Investigation into the aerodynamic processes of air treatment using a plate-type biofilter

ABSTRACT

The research conducted has involved a laboratory stand of a plate-type air treatment biofilter with a capillary system for humidifying packing material composed of polymer plates vertically arranged next to each other and producing a capillary effect of humidification. The pattern of arranging the plates has sufficiently large spaces (6 mm), and therefore the use of the plate-type structure decreases the aerodynamic resistance of the device. Slightly pressed slabs attached on both sides of the plates are made of heat-treated wood fibre, to increase the longevity of which, wood waste has been heat-treated in the steam explosion reactor under the pressure of 32 bars and a temperature of 235°C. This is the method for changing the molecular structure of wood, which stops the decay of wood fibre in a humid environment and thus increases the life span of biofilter plates. The research performed has disclosed that, under the application of the above introduced structure of the biofilter, the aerodynamic resistance of the biofilter reaches 1 ÷ 5 Pa when the rate of the air flow passing through the device makes 0.08 m/s. For evaluating the reliability of the obtained results, the theoretical model has been applied.

KEYWORDS:

• Biofilter
• capillarity
• wood fibre
• pollutant gases
• biodegradation

Funding

The research is carried out within the framework of project Applied research and technological development of plate-type air treatment biofilter with a capillary humidification system for packing material ‘BIOFILTER’ (Project No. VP1-3.1-ŠMM-10-V-02-015) under the Operational Programme for the Development of Human Resources 2007–2013, priority axis 3 ‘Strengthening researchers abilities’, measure VP1-3.1-ŠMM-10-V ‘Promotion of high level international research’. The project is supported and co-funded by the European Union and the Republic of Lithuania.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.