Particle sizing experiments with the laser Doppler velocimeter: Final report

Abstract

Measurement techniques for in-situ simultaneous measurements of particle size distributions and particle velocities using the dual beam laser Doppler velocimeter (LV) were analytically and experimentally investigated. This investigation examined the different signal characteristics of the LV for determination of particle size and particle velocity, simultaneously. The different size related signal components were evaluated not only singularly but also as simultaneous measurements to determine which characteristic, or combination of characteristics, provided the best measure of particle size. The evaluation concentrated on the 0.5 to 5 ..mu..m particle size range, in which the LV light scattering characteristics are complex often non-monotonic functions of the particle size as well as functions of index of refraction, the laser light wavelength, laser intensity and polarization, and the location and response characteristics of the detector. Different components of the LV signal were considered, but analysis concentrated on Doppler phase, visibility and scatter-intensity because they show the greatest promise. These signals characteristics were initially defined analytically for numerous optical configurations over the 0.5 to 5 ..mu..m diameter range with 0.1 ..mu..m segmentation, for refractive index values from 1.0 to 3.0 with absorptive (imaginary) components varied form 0 to 1.0. Collector orientation and effective f/No., as well as fringe spacing, beam polarization and wavelength, were varied in this analytical evaluation. 18 refs., 42 figs., 5 tabs.