Aerosol Particle Impaction on Fiber Arrays in a Flow Stream Using a Lattice Boltzmann Model

Abstract

Transport of aerosol particles is of great interest for theory and applications of fibrous filters. Understanding how to design better filters can help for future implementation in the areas of air cleaning and air conditioning. The aim of this paper is to present a 2-D computational model of particle-laden flows over staggered fibers at a Reynolds number of 100 using a Lattice Boltzmann method. A Lagrangian analysis is used to predict the particle impaction on a multi-fiber filter. After an initial validation of the model, the characteristic of particle impaction on fibers in staggered arrangements is then examined as a function of the particle size from 10 nm–20 μm. Each particle in gas-rich dilute phase is transported under the action of the drag, Saffman lift, gravity and Brownian forces. The number of particles impacting each fiber is locally examined. In addition, we investigate the effect of fiber geometry on the characteristic of particle impaction. These results also highlight the range of particle dimensions where the impaction can be affected by the arrangement of fibers placed in the filter.