Processes and methods using chlorine dioxide to remove NOx and SOx from marine exhaust

A pretreatment method or process for removing SOx molecules from marine vessel exhaust or flue gas, includes:

• providing a reaction chamber, comprising an interior area, a gas inlet at or near a first end of the chamber, and a gas outlet at or near a second end of the chamber;
• providing a water supply line that supplies a liquid;
• providing an exhaust or flue gas supply line that supplies an exhaust gas or a flue gas, wherein the line is coupled with the inlet of the reaction chamber;
• providing a gas atomization nozzle array that is coupled to the water supply line and the reaction chamber, wherein the nozzle array sprays a blanket layer of small liquid droplets, wherein each droplet comprises a diameter, that create a high surface area of liquid across the interior surface of the reaction chamber;
• providing a pH sensor coupled to the water supply line;
• providing at least one chemical metering pump coupled to the pH sensor and the water supply line, wherein the pump can provide an alkaline material into the water supply line to adjust the pH of the water before it is sprayed into the reaction chamber;
• and
• providing a drain coupled to the reaction chamber that removes liquid that accumulates in the reaction chamber, wherein the system or apparatus removes at least some of the SOx molecule from the exhaust gas by converting it to sulfate ions.

A pretreatment system or apparatus for removing SOx molecules from marine vessel exhaust or flue gas, is disclosed that includes:

• a reaction chamber, comprising an interior area, a gas inlet at or near a first end of the chamber, and a gas outlet at or near a second end of the chamber;
• a seawater supply line that supplies seawater;
• an exhaust or flue gas supply line that supplies an exhaust gas or a flue gas, wherein the line is coupled with the inlet of the reaction chamber;
• a gas atomization nozzle array that is coupled to the seawater supply line and the reaction chamber, wherein the nozzle array sprays a blanket layer of small liquid droplets, wherein each droplet comprises a diameter, that create a high surface area of seawater across the interior surface of the reaction chamber;
• a pH sensor coupled to the seawater supply line;
• at least one chemical metering pump coupled to the pH sensor and the seawater supply line, wherein the pump can provide an alkaline material into the seawater supply line to adjust the pH of the seawater before it is sprayed into the reaction chamber;
• and
• a drain coupled to the reaction chamber that removes liquid that accumulates in the reaction chamber, wherein the system or apparatus removes at least some of the SOx molecules from the exhaust gas or the flue gas by converting it to sulfate ions.