Abstract

Purpose: This study proposes a compact, modular wet air-cleaning concept for industrial indoor air recirculation where intermittent PM2.5 emissions and localized CO2 buildup challenge ventilation-only control in space- and energy-constrained facilities today. Research design & data: The work is positioned at a pre-validation, conceptual-design stage and decomposes the system into air path, liquid handling, and operation/control. A three-stage P/M/F (Pre/Mid/Final) architecture couples cyclone-driven vortex flow structuring with impaction-based wet collection and retains an absorption-ready gas–liquid contact pathway. Embossed plate internals are defined as tunable elements to promote secondary vortices, wetting/contact opportunities, wash-down, and drainage. A fixed design basis (Q = 4,000 m³/h) is specified for fair stage-to-stage CFD comparison. Research results: A verification roadmap is defined from controlled chamber testing to field demonstration, emphasizing repeatability and then robustness under temporal variability. Stage-wise evaluation uses integral flow-structure and operability metrics: pressure drop, recirculation volume fraction, swirl indicators, RTD-based mean residence time, drainage stability, carryover control, and uptime-related failure modes. Field trials also document energy use, noise, deposit locations, nozzle condition, and component durability. Conclusion: Rather than claiming quantified removal performance, the paper provides an implementable architecture and a traceable pathway linking conceptual design to CFD refinement, staged validation, and eventual standardization.