Theoretical model of absorption of ammonia by fine water spray

This work presents a novel theoretical model to calculate the removal efficiency of ammonia by fine water spray. The droplet pH, diameter, ammonium concentration, ammonia concentration and liquid-to-gas ratio are determined to affect the absorption of ammonia by the fine water spray. Simulation results reveal that the absorption of ammonia by the fine water spray increases as the droplet diameter declines. The droplet pH must be below 7 to enable the spray to absorb the ammonia. The concentration gradient between the interface of the gaseous and liquid phases is such that the absorption of ammonia by the droplets to increase as the initial ammonium concentration declines or the ammonia concentration rises. The findings show that the performance of the fine water spray in removing ammonia is generally improved by reducing the droplet diameter, the droplet pH or the initial ammonium concentration, or by increasing the ammonia concentration or the liquid-to-gas ratio. The presented model indicates the parameters that should be controlled in operating a fine water spray device and a method for improving its performance in removing ammonia.