Abstract
New analytical technologies for measuring trace atmospheric pollutants are being introduced every year in the search for easier pollutant quantification. One example, already applied in some European countries, is the Micro-Chamber/Thermal Extractor (??-CTE250), also known as the “Micro-chamber”, a compact emission-analysis system whose main advantages are the small sample volume required, the low carrier-gas flow rate, and the rapid results. However, these emerging technologies still lack thorough validation and standardized operating protocols.
The present study proposes the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations to characterize the internal flow and mass-transfer mechanisms, as well as to quantify local and global mass-transfer coefficients of hydrogen sulfide ( ?? 2 ??) inside the device. A three-dimensional model of a single stainless-steel slot chamber (57 mm diameter, 14 mm height, 15 mL liquid) was built in ANSYS Fluent. The carrier gas ( ?? 2 , 50 mL min -1 ) yields a Reynolds number of 22.8; therefore, the flow was solved as laminar and incompressible. Model outputs will be validated against independent decay experiments conducted at 21 and 30 °C. The resulting CFD framework will support future calibration of micro-chambers, guide protocol development, and improve emission-factor estimates for quiescent wastewater sources.
