DIRECT CALCULATION OF SULFUR DIOXIDE ABSORPTION BY WATER DROPS

Abstract

Absorption of pollutant gases into water drops is one of the major removal mechanism in clouds, rain and scrubbers. The aim of this article is to present a new model for prediction of the mass transfer in gas-liquid dispersed systems encountered in scrubber or atmospheric systems. In the liquid phase, a model based on local scales, interfacial liquid friction velocity and drop size diameter is used. In the continuous gas phase the well known Beard and Pruppacher model is applied. Data obtained by the modelling of the SO2 absorption in a single drop are compared to published experimental results and a fairly good agreement was found. Finally, we present a particular and important application of the above model as an illustration of its use. As an example, sulfur dioxide washout by rain, falling through a polluted plume, is considered.