Control Method for VOC Emissions

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) are very common in Chemical & Petro-Chemical
industry. Apart from there extra ordinary commercial value they are the cause of photo chemical
reactions in the atmosphere. These reactions cause severe damage to the environment. In recent
context, they are a serious contributor towards climate change. VOCs must be controlled in order
to avoid environmental damage.

There are several techniques which are being employed to control VOC emissions. USEPA has
classified all the techniques in two different groups.

1) Process and equipment modification

2) Add-on-control technologies

Let me categorize all the possible techniques for the control of VOCs as per the above mentioned
classification.

VOC Removal

Process Control
Modification Techniques

Destruction Recovery

Membrane
Oxidation Bio-filtration Absorption Adsorption Condensation
Separation

Thermal Zeolite

Activated
Catalytic
Carbon

Reverse Flow

Figure 1: Techniques for the Control of VOC

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Suggestions:
As per literature review following are the finding of my assignment:

1) Prioritizing recovery of VOC, the best technique is Adsorption method. There are a lot
of examples available for the method at commercial scale. Its reported efficiency can be
seen up to 96%.
2) For complete destruction as our priority, the most common and established method being
used is oxidation. But the most cheap and effective method is Bio-Filtration. The
research work is still underway for determining the effectiveness of this emerging
process.

The reported removal efficiency of oxidation process is 90-99%. The method is having
maximum efficiency with an established technique over time. There is enough literature
available for the technique to be used. The secondary waste is simple combustion products which
can be disposed off easily. But the oxidation method cannot be used to recover VOCs. For this
purpose adsorption method is used.

Adsorption method is being used at commercial scales for the recovery of VOCs. It has a
removal efficiency of 80-96% depending upon the type of adsorbent. Cost constraints limit the
applicability of adsorption method (Zeolites). So, Activated carbon is a cheap replacement. But it
has its own limits of function i.e moisture content, ketone clogging, aldehyde clogging etc.

The recent emerging method is being considered as the most effective method for the removal of
VOCs till yet. Researchers have predicted it as the most potent technique for the removal of
VOCs. With a low capital & annual operation cost the reported efficiency of the method clicks
up to 95%. The secondary product is biomass which has its own potential for further use. The
method is completely non hazardous. The process takes more time than the other methods.
Research is being conducted to enhance its speed to make it effective.

Hence concluding the assignment I will suggest Oxidation as the most suited method if recovery
is not a priority. Otherwise adsorption can be used for recovery option. But the most potent
technique for the removal of VOC now-a-days under research is Bio-Filtration.

Question No 2
At noon on a sunny summer day with a surface wind speed of 4 m/s, NOx is released over rough
terrain from a 90 m stack at a rate of 400 g/s. Assume that the plume rise is 60 m. calculate the
ground level concentration:

a) 3000 m downwind;

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b) 3000 m downwind and 100 m crosswind; and

c) 3000 m downwind and 500 m crosswind.

a) Ground level concentration at 3000 m downwind =?

Solution:

U = 4m/s h = 90m ∆h = 60m Q = 400g/s

According to the given conditions:

Class = B

𝜎𝑦 = 320m 𝜎𝑧 = 600m

𝑄 −𝑦 2 −(𝑧 − 𝐻)2
𝐶= exp �( ) + )�
𝑢𝜋𝜎𝑦 𝜎𝑧 2𝜎𝑦 2 2𝜎𝑧 2

As y=0 and z=0. So,

𝑄 −(−𝐻)2
𝐶= exp � )�
𝑢𝜋𝜎𝑦 𝜎𝑧 2𝜎𝑧 2

400 −(−150)2
𝐶= exp � )�
4 × 3.14 × 320 × 600 2(600)2

C = 1.61×10-4g/m3

C = 160.767µg/m3

b) Ground level concentration at 3000 m downwind and 100m crosswind=?

Solution:

𝑄 −𝑦 2 −(𝑧 − 𝐻)2
𝐶= exp �( ) + )�
𝑢𝜋𝜎𝑦 𝜎𝑧 2𝜎𝑦 2 2𝜎𝑧 2

As y=100 and z=0. So,

𝑄 −𝑦 2 −(−𝐻)2
𝐶= exp �( ) + )�
𝑢𝜋𝜎𝑦 𝜎𝑧 2𝜎𝑦 2 2𝜎𝑧 2

400 −(100)2 −(−150)2

𝐶= exp �( ) + )�
4 × 3.14 × 320 × 600 2(320)2 2(600)2

C = 1.53×10-4g/m3
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C = 153.105µg/m3

c) Ground level concentration at 3000 m downwind and 500m crosswind=?

Solution:

𝑄 −𝑦 2 −(𝑧 − 𝐻)2
𝐶= exp �( ) + )�
𝑢𝜋𝜎𝑦 𝜎𝑧 2𝜎𝑦 2 2𝜎𝑧 2

As y=500 and z=0. So,

𝑄 −𝑦 2 −(−𝐻)2
𝐶= exp �( )+ )�
𝑢𝜋𝜎𝑦 𝜎𝑧 2𝜎𝑦 2 2𝜎𝑧 2

400 −(500)2 −(−150)2

𝐶= exp �( ) + )�
4 × 3.14 × 320 × 600 2(320)2 2(600)2

C = 4.74×10-5g/m3

C = 47.430µg/m3

References:
1. Biofiltration: An Innovative Air Pollution Control Technology For VOC Emissions.
Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association, 2012. 41(8): p. 1045-1054.

2. USEPA, Control Techniques for Volatile Organic Compound Emissions from Stationary
Sources. 1992. EPA 453.

3. Faisal I. Khan, A.K.G., Removal of Volatile Organic Compounds from polluted air.
Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries, 2000. 13: p. 527–545.

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