Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/90107

Title

Modified ammonia removal model based on equilibrium and mass transfer principles

Author(s)

Shanableh, A.;  Imteaz, M.

Abstract

Yoon et al. presented an approximate mathmatical model to describe ammonia removal from an experimental batch reactor system with gaseous headspace. The development of the model was initially based on assuming instantaneous equilibrium between ammonia in the aqueous and gas phases. In the model, a 'saturation factor, β' was defined as a constant and used to check whether the equilibrium assumption was appropriate. The authors used the trends established by the estimated β values to conclude that the equilibrium assumption was not valid. The authors presented valuable experimental results obtained using a carefully designed system and the model used to analyze the results accounted for the following effects: speciation of ammonia between NH3 and 4 NH4+ as a function of pH; temperature dependence of the reactions constants; and air flow rate. In this article, an alternative model based on the exact solution of the governing mass-balance differential equations was developed and used to describe ammonia removal without relying on the use of the saturation factor. The modified model was also extended to mathematically describe the pH dependence of the ammonia removal rate, in addition to accounting for the speciation of ammonia, temperature dependence of reactions constants, and air flow rate. The modified model was used to extend the analysis of the original experimental data presented by Yoon et al. and the results matched the theory in an excellent manner.

Publication type

Journal article

Research centre

Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences

Source

Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society, Vol. 31, no. 7 (Jul 2010), pp. 1920-1926

Publication year

2010

FOR Code(s)

03 Chemical Sciences;  0905 Civil Engineering

Keyword(s)

Ammonia removal;  Mass transfer rate;  Mathematical models;  pH effect

Publisher

Korean Chemical Society

ISSN

0253-2964

Publisher URL

http://newjournal.kcsnet.or.kr/

Copyright

Copyright © 2010.

Peer reviewed