Numerical Model of SO₂ Scrubbing with Seawater Applied to Marine Engines

The present paper proposes a CFD model to study sulphur dioxide (SO₂) absorption in seawater. The focus is on the treatment of marine diesel engine exhaust gas. Both seawater and distilled water were compared to analyze the effect of seawater alkalinity. The results indicate that seawater is more appropriate than distilled water due to its alkalinity, obtaining almost 100% cleaning efficiency for the conditions analyzed. This SO₂ reduction meets the limits of SO_x emission control areas (SECA) when operating on heavy fuel oil. These numerical simulations were satisfactory validated with experimental tests. Such data are essential in designing seawater scrubbers and judging the operating cost of seawater scrubbing compared to alternative fuels.