A Study on the Influence of Different Flue Gas Components on Supersaturated Environment Characteristics in a Multisection Growth Tube
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The manuscript conforms to scientific guidelines and it is technically good. Authors should cite recent publications for the introduction and to give more references.
Check thoroughly once again all table format readings.
A through grammatical check, Space, Commas (,), spelling mistakes must be performed for the entire manuscript.
Author Response
Thank you very much for your great efforts on our manuscript.
Comment 1: The manuscript conforms to scientific guidelines and it is technically good. Authors should cite recent publications for the introduction and to give more references.
Response: Thank you for your valuable advice. As Reviewer considered, we have added the references of recent publications in the introduction.
Comment 2: Check thoroughly once again all table format readings.
Response: Thank you for your valuable advice. As Reviewer considered, we have checked all table format readings carefully.
Comment 3: A through grammatical check, Space, Commas (,), spelling mistakes must be performed for the entire manuscript.
Response: Thank you for your valuable advice. As Reviewer considered, we have checked the grammatical check, Space, Commas (,), spelling mistakes for the entire manuscript and marked in red.
Reviewer 2 Report
What is the purpose of the study conducted on the influence of typical coal-fired flue gas components on the supersaturation characteristics in the multi-section growth tube?
What methods were employed to predict the supersaturation profiles in the growth tube, and how do they differ from each other?
The selected articles cover a diverse range of scientific research topics. Zhang et al. (2022) investigate the reactive transport of plutonium in fractured granite, combining experiments and simulations to understand its behavior in geological environments. Zhao et al. (2022) focus on the fabrication of MgB2 pellets using Mg gas infiltration and examine the properties of the resulting materials. Wang et al. (2022) study aerosol activation characteristics and prediction methods at the ACTRIS research station in Melpitz, Germany, contributing to our understanding of atmospheric processes. Finally, Wang et al. (2021) explore the enhanced adsorption and reduction performance of nitrate using Fe–Pd–Fe3O4 embedded multi-walled carbon nanotubes, aiming to address nitrate pollution. Each article presents valuable insights and contributes to their respective fields of study.
“Plutonium reactive transport in fractured granite: Multi-species experiments and simulations. “ “Mg gas infiltration for the fabrication of MgB2 pellets using nanosized and microsized B powders. Journal of the European Ceramic Society.” “Aerosol activation characteristics and prediction at the central European ACTRIS research station of Melpitz, Germany. “Enhanced adsorption and reduction performance of nitrate by Fe–Pd–Fe3O4 embedded multi-walled carbon nanotubes.”
What were the calculated results regarding the effect of the concentration of CO2, SO2, and RH (Relative humidity) on achieving the supersaturated environment? Were higher concentrations of these components beneficial?
How does the number of sections in the growth tube affect the achievement of the supersaturation profiles? Were there any disadvantages associated with too many sections?
How does the content of gas with lower Le (Le is not defined) affect the number of sections required for achieving the supersaturated environment? Was a higher or lower gas content more favorable for Method 2?
What is the overall importance of selecting an appropriate number of sections in the growth tube for achieving a favorable supersaturated environment?
Add information
“ Toward Concurrent Video Multicast Orchestration for Caching-Assisted Mobile Networks. IEEE transactions on vehicular technology, 70(12), 13205-13220. doi: 10.1109/TVT.2021.3119429” “ A temperature field reconstruction method based on acoustic thermometry. Measurement, 200, 111642. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.measurement.2022.111642”
Author Response
Thank you very much for your great efforts on our manuscript.
Comment 1: What is the purpose of the study conducted on the influence of typical coal-fired flue gas components on the supersaturation characteristics in the multi-section growth tube?
Response: Thank you for your valuable advice. As Reviewer considered, the coal-fired flue gas components and the section number of the growth tube have effects on the supersaturation characteristics. Additionally, the purpose of the study is to obtain the appropriate sections on the conditon of different content of coal-fired flue gas components for the favorable supersaturated environment and the ideal particle growth.
Comment 2: What methods were employed to predict the supersaturation profiles in the growth tube, and how do they differ from each other?
Response: Thank you for your valuable advice. As Reviewer considered, there are two typical methods to ahieve the supersaturated environment. One is that the saturated flow at low temperature meets with hot water (Method 1) and the other is that the saturated flow at high temperature meets with cold water (Method 2). The former is usually utilized in lab-scale research resulting from easy control of operating parameters. The latter is more suitable for industry application because the flue gas emitted from boiler is still at higher temperature, even though after passing through desulfurizing tower.
Comment 3: The selected articles cover a diverse range of scientific research topics. Zhang et al. (2022) investigate the reactive transport of plutonium in fractured granite, combining experiments and simulations to understand its behavior in geological environments. Zhao et al. (2022) focus on the fabrication of MgB2 pellets using Mg gas infiltration and examine the properties of the resulting materials. Wang et al. (2022) study aerosol activation characteristics and prediction methods at the ACTRIS research station in Melpitz, Germany, contributing to our understanding of atmospheric processes. Finally, Wang et al. (2021) explore the enhanced adsorption and reduction performance of nitrate using Fe–Pd–Fe3O4 embedded multi-walled carbon nanotubes, aiming to address nitrate pollution. Each article presents valuable insights and contributes to their respective fields of study.
Response: Thank you for your valuable advice. As Reviewer considered, each article mentioned presents valuable insights and contributes to their respective fields of study. We are so sorry that some of that are not closely relevant with our research work. Our research mainly focuses on the characteristics of the supersaturated environment for fine particle growth by heterogeneous condensation as a pretreating method for the control of the coal-fired fine particle emission. And we have cited the Wang et al. (2022) as the Ref[13] in the revised manuscript.
Comment 4: “Plutonium reactive transport in fractured granite: Multi-species experiments and simulations. “ “Mg gas infiltration for the fabrication of MgB2 pellets using nanosized and microsized B powders. Journal of the European Ceramic Society.” “Aerosol activation characteristics and prediction at the central European ACTRIS research station of Melpitz, Germany. “Enhanced adsorption and reduction performance of nitrate by Fe–Pd–Fe3O4 embedded multi-walled carbon nanotubes.”.
Response: Thank you for your valuable advice. As Reviewer considered, each article mentioned presents valuable insights and contributes to their respective fields of study. We are so sorry that some of that are not closely relevant with our research work. Our research mainly focuses on the characteristics of the supersaturated environment for fine particle growth by heterogeneous condensation as a pretreating method for the control of the coal-fired fine particle emission. And we have cited the “Aerosol activation characteristics and prediction at the central European ACTRIS research station of Melpitz, Germany” as the Ref[13] in the revised manuscript.
Comment 5: What were the calculated results regarding the effect of the concentration of CO2, SO2, and RH (Relative humidity) on achieving the supersaturated environment? Were higher concentrations of these components beneficial?
Response: Thank you for your valuable advice. As Reviewer considered, the improvement of CO2, SO2, and RH (Relative humidity) content has advantage of achieving supersaturated environment by the method of heating the gas flow. Nevertheless, it has slightly negative effect on achieving the supersaturated environment by cooling the gas flow when the CO2, SO2, and RH (Relative humidity) content promoted.
Comment 6: How does the number of sections in the growth tube affect the achievement of the supersaturation profiles? Were there any disadvantages associated with too many sections?
Response: Thank you for your valuable advice. It can be seen that the number of sections have effects on the supersaturated environment associated with the supersaturation achieving methods, the length of the growth tube, type of carrier gas and so on. In short, the overall level of the supersaturated environment would be decreased for too many sections. Additioanlly, the device for the supersaturation achievement is complex on the conditon of too many sections.
Comment 7: How does the content of gas with lower Le (Le is not defined) affect the number of sections required for achieving the supersaturated environment? Was a higher or lower gas content more favorable for Method 2?
Response: Thank you for your valuable advice. As Reviewer considered, the value of Lewis number (Le) is the ratio of thermal diffusivity coefficient to mass diffusivity coefficient. It indicates that they have relatively slower heat transfer and faster water vapor diffusion for lower Le. As a result, the more content of gas with lower Le is beneficial to achieve the supersaturated environment for Method 1. And the number of sections required for achieving the supersaturated environment is less for Method 1. The lower gas content (Le<1) is more favorable for Method 2.
Comment 8: What is the overall importance of selecting an appropriate number of sections in the growth tube for achieving a favorable supersaturated environment?
Response: Thank you for your valuable advice. As Reviewer considered, according to the equation given by classical nucleation theory, the growth of fine particles is exponentially related to the degree of supersaturation. Therefore, for an efficient growth of fine particles, it is necessary to achieve a suitable supersaturated environment in the growth chamber. And the appropriate number of sections is a significant method for the favorable supersaturated environment.
Comment 9: Add information “Toward Concurrent Video Multicast Orchestration for Caching-Assisted Mobile Networks. IEEE transactions on vehicular technology, 70(12), 13205-13220. doi: 10.1109/TVT.2021.3119429” “ A temperature field reconstruction method based on acoustic thermometry. Measurement, 200, 111642. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.measurement.2022.111642”
Response: Thank you for your valuable advice. As Reviewer considered, each article mentioned presents valuable insights and contributes to their respective fields of study. We are so sorry that the first research work is not closely relevant with our research work. And we have cited the second paper as the Ref[30] in the revised manuscript.
Reviewer 3 Report
Review: Study on the influence of different flue gas components on supersaturated environment characteristics in multi-section growth tube
In this study, the effect of SO2 and CO2 concentrations on the supersaturation characteristics of a multi-section growth tube was studied to reduce the amount of particulate pollutants produced by coal combustion.
In the introduction, it was described that some supersaturated environments affect the growth of particulates and are affected by the carrier gas, but detailed explanations on other studies are lacking. The results of other papers and more detailed reviews are needed.
In the method, the structure of the growth tube of the two sections was changed and the effect of CO2, SO2, and humidity was confirmed by temperature. A review of the validity of the method is needed.
The results describe the effects on CO2, SO2 and humidity of achieving a supersaturated environment for both methods.
Here, a discussion part is needed to substantiate the validity of the results for the two methods. In addition, it is necessary to compare the result with the results of other papers to confirm whether it represents reasonable values.
The conclusion part mentions only the results of a simple experiment, so it is more additional and requires mention of where the results of the experiment can be applied.
Author Response
Thank you very much for your great efforts on our manuscript.
Comment 1: In the introduction, it was described that some supersaturated environments affect the growth of particulates and are affected by the carrier gas, but detailed explanations on other studies are lacking. The results of other papers and more detailed reviews are needed.
Response: Thank you for your valuable advice. As Reviewer considered, we have added the detailed explanations on other studies, the results of other papers and more detailed reviews in the introduction marked in red.
Comment 2: In the method, the structure of the growth tube of the two sections was changed and the effect of CO2, SO2, and humidity was confirmed by temperature. A review of the validity of the method is needed.
Response: Thank you for your valuable advice. As Reviewer considered, the verified experiments on the effect of CO2 in the two-section growth tube (TGT) have been conducted. And the corresponding conclusion is presented in the reference [1]. The Lewis numbers (Le) of CO2, SO2 and humidity are 0.49, 0.34 and 0.73 at 298K, respectively. Hence, the characteristic of thermal and mass transfer is closely similar between CO2 and SO2. And then, the similar conclusion would be obtained in the experiments. The Lewis numbers (Le) of CO2, SO2 and humidity are less than one. The similar tendency of humidity would be presented compared with CO2. According to the previous simulated results, on the condition of humidity lower level of supersaturaion could be obtained from Method 1 but higher level of supersaturaion could be obtained from Method 2 compared with CO2. Further experimental work would be conducted on the effect of humidity.
[1] Yu Y, Xu C, Zhang J, et al. Effects of coal-fired flue gas composition on condensational growth by water vapor for fine SiO2 particles [J]. Process Safety and Environmental Protection. 2022, 158: 34-41.
Comment 3: The results describe the effects on CO2, SO2 and humidity of achieving a supersaturated environment for both methods. Here, a discussion part is needed to substantiate the validity of the results for the two methods. In addition, it is necessary to compare the result with the results of other papers to confirm whether it represents reasonable values.
Response: Thank you for your valuable advice. As Reviewer considered, the validity of the results for the two methods have been added in the manuscript in section of 2.2 marked in red. Additionally, results in our research work compared with the results of other papers have been presented in section of 3.1 marked in red.
Comment 4: The conclusion part mentions only the results of a simple experiment, so it is more additional and requires mention of where the results of the experiment can be applied.
Response: Thank you for your valuable advice. As Reviewer considered, the more additional conclusion and the application of the experimental results have been added in Conclusion marked in red.
Reviewer 4 Report
Based on the provided excerpt from the paper "Study on the influence of different flue gas components on supersaturated environment characteristics in multi-section growth tube," here is a brief review and my constructive feedback:
Review: The paper investigates the influence of various flue gas components on the supersaturation characteristics in a multi-section growth tube. It utilizes a two-dimensional heat and mass transfer model to predict the supersaturation profiles achieved through different methods. The study focuses on the effects of CO2, SO2, and relative humidity (RH) on achieving a supersaturated environment. The results indicate that increasing the concentration of CO2 and RH is beneficial for achieving supersaturation, while higher levels of SO2 have a negative impact. The number of sections in the growth tube also affects the supersaturation profiles, with an optimal section number depending on the gas composition. Below is a summary of my comments:
- Clarify the research objective: The paper could benefit from a clearer statement of the research objective and its significance in addressing the issue of fine particulate matter pollution from coal-fired sources.
- Provide more details on governing numerical equations and BCs etc. Just using a ref (18) is not enough, authors need to expand section 2.3, and your work should be an independent work, what if someone can’t get hold of ref 18?
- At least one graph should be provided for experimental/theoretical verification of your numerical model for the existing geometry and model parameters
- Discuss the limitations and implications: The paper should address the limitations of the study, such as the specific range of flue gas compositions considered and the potential impact of other factors. Additionally, it would be valuable to discuss the practical implications of the findings and how they can contribute to the development of effective particle removal processes.
- Improve clarity and organization: The paper would benefit from clearer section headings and a more structured organization to enhance readability and understanding.
good
Author Response
Thank you very much for your great efforts on our manuscript.
Comment 1: Clarify the research objective: The paper could benefit from a clearer statement of the research objective and its significance in addressing the issue of fine particulate matter pollution from coal-fired sources.
Response: Thank you for your valuable advice. As Reviewer considered, we have added the research objective and its significance in Introduction marked in red.
Comment 2: Provide more details on governing numerical equations and BCs etc. Just using a ref (18) is not enough, authors need to expand section 2.3, and your work should be an independent work, what if someone can’t get hold of ref 18?
Response: Thank you for your valuable advice. As Reviewer considered, the section 2.3 have been expanded. Meanwhile, the more details and necessary governing numerical equations have been provided in the manuscript in section of 2.3.
Comment 3: At least one graph should be provided for experimental/theoretical verification of your numerical model for the existing geometry and model parameters.
Response: Thank you for your valuable advice. As Reviewer considered, the graph for experimental/theoretical verification of the numerical model for the existing geometry and model parameters have been provided in section of 2.3.
Comment 4: Discuss the limitations and implications: The paper should address the limitations of the study, such as the specific range of flue gas compositions considered and the potential impact of other factors. Additionally, it would be valuable to discuss the practical implications of the findings and how they can contribute to the development of effective particle removal processes.
Response: Thank you for your valuable advice. As Reviewer considered, the specific range of flue gas compositions considered and the potential impact of other factors have been discussed in section of 2.3 marked in red. And the practical implications of the findings contribute to the development of effective particle removal process have also been added in Conclusion marked in red.
Comment 5: Improve clarity and organization: The paper would benefit from clearer section headings and a more structured organization to enhance readability and understanding.
Response: Thank you for your valuable advice. As Reviewer considered, we have improved the section headings and a more structured organization marked in red.
Round 2
Reviewer 2 Report
Accept
Reviewer 3 Report
Review: Study on the influence of different flue gas components on supersaturated environment characteristics in multi-section growth tube
The author implemented revisions to all points pointed out by reviewers.
Therefore, this paper can be published in the atmosphere journal after going through English and reference editing.
