaseous species with low Henry's law coefficients, such as NO and $NO_2$, showed low removal efficiencies. It was also found that negative ions were generated from the air cleaner.

본 연구에서는 공기청정기, 기수분리기 및 중성능 필터로 구성되는 습식 공기청정장치를 대상으로 입자와 유해가스인 $SO_2$, NO, $NO_2$, HCHO 및 $NH_3$의 제거 특성을 실험적으로 살펴보고, 실험결과를 대상물질의 물리화학적 특성과 연관시켜 검토하였다. 입자제거 실험에서는 대기 에어로졸을 송풍기를 통해 장치에 도입하여 장치의 3곳에서 2대의 레이저 입자계수기로 입자크기 분포를 측정하여 각 구성요소의 입자제거효율을 구하였다. 실험결과로부터 기수분리기에서는 입경이 $5{\mu}m$ 이상인 조대 입자가 주로 제거되고. 중성능 필터에서는 이보다 작은 미세 입자가 주로 제거됨을 알 수 있었다. 유해가스 제거 실험에서는 시험용 가스를 송풍기의 출구에 주입하여 공기청정기의 상류와 기수분리기의 하류에서 가스농도를 측정하여 유해가스 제거효율을 구하였다. 실험결과로부터 헨리상수가 큰 수용성인 $SO_2$, HCHO 및 $NH_3$는 제거효율이 높았으나, 헨리상수가 낮아 난용성인 NO와 $NO_2$는 제거효율이 낮음을 알 수 있었으며, 공기청정기에서 상당량의 음이온이 발생됨을 알았다.

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