Note On The Collection of Lint Fly by Wet Impingement

A combined water scrubber-impinger was used to control lint cleaner effluent from machine-stripped short staple (11/16-13/16 in.) cotton because of its high efficiency and low pressure drop. The 8 × 4 × 4 ft rectangular scrubber could handle a maximum of 8000 CFM entering air at 80°F, 20% relative humidity and 0.7 g particulates/m³ with a 1-sec residence time at a maximum pressure drop of 0.5 in. of water across the chamber. Water to the chamber’s 6 doublespray and 2 single-spray nozzle taps was supplied from recycle and makeup sources at pressures of 7.5–30 psig with total flows of 21.8–31.1 gpm depending on number of nozzle taps in use. These sprays effectively wetted the particulate- laden air and provided enough water to wash the collected particulate matter down the chamber walls. The four WR-10 nozzles used at the base of the scrubbing chamber provided fine conical spray patterns co-current with the air flow. The two sets of four F-20 nozzles used in the center portion of the chamber provided coarse flat sheet sprays perpendicular to the air flow path. Two large TR-50 nozzles at the top of the chamber provided the necessary coarse conical sprays to wash the collected particulates down the chamber wall to the trash-water separator below. Water flows through the nozzles were determined from pressure readings at each tap. Chamber pressure drop was determined by 15° inclined manometer readings taken across the chamber at the locations where the air inlet and outlet mean square velocities occurred.