Numerical Investigation and Recommendations for Push-Pull Ventilation Systems

Abstract

This study presents numerical simulations of push-pull ventilation systems. A push-pull system is a device commonly used in capturing pollutants from large tanks used in industrial chemical processes. An air jet is blown from one side of a tank and collected by an exhaust hood on the opposite side of the tank. In this study, a finite volume model coupled with the standard k −ϵ turbulent model is employed to describe the flow structures and characteristics. Moreover, the turbulence mass transfer equation is adopted to show the concentration distribution above the open surface tank. All the flow fields can be classified according to four dominant modes, i.e., dispersion, transition, encapsulation, and strong suction. The push and pull flow velocities should be adjusted into encapsulation and strong suction modes to ensure all pollutants can be captured by the exhaust hood. Other geometric parameters such as the flange size, pull-channel size, offset distance, etc., also influence the flow characteristics. For a variety of lengths of tanks and pollutant evaporation velocities, the push and pull flow velocity must be matched to achieve optimal operation. Furthermore, the flange size and other parameters are determined to enhance the capture efficiency of the push-pull system. Recommendations for design guidelines are introduced in this study.

Keywords:

• local ventilation
• push-pull hood
• turbulence modeling
• turbulent diffusion