Scrubber for washing exhaust fumes generated by internal combustion engines

A scrubber for cleaning exhaust fumes generated by internal combustion engines, in particular for reducing the concentration of the sulfur oxides SOx in exhaust fumes generated by the combustion of sulfur content fuels, said scrubber comprising:

• a main hollow tubular body defining a longitudinal axis, and having an inlet and an outlet for introducing and discharging said fumes into and from said main hollow tubular body, respectively, and
• inlet means for introducing at least partially atomized pressurized water into said main hollow body, wherein said inlet means comprises:
• a plurality of nozzles arranged in said main hollow body and each adapted to dispense said at least partially atomized pressurized water, wherein said plurality of nozzles comprises:
• a first sub-plurality of nozzles in fluid communication with a first main branch within said main hollow body, each of said first sub-plurality of nozzles having a dispensing orifice lying on a first plane perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and adapted to dispense said at least partially atomized pressurized water in counter-flow with respect to the flow of said fumes in said main hollow body from said inlet towards said outlet,
• a second sub-plurality of nozzles upstream of said first sub-plurality of nozzles and in fluid communication with a second main branch within said main hollow body, each of said second sub-plurality of nozzles having a dispensing orifice lying on a second plane perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and adapted to dispense said at least partially atomized pressurized water in counter-flow with respect to the flow of said at least partially atomized pressurized water dispensed by said first sub-plurality of nozzles, said dispensing orifices of said first and second sub-pluralities of nozzles being arranged on respective ones of said first and second planes such that at least a portion of said at least partially atomized pressurized water dispensed from respective pairs of said first and second sub-pluralities of nozzles collides,
• a third sub-plurality of nozzles downstream of said first sub-plurality of nozzles and in fluid communication with a third main branch within said main hollow body, each of said third sub-plurality of nozzles having a dispensing orifice lying on a third plane perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and adapted to dispense said at least partially atomized pressurized water in counter-flow with respect to the flow of said fumes in said main hollow body from said inlet towards said outlet,
• a fourth sub-plurality of nozzles upstream of said third sub-plurality of nozzles, downstream of said first sub-plurality of nozzles and in fluid communication with said first main branch, each having a dispensing orifice lying on a fourth plane perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and adapted to dispense said at least partially atomized pressurized water in counter-flow with respect to the flow of said at least partially atomized pressurized water dispensed by said third sub-plurality of nozzles, said dispensing orifices of said third and fourth sub-pluralities of nozzles being arranged on respective ones of said third and fourth planes such that at least a portion of said at least partially atomized pressurized water dispensed from respective pairs of said third and fourth sub-pluralities of nozzles collides, and
• a tubular manifold disposed within said main hollow tubular body along said longitudinal axis and placing at least said first and second main branches into fluid communication with each other;
• wherein said first plane is arranged adjacent to said second plane at a first distance from said second plane of 800 mm, and said third plane is arranged adjacent to said fourth plane at a second distance from said fourth plane of 500 mm.