Removal of ammonia from wastewater by air stripping process in laboratory and pilot scales using a rotating packed bed at ambient temperature

• A continuous-flow rotating packed bed (RPB) was assessed for ammonia stripping.
• The RPB provides the advantages of small size and short retention time for ammonia stripping.
• The air and liquid flow rate play key roles in mass transfer and stripping efficiencies of RPB.
• The continuous-flow RPB is a viable alternative stripping process for ammonia rich wastewater.

In this study, a continuous-flow rotating packed bed (RPB), functioning as an efficient gas–liquid contactor, was employed for the ammonia stripping from wastewater in laboratory-scale and pilot-scale systems at ambient temperature. The effects of major operating variables, such as rotational speed (ω), liquid flow rate (QL), and gas flow rate (QG) on the volumetric liquid mass-transfer coefficient (KLa) and stripping efficiency (η) were elucidated. The results show that the KLa values demonstrate the greatest increase with increasing gas flow rate (QG), followed by liquid flow rate (QL) and rotating speed (ω). Although changes in KLa would be expected to directly reflect in the η values, the increased QL results in considerable compensation effects leading to the decreased η, predominantly due to the decreased liquid hydraulic retention time. The dimensionless models used in this study describe the relationships of KLa and η with the major parameters for ammonia stripping in the RPB, and demonstrate good agreement with the experimental data. Moreover, in the continuous-flow pilot-scale RPB, an η of 95% was achieved at 4.6 min. while KLa values of approximately 0.017–0.027 1/s and height transfer unit (HTU) values of 2.2–4.8 cm were obtained at a QL of 5 L/min, QG of 1,500 L/min, and ω of 480–1000 rpm, suggesting that the RPB is a viable alternative technology for stripping large loadings of ammonia from wastewater.

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