Dust Particle Size Research Articles

Laser Attenuation and Ranging Correction in the Coal Dust Environment Based on Mie Theory and Phase Ranging Principle

The inadequate ventilation and complex environments in underground coal mines lead to a high concentration of dust particles. As a result, the health of the miners and the accuracy of laser rangefinder measurements are endangered. It is crucial to enhance the laser rangefinder’s efficiency to mitigate health risks and reduce labor intensity. In this study, we propose a laser power attenuation model and a ranging correction model to address the issues of laser power attenuation and inaccurate ranging in coal dust environments. The proposed models are based on theoretical analysis and practical experiments, and both are dependent on the dust particle size (<250 μm) and mass concentration. Firstly, we assessed the factors that caused laser power attenuation and demonstrated that our proposed model could accurately predict them (maximum residual of 0.06). Secondly, we obtained the connection between the attenuation coefficient and dust concentration by applying the Lambert–Beer law. Lastly, we established the ranging correction model by collecting laser wavelength information. The outcomes show that the root mean square error of the corrected values ranges between 0.27 and 0.47 mm. To summarize, our suggested model and correction technique can efficiently enhance the precision of laser rangefinder measurements, thus improving underground work in coal mines.

A comprehensive approach to quantify the source identification and human health risk assessment of toxic elements in park dust.

In this research, enrichment factor (EF) and pollution load index were utilized to explore the contamination characteristics of toxic elements (TEs) in park dust. The results exhibited that park dust in the study area was mainly moderately polluted, and the EF values of dust Cd, Zn, Pb, Cu and Sb were all > 1. The concentrations of Cr, Cu, Zn and Pb increased with the decrease of dust particle size. The investigation results of chemical speciation and bioavailability of TEs showed that Zn had the highest bioavailability. Three sources of TEs were determined by positive matrix factorization model, Pearson correlation analysis and geostatistical analysis, comprising factor 1 mixed sources of industrial and transportation activities (46.62%), factor 2 natural source (25.56%) and factor 3 mixed source of agricultural activities and the aging of park infrastructures (27.82%). Potential ecological risk (PER) and human health risk (HHR) models based on source apportionment were exploited to estimate PER and HHR of TEs from different sources. The mean PER value of TEs in the park dust was 114, indicating that ecological risk in the study area was relatively high. Factor 1 contributed the most to PER, and the pollution of Cd was the most serious. There were no significant carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks for children and adults in the study area. And factor 3 was the biggest source of non-carcinogenic risk, and As, Cr and Pb were the chief contributor to non-carcinogenic risk. The primary source of carcinogenic risk was factor 2, and Cr was the cardinal cancer risk element.

Impact of turbulence intensity and fragmentation velocity on dust particle size evolution and non-ideal magnetohydrodynamics effects

ABSTRACT We investigate the influence of dust particle size evolution on non-ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects during the collapsing phase of star-forming cores, taking both the turbulence intensity in the collapsing cloud core and the fragmentation velocity of dust particles as parameters. When the turbulence intensity is small, the dust particles do not grow significantly, and the non-ideal MHD effects work efficiently in high-density regions. The dust particles rapidly grow in a strongly turbulent environment, while the efficiency of non-ideal MHD effects in such an environment depends on the fragmentation velocity of the dust particles. When the fragmentation velocity is small, turbulence promotes coagulation growth and collisional fragmentation of dust particles, producing small dust particles. In this case, the adsorption of charged particles on the dust particle surfaces becomes efficient and the abundance of charged particles decreases, making non-ideal MHD effects effective at high densities. On the other hand, when the fragmentation velocity is high, dust particles are less likely to fragment, even if the turbulence is strong. In this case, the production of small dust particles becomes inefficient and non-ideal MHD effects become less effective. We also investigate the effect of the dust composition on the star and disc formation processes. We constrain the turbulence intensity of a collapsing core and the fragmentation velocity of dust for circumstellar disc formation due to the dissipation of the magnetic field.

Experimental investigation of a monitoring model for dust deposition on solar photovoltaic modules

ABSTRACT Accurately evaluating dust deposition characteristics on photovoltaic modules is vital for improving power generation prediction and formulating cleaning cycles. This study analyzed the composition and size characteristics of dust collected from a solar photovoltaic power station in the Kubuqi Desert. Relationships were established among dust density, solar cell output parameters, actual radiation intensity, and spectral transmittance through experiments. Based on this, a monitoring model for dust deposition on PV modules was proposed and validated in the laboratory. Results showed that the composition and particle size of dust deposited on PV modules did not significantly differ across various areas of the station.Under the same dust deposited density, spectral transmittance exponentially decayed with increased dust density, with shorter wavelengths being more affected. Operating current loss accurately reflected dust deposition compared to other output parameters. The proposed monitoring model achieved 94% accuracy in reflecting the degree of dust deposition. This study provides theoretical support for intelligent operation schemes of solar PV power generation stations.

Construction of an occupational-dust hazard testing platform: An experimental study on the deposition mechanisms

This study aimed to understand the influence of dust concentrations and environmental exposure on the mechanism of dust deposition in the human body following inhalation. Using a self-developed occupational dust hazard testing platform, the particle size and mass of dust in the environment and the dust inhaled by a bionic throat were measured under different conditions. The experimental results showed that an increase in dust concentration in the experimental area resulted in an increase in the size of the dust particles, particularly the absolute value of small-sized dust particles. The range of variation of the particle size of dust inhaled by the bionic throat was less than 25%, and the mass of dust inhaled exhibited a positive linear trend. When the dust concentration was fixed, an increase in the dust exposure time resulted in a gradual decrease in the dust particle size. When the dust exposure time reached 60 s, the particle size of the dust inhaled by the bionic throat remained constant, and the mass of the dust inhaled exhibited an increasing linear trend. With an increase in altitude, the dust concentrations in the experimental area gradually increased, whereas the dust particle size gradually decreased. The mass of dust inhaled by the bionic throat was represented by a quadratic power function. The results provide effective theoretical support for the prevention and control of dust originating from coal mines.

Debris disk color with the Hubble Space Telescope

Context. Multiwavelength scattered light imaging of debris disks may inform dust properties including typical size and mineral composition. Existing studies have investigated a small set of individual systems across a variety of imaging instruments and filters, calling for uniform comparison studies to systematically investigate dust properties. Aims. We obtain the surface brightness of dust particles in debris disks by post-processing coronagraphic imaging observations, and compare the multiwavelength reflectance of dust. For a sample of resolved debris disks, we perform a systematic analysis on the reflectance properties of their birth rings. Methods. We reduced the visible and near-infrared images of 23 debris disk systems hosted by A through M stars using two coron-agraphs on board the Hubble Space Telescope: the STIS instrument observations centered at 0.58 µm, and the NICMOS instrument at 1.12 µm or 1.60 µm. For proper recovery of debris disks, we used classical reference differential imaging for STIS, and adopted non-negative matrix factorization with forward modeling for NICMOS. By dividing disk signals by stellar signals to take into account intrinsic stellar color effects, we systematically obtained and compared the reflectance of debris birth rings at ≈90º scattering angle. Results. Debris birth rings typically exhibit a blue color at ≈90º scattering angle. As the stellar luminosity increases, the color tends to be more neutral. A likely L-shaped color–albedo distribution indicates a clustering of scatterer properties. Conclusions. The observed color trend correlates with the expected blow-out size of dust particles. The color-albedo clustering likely suggests different populations of dust in these systems. More detailed radiative transfer models with realistic dust morphology will contribute to explaining the observed color and color–albedo distribution of debris systems.

Insights into the single-particle composition, size, mixing state, and aspect ratio of freshly emitted mineral dust from field measurements in the Moroccan Sahara using electron microscopy

Abstract. The chemical and morphological properties of mineral dust aerosols emitted by wind erosion from arid and semi-arid regions influence climate, ocean, and land ecosystems; air quality; and multiple socio-economic sectors. However, there is an incomplete understanding of the emitted dust particle size distribution (PSD) in terms of its constituent minerals that typically result from the fragmentation of soil aggregates during wind erosion. The emitted dust PSD affects the duration of particle transport and thus each mineral's global distribution, along with its specific effect upon climate. This lack of understanding is largely due to the scarcity of relevant in situ measurements in dust sources. To advance our understanding of the physicochemical properties of the emitted dust PSD, we present insights into the elemental composition and morphology of individual dust particles collected during the FRontiers in dust minerAloGical coMposition and its Effects upoN climaTe (FRAGMENT) field campaign in the Moroccan Sahara in September 2019. We analyzed more than 300 000 freshly emitted individual particles by performing offline analysis in the laboratory using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX). Eight major particle-type classes were identified with clay minerals making up the majority of the analyzed particles both by number and mass, followed by quartz, whereas carbonates and feldspar contributed to a lesser extent. We provide an exhaustive analysis of the PSD and potential mixing state of different particle types, focusing largely on iron-rich (Fe oxide-hydroxides) and feldspar particles, which are key to the effects of dust upon radiation and clouds, respectively. Nearly pure or externally mixed Fe oxide-hydroxides are present mostly in diameters smaller than 2 µm, with the highest fraction below 1 µm at about 3.75 % abundance by mass. Fe oxide-hydroxides tend to be increasingly internally mixed with other minerals, especially clays, as particle size increases; i.e., the volume fraction of Fe oxide-hydroxides in aggregates decreases with particle size. Pure (externally mixed) feldspar represented 3.2 % of all the particles by mass, of which we estimated about a 10th to be K-feldspar. The externally mixed total feldspar and K-feldspar abundances are relatively invariant with particle size, in contrast to the increasing abundance of feldspar-like (internally mixed) aggregates with particle size with mass fractions ranging from 5 % to 18 %. We also found that overall the median aspect ratio is rather constant across particle size and mineral groups, although we obtain slightly higher aspect ratios for internally mixed particles. The detailed information on the composition of freshly emitted individual dust particles and quantitative analysis of their mixing state presented here can be used to constrain climate models including mineral species in their representation of the dust cycle.

Evolution of mixing length empirical equation for recouping of heat from industrial waste flue gases using air‐quarry dust/iron ore

AbstractIndustry processes require large amounts of energy inputs and often generate high temperatures exit gases that can potentially serve as secondary sources of energy. Waste heat recovery offers an opportunity for energy conservation that deserves more attention in the current global effort. Recovery of such waste heat can result in substantial reductions in net energy demand. Based on these objectives, this report describes the result of an experimental study that used solid particles in a vertical riser to recover gas energy from hot air through co‐current contact with solid particles. To study the hydrodynamic aspects of the riser section, this study utilized a fabricated experimental apparatus similar to the vertical duct used in the cement industry. The purpose of this study is to collect hydrodynamic data because there is limited information available about these aspects in the literature. A metallic fluid particle heat exchanger has been investigated through experiments. Various sizes of quarry dust and iron ore particles are studied in the present study. An empirical correlation is used to fit the mixing length (LA) determined at different parametric levels (gas velocity, particle size, solid feed rate, and solid density). Experimental correspondence for mixing length or LA is given as . The constructed experimental setup demonstrates a suspension preheater (SP) used in modern cement plants, but the correlation can be extended to a variety of other industries where waste heat recovery is feasible.

Comparative analysis of the explosion characteristics of magnesium dust and magnesium-aluminium alloy dust with two concentrations

ABSTRACT Magnesium (Mg) dust and magnesium–aluminum (Mg–Al) alloy dust are commonly produced and form a dust cloud in industrial manufacturing processes, which considerably increases explosion risk. This study examined three metal dusts: Mg, 48 mass% Mg–Al alloy, and 91 mass% Mg–Al alloy. A 20-L spherical explosion device was used to investigate the effect of different Mg concentrations. The results revealed that for all the samples, the explosion pressure (P ex) first increased and then decreased for a dust cloud concentration of 100–1000 g/m3. With the increase of dust particle size, the P ex of samples decreased. With the increase of ignition delay time, the P ex of samples first increased and then decreased, reaching the peak at 60 ms. Under identical conditions, when Mg concentration increased, the alloys became less stable. Thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry findings revealed that the oxidation process of samples could be divided into three stages. The initial oxidation temperature of the alloys was lower than that of the pure Mg; however, in its primary oxidation stage, the mass gain rate of the Mg dust was more rapid than that of the Mg–Al alloys. In the oxidation of the alloys, elemental Mg reacted with oxygen first.

Profiling Particles of Sahara Dust Settled on the Ground by a Simplified Dynamic Light Scattering Procedure and Sedimentation.

Dust particles exist in the form of mineral aerosols and play a significant role in climate change patterns, while also having the potential to affect human health. The size of these particles is crucial, as it determines the atmosphere's albedo. In the past few years, a Saharan dust cloud has moved and arrived above Romania during spring, followed by rain containing the dust particles, which are deposited on various objects. We collected these particles in an aqueous suspension and employed natural sedimentation to separate them by density. We then conducted a dynamic light scattering (DLS) experiment to analyze their size. Our DLS setup was straightforward, and the time series analysis involved evaluating the frequency spectrum of the scattered light intensity-also known as the power spectrum-filtering it, and fitting the expected Lorentzian line to it to determine the parameters and the average diameter of the suspended particles. We found that the dust particles had a continuous distribution, with the biggest particles having a diameter around 1100 nm. The results obtained from the combination of sedimentation and DLS are consistent with reports on the size of Saharan dust particles in other regions of Europe.

Study on the Absorption Properties of Terahertz Circularly Polarized Wave in FPL Model Fully Ionized Dusty Plasma

In this article, Boltzmann’s general plasma kinetics and the Fokker–Planck–Landau (FPL) collision model of dusty plasma are used to obtain the expression of the dielectric coefficient of dusty plasma under the influence of an external magnetic field and the collision condition of the fully ionized FPL model. The charging effect of dusty plasma is fully considered. The absorption characteristics of circularly polarized waves in the terahertz band under different plasma parameters are calculated and analyzed by using the transfer matrix method. Results show that the intensity of the external magnetic field, the size and concentration of dust particles, the effective collision frequency and thickness of dusty plasma, the incidence angle of the electromagnetic waves, and the electron temperature greatly influence the absorption characteristics of circularly polarized electromagnetic waves. The propagation characteristics of circularly polarized waves caused by different external magnetic fields are evaluated. An absorption band is formed near the cyclotron frequency when the external magnetic field increases to a certain extent, and the direction of the electron cyclotron and the rotation direction of the polarized wave are consistent. The position and frequency band of dusty plasma can be controlled by artificially changing the magnitude of the external magnetic field. These results provide a theoretical basis for the study of electromagnetic wave propagation in weakly colliding, fully ionized dusty plasma and the propagation mechanism of an electromagnetic wave in the local high-temperature area of the hypersonic target.

On the Formation of Clouds in the Dusty Ionosphere of Mars

Dusty plasma clouds observed at altitudes of about 100 km in the mesosphere of Mars have been considered. Features of the dusty ionosphere of Mars compared to the dusty ionosphere of the Earth have been listed. The equations of the model describing self-consistently dusty plasma structures in the ionosphere of Mars have been presented. This model involves features that are important for the ionosphere of Mars but are ignored when describing the dusty plasma system in the ionosphere of the Earth. In particular, the model for Mars involves effects of deceleration of dust particles because of the adhesion of condensed molecules to them. An altitude distribution of particles constituting mesospheric clouds on Mars has been calculated with the self-consistent model. It has been shown that an important factor for the formation of dusty plasma clouds in the ionosphere of Mars is the Rayleigh–Taylor instability, which limits both the maximum size of dust particles that can form dusty plasma clouds and the maximum thickness of the dusty plasma clouds.

Effect of Low-Thermal Treatment on the Particle Size Distribution in Wood Dust after Milling.

The thermal treatment of wood can improve the appearance of the wood product's surface, its dimensional stability, and resistance to fungal attacks. However, the heat treatment changes the technological properties of wood, making it a new engineering material. This work investigates the effect of the low-thermal treatment of birch wood (Betula pendula Roth.), European beech wood (Fagus sylvatica L.), and alder wood (Alnus glutinosa L.) on the fine dust particles creation during woodworking. The samples of thermally treated wood with temperatures commonly used for the change of wood colour (105, 125, and 135 °C) were compared with reference samples made of natural wood. All 12 variants of the tested woods were milled using the 5-axis CNC machining center (20 mm diamond cutter, rotational speed 18,000 rev·min-1, the depth of cut 3 mm, feed rates of 2, 4 and 6 m∙min-1). A sieving analysis method allowed measuring the dust particle size distributions in all dust samples. The experiment's result analysis points out that wood type, thermal treatment, and feed rate meaningfully affect the size distribution of dust particles. Compared to birch wood and beech wood, the milling of alder wood samples created a much higher content of the finest dust particles, with particle sizes smaller than 0.032 mm. Increased temperatures in thermal treatment increase the share of fine dust particles with sizes smaller than 0.125 mm, compared to wood in its natural state. Milling with a lower feed rate (2 m·min-1) creates finer dust than processing with higher feed rates (4 and 6 m·min-1). Generally, the milling of alder in a natural or thermally treated state is a source of fine dust particles, particularly at low feed speed-rate milling, compared to birch and beech wood. In general, these results indicate that the low temperature thermal treatment parameters attribute new technological properties to all thermally modified types of wood tested.

Numerical Simulation and Experiment of Dust Suppression Device of Peanut Whole-Feed Combine Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Peanut whole-feed combines discharge a large amount of dust while harvesting, causing serious air pollution and detrimental environmental change. To reduce the dust emission from peanut whole-feed combines, a cyclone separation dust suppression device for peanut whole-feed combines was proposed in this study. A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model coupled with dust particles and dust emission airflow was established to simulate the effect of a dust suppression device on capturing dust particles. Then, the effectiveness of the dust suppression device was verified by a dust suppression test system on a peanut whole-feed combine. The results show that when the inlet wind velocity of the dust suppression device increased from 15 m/s to 25 m/s, the separation efficiency of the measured value fluctuated between 90.79% and 96.07%, while the simulated value fluctuated between 95.18% and 96.59%. Moreover, the particle size of the discharged dust particles was significantly reduced under the action of the dust suppression device. The discharged dust particle size constant of the measured value was 8.6 μm, while the simulated value was 5.1 μm. The study methods and results can provide a reference for the dust suppression optimization of peanut whole-feed combines and similar agricultural machines.

Disc-halo gas outflows driven by stellar clusters as seen in multiwavelength tracers

ABSTRACT We consider the dynamics of and emission from growing superbubbles in a stratified interstellar gaseous disc driven by energy release from supernovae explosions in stellar clusters with masses Mcl = 105 − 1.6 × 106 M⊙. Supernovae are spread randomly within a sphere of rc = 60 pc, and inject energy episodically with a specific rate $1/130~\mathrm{M}_\odot ^{-1}$ proportional to the star formation rate (SFR) in the cluster. Models are run for several values of SFR in the range 0.01 to 0.1 M⊙ yr−1, with the corresponding average surface energy input rate ∼0.04–0.4 erg cm−2 s−1. We find that the discrete energy injection by isolated SNe are more efficient in blowing superbubbles: Asymptotically they reach heights of up to 3 to 16 kpc for Mcl = 105 − 1.6 × 105 M⊙, correspondingly, and stay filled with a hot and dilute plasma for at least 30 Myr. During this time, they emit X-ray, Hα and dust infrared emission. X-ray luminosities LX∝SFR3/5 that we derive here are consistent with observations in star-forming galaxies. Even though dust particles of small sizes a ≤ 0.03 μm are sputtered in the interior of bubbles, larger grains still contribute considerably ensuring the bubble luminosity $L_{\rm IR}/{\rm SFR}\sim 5\times 10^7 \, \mathrm{L}_\odot \, \mathrm{M}_\odot ^{-1} ~{\rm yr}$. It is shown that the origin of the North Polar Spur in the Milky Way can be connected with activity of a cluster with the stellar mass of ∼105 M⊙ and the SFR ∼ 0.1 M⊙ yr−1 some 25–30 Myr ago. Extended luminous haloes observed in edge-on galaxies (NGC 891 as an example) can be maintained by disc spread stellar clusters of smaller masses M* ≲ 105 M⊙.

Study on the coal dust deposition fraction and site in the upper respiratory tract under different particle sizes and labor intensities

In order to study the dust exposure amount and coal dust deposition rule of coal miners under different labor intensity in coal mine environment, an airflow-particle two-phase coupling calculation model of human upper respiratory tract was established based on Euler-Lagrange framework, and the airflow field in the upper respiratory tract and the characteristics of coal dust deposition were simulated and studied. By comparing the experimental data, the relative error of simulation is in the range of 1.5 %–11.2 %. The results showed that the total deposition fraction of 1 μm dust was the smallest (0.61–1.20 %), and was relatively less affected by respiratory intensity, and the overall distribution was uniform. When the dust particle size increased to 7.07 μm, the total dust deposition fraction in the nasal cavity, pharynx and larynx was in the range of 11.10 %–20.91 %, and increased with the respiratory intensity. When the dust particle size was large, the dust particles of 20 μm and 80 μm were mostly concentrated in the front of the nasal cavity, and the deposition amount of 80 μm dust was about 99.52 %. It was found that with the increase of dust particle size or the increase of labor intensity, the possibility of dust being transported into lungs became smaller. The fitting function of 7.07 μm dust escape rate and labor intensity was obtained, for example, Y7.07μm = 91.73–0.22n (n is labor intensity), and the escape rate of dust with 7.07 μm particle size was up to 88.90 %. Most of them escape from the upper respiratory tract and enter the lungs, which provides theoretical guidance for quantifying the accumulated dust exposure amount in the lungs and monitoring respiratory dust concentration.

Experimental study on inert products, moisture, and particle size effect on the minimum ignition energy of combustible dusts

Handling combustible dusts not only continues to pose a risk to industry but can also affect the safety of society. Explosion risk could be avoided or mitigated trying to guarantee inherent safety throughout the product life chain. One way to reduce the risks when dealing with combustible dust is to increase the Minimum Ignition Energy (MIE) in order to decrease combustible dust ignition sensitivity. To achieve this decrease, the inertization technique, also known as moderation, will be used. It consists of adding inert powders or humidity to the combustible dust. As sometimes end-users also must deal with the handling of flammable dusts, this study aims to find the most optimal inert for toner waste from printers and Holi powder (organic coloured dust from Indian parties), taking Lycopodium as a reference. Calcium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate and gypsum are proposed as inert materials. In addition, with the aim of giving a second use to biomass boiler waste or boiler slagging, this waste will be analyzed as inert, as well as how humidity affects the combustible dusts. Then, sodium bicarbonate will be tested at different granulometries to evaluate the effect of particle size on moderation process. The tests were carried out in the modified Hartmann apparatus or MIKE 3.0. Mechanisms such as decomposition of inert dust have been analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)). The results show that gypsum and moisture are the best performing inert followed by calcium carbonate. Boiler slagging and solid bicarbonate contribute to a decrease in the MIE in some of the tests. The reasons for this deviation are discussed in the presented article. When sodium bicarbonate is analyzed at different particle sizes, it is found that the optimum particle size does not match the particle size of the combustible dust. According to the tests, there is an optimum point for which the inert powder provides better results.

Study on Crust-Shaped Dust Suppressant in Non-Disturbance Area of Open-Pit Coal Mine-A Case Study.

Dust pollution in open-pit coal mines severely restricts the green development of mines. Therefore, dust control has become an important requirement for the sustainable development of the mining industry. With the goal of dust pollution prevention and control in open-pit coal mines, this paper puts forward the concept of a non-disturbance area of an open-pit coal mine. It clarifies the characteristics of dust generation, the coverage area, and the dust particle size distribution characteristics of the non-disturbance area. Taking the dust control at the dump site as an example, the study comprehensively utilizes indoor tests and field tests to develop a dust suppressant for the dump site and determine its dust suppression efficiency and effective service cycle. The results show that the D10, D50, and D90 particle sizes of dust in the non-disturbance area are smaller than those in the disturbance area, and the difference in particle size of D90 is the most obvious. Gelatinized starch and non-ionic polyacrylamide, as the main components of the dust suppressant, can effectively reduce dust pollution in the dump; the optimal concentration is 1.0%, and the dust suppression service cycle is more than one month. The developed dust suppressant does not contain corrosive, toxic, or heavy metal elements. Although the application of a dust suppressant will cause plant growth to lag, it does not affect plant health. The research findings serve as a reference for the zoning treatment of dust in open-pit mines.

Numerical investigation on the distribution characteristics of dust deposition on solar photovoltaic modules

The deposition mechanism of dust on photovoltaic modules plays a key role in predicting the dust amount, determining dust removal techniques, and cleaning frequency. In this paper, a prediction model for the adhesion and erosion of dust particles was established to address the uneven dust distribution on photovoltaic modules. The proposed model was validated through an experiment of dust deposition, which was set in the low-speed section of a wind tunnel. Three conditions of the dust deposition process were numerically investigated, while varying different wind speeds, array row spacings, dust particle sizes, and wind direction. Results showed that wind speed was the main factor of dust deposition amount, and the change in wind speed and dust particle size had little influence on the distribution of dust deposition. Meanwhile, wind direction and array row spacing distinctly influenced the dust distribution. Increasing the row spacing induced relatively uniform dust distribution on the photovoltaic modules.

Numerical simulation of dust particle deposition and heat transfer in fin-plate radiators

Fin-plate radiators are actively used in cooling systems for microelectronic devices. Radiators often become dusty during operation, which leads to decrease in heat flow and heat dissipation. Consequently, the possibility of device overheating and failure increases. We carried out numerical studies to assess the influence of the radiator geometry on the deposition of dust particles and, as a consequence, the change in heat flow. We built 3D models of plate radiators with different types of fins (flat and corrugated) and the distance between them. The problem of air flow with dust particles flowing around the radiator has been solved. We revealed the dependences of the efficiency of particle deposition and changes in heat flow on the geometry of the radiator, the size of dust particles and the distance between the fins.