I completely forgot how to evaluate scrubber capacity. If I need to remove 98% of the contaminant in the gas, then how do I go about calculating whether or not this scrubber is up to the task? I have all the data, short of packing
From my experience, you cannot use 98% removal efficiency to calculate scrubber capacity.
The amount of removal efficiency required is a function of the type of inlet and outlet nozzle devices selected for application. Having a wire-mesh mist extractor improves to a large extent the scrubber efficiency when copmared to an open outlet nozzle.
PECO (Perry Equipment ...) fabricates scrubbers and their scruber efficiency is proven to achieve 98-99% removal efficiency.
You will need to consult your design books to be guided on how to size a scrubber but the kind of inlet and outlet devices selected determines the removal efficiency and also the scrubber size.
It is not clear whether you are looking for a packed scrubber or something else.
Also, whether you are using phase-separation only (as mucour suggests) or other process, maybe absorption or chemical reaction with absorption.
I have done reasonable work on packed scrubbers with absorption and chemical reaction with absorption as separation method. Maybe I can point out a thing or two.