Light scattering properties of sea-salt aerosol particles inferred from modeling studies and ground-based measurements

Direct climate radiative forcing depends on the aerosol optical depth τ, the single scattering albedo ?, and the up-scatter fraction β; these quantities are functions of the refractive index of the particles, their size relative to the incident wavelength, and their shape. Sea-salt aerosols crystallize into cubic shapes or in agglomerates of cubic particles under low relative humidity conditions. The present study investigates the effects of the shape of dried sea-salt particles on the detection of light scattering from the particles. Ground-based measurements of scattering and backscattering coefficients have been performed with an integrating nephelometer instrument for a wavelength . The measurements are compared to two models: the Mie theory assuming a spherical shape for the particles and the Discrete Dipole Approximation (DDA) model for the hypothesis of cubic shape of the sea-salt aerosols. The comparison is made accurately by taking into account the actual range of the scattering angles measured by the nephelometer in both models that is from 7° to 170° for the scattering coefficient and from 90° to 170° for the backscattering coefficient. Modeled scattering and backscattering coefficients increase for nonspherical particles compared to spherical shape of particles with diameter larger than about 1 μm. However, the comparison of the modeling results with the measurements gives best agreement for particles diameter less than about 1 μm. The size distribution of the particles is measured with two instruments with different size bins: an electrical low-pressure impactor (ELPI) and an aerodynamic particle sizer (APS). It is found that the size of the bins of the instruments to determine the number concentration of the particles in accordance with their diameter is critical in the comparison of measurements with modeling.     

A Numerical Calibration Approach to Obtain Cutting Fluid Droplet Sizes in a Turning Process via an Imaging System

Airborne inhalable particulate in the workplace can represent a significant health hazard, and one of the primary sources of particles is mist produced through the application of cutting fluids in machining operations. The atomization process is one of the principal mechanisms associated with cutting fluid mist formation and generates droplets from fifty to a few thousand micrometers in size. These particles subsequently undergo vaporization and settling effects resulting in an aerosol to which workers may be exposed. While a variety of equipment is available to characterize the fine particulate in the breathing zone, standard equipment to measure the size of the atomized droplets is not available. In this paper, an imaging system is employed to characterize the large droplets produced by atomization in turning. One of the drawbacks of such a system is the time‐consuming experimental calibration procedure that is required to improve the accuracy of the droplet size measurements and extend the depth of field of the imaging system. With this in mind, an approach is introduced to predict droplet diameter based on measurement data without physical system calibration. The relationship between the actual diameter and the measured diameter is established based on an imaging system simulation model that includes a three dimensional point spread function and an image formation relationship grounded in the principles of geometric optics. These two components are combined using convolution integral theory to derive an image intensity profile. The introduction of halo width into the simulation greatly extends the image depth of field, which is a critical factor in capturing more droplets in one image and also minimizing particle size distribution bias towards larger droplets. The model predicts droplet diameter as a function of measured diameter and halo width. Model behavior of predicted diameters from the simulation compares well with those from a physical calibration of the system. The numerical calibration model is then used in the study of cutting fluid atomization in a turning process, and the measured droplet size distribution compares favorably with droplet sizes predicted by a mechanistic atomization model.     

Particle Formation from Single Droplets of Aqueous Solutions of Lead Nitrate

The thermal evolution of droplets of aqueous solution of lead nitrate was studied in a drop-tube furnace, which simulates typical conditions for material synthesis, through spray pyrolysis, and for the thermal destruction of liquid-containing waste. The processes of droplet evaporation, precursor precipitation within the droplet and thermolysis of the precipitated particles were followed by means of the spectral analysis of the ultraviolet light scattered by the aerosol produced during the heating of aqueous droplets (100 μm) of lead nitrate, with different salt concentrations, from ambient temperature up to 1200 K. Dimensions and physico-chemical properties of the droplets/particles were obtained in situ by means of ultraviolet spectra of light scattering (UVSLS) and compared with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the sampled material. A plasma generated in the air by an optical breakdown induced by a Nd:YAG laser was employed as the light source in the wavelength range 200–400 nm, thus allowing an exceptionally high photon flux in the ultraviolet region where intense and species-specific interactions with metal species take place. The spray drying process was followed by measuring the light transmitted by the droplets in the backward region. As the drying process progresses, the surface concentration reaches a saturation value and solute is deposited as a solid phase forming a surface crust, which grows steadily. At this point in the process of droplet drying, information was retrieved from the light reflected by the particle interface. Two spectral scattering behaviors were detected at temperatures above the salt precipitation within the droplet. On the basis of Mie calculations and SEM measurements, these behaviors were attributed to lead nitrate particles with typical diameters of the residual droplets (about 50 μm) and to micrometer-sized lead oxide particles. The effect of salt concentration on the drying process and the thermolysis of lead nitrate to oxide was investigated by changing the salt concentration from very dilute conditions up to almost the saturation concentration.     

影响异戊二烯大气光解形成二次有机气溶胶的环境因素研究

通过自制的烟雾腔系统研究羟基启动的异戊二烯光解形成二次有机气溶胶(SOA)过程中环境因素的影响.使用气溶胶粒径光谱仪测量了SOA的粒径分布,通过光解实验研究了光照时间、反应物浓度以及CH3ONO浓度对异戊二烯光解形成SOA的影响.结果表明,异戊二烯光解形成的SOA空气动力学直径在0.4 mm～1.4 mm之间,这些粒子的直径小于2.5μm的微细粒子很容易沉积在人体肺泡内,对人体健康产生很大危害;不管是SOA粒子的粒子数浓度还是质量数浓度都随着反应时间的增长、光照强度的增强和反应物浓度的增加而增加.该研究为大气颗粒物排放源的外场测量提供了非常有用的信息.     

Planar Droplet Sizing for the Characterization of Droplet Clusters in an Industrial Gun‐Type Burner

An important problem in spray combustion deals with the existence of dense regions of droplets, called clusters. To understand their formation mechanism, the droplet dynamics and fuel concentration profile are investigated by means of planar laser techniques in an industrial gun‐type burner. The simultaneous measurement of elastic Mie scattering and Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) allows the instantaneous measurement of the Sauter Mean Diameter (SMD), after proper calibration. Using two different CCDs to get the two signals requires a detailed calibration of the CCD response before getting absolute diameters. Pixels are binned 6 by 6 to obtain the final SMD map, this is a compromise between spatial accuracy and noise. Velocity field is measured on both sets of images using standard Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) algorithms. The comparison of cross‐correlation technique with PDA results shows that the velocity measured on the LIF images are close to the velocity based on D₃₀, whereas the Mie scattering results are similar to D₂₀. On Mie scattering images, regions of high interfacial area forming clusters can be detected. A special tracking scheme is used to characterize their dynamics in terms of velocity and diameters by ensuring that the same volume of fluid is tracked. It is shown that the clusters have a velocity similar to the velocity of droplets with the same diameter as the mean SMD of the cluster. It is also shown that an increase of pressure tends to trigger the appearance of such a group of droplets, due to a smaller diameter of the droplets caused by the increase of pressure discharge. Uncertainties for the different techniques used are discussed.     

An Experimental Approach to Correcting Counting Errors in the Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS Model 3310)

This paper describes the different ways of analyzing the output of a real-time device for measuring and counting airborne particles, the aerodynamic particle sizer (APS). This instrument is very widely used in aerosol research throughout the world. It is a time-of-flight instrument in which a particle's measured transit time in the changing flow in a jet passing between two laser beams is converted to its aerodynamic diameter. As the particle passes between the two laser beams, two signal processors, the small particle processor (SPP) and the large particle processor (LPP), independently provide measures of the particle's transit time from the light pulses that are produced. This information is related to the aerodynamic particle diameter of the particle (d_ae) by means of calibration against ‘unit’ density (1000 kg/m³) spheres. If more than one particle is involved in the analysis of particle transit time, then it gives rise to coincidence effects, resulting in ‘phantom’ particle generation. The SPP is known to generate phantom counts, while the LPP is known to reduce phantom counts. A new method is described in this paper that gives guidance on how to deal with such coincidence problems. The principle is that it relies on additional information to obtain ‘correction factors’. In this case, well-established theory for the aspiration efficiencies of thin-walled aerosol sampling probes has been used along with corresponding experimental data obtained in a wind tunnel using the APS. Results using this method are compared with various other methods that have been tried in the past. The paper provides insights on to how the user can operate the APS to avoid counting errors like those described, and the advantages and limitations of different correction methods are discussed.     

大气气溶胶粒子数密度谱和折射率虚部的测量

介绍一种综合利用光学粒子计数器和能见度仪测量大气气溶胶折射率虚部的新方法。首先，使用光学粒子计数器测量出大气气溶胶粒子的数密度谱(待订正)，用能见度仪同步测量出水平能见度。然后，根据球形粒子的米氏(Mie)散射理论，通过分析气溶胶粒子的折射率虚部、分档半径、粒子数密度谱、消光系数和能见度之间的关系，对分档半径进行订正，得到折射率虚部和能见度之间的对应关系。结合同步测量的能见度，反演出大气气溶胶粒子的折射率虚部。最后，利用折射率虚部对光学粒子计数器数据进行订正，得到大气气溶胶粒子的数密度谱。     

A theoretical model for the evaluation of measurement uncertainty of a sound level meter calibration by comparison method in an anechoic room

A theoretical model for the evaluation of measurement uncertainty of a sound level meter (hereafter as `SLM') calibration by comparison method in an anechoic room was developed. Through this model, the uncertainties in the semi-automatic calibration and that in the full-automatic calibration were estimated for the recently developed SLM calibration system. In order to estimate the standard uncertainty against the SLM positioning, which is a significant uncertainty component, the sound field curve-fitting formulae were adopted. The validity of the curve-fitting method was proven by the similarity of the spatial distributions of radiation sound field produced by the plane circular piston source and that by the cone shape source. A linear equation was used to fit the measurements of the sound field distribution along the radiation axis. A quadratic equation was used to fit the measurements along the radial axis normal to the radiation axis. The fitting parameters gave us the sensitivity coefficients of the propagation of the uncertainty. In addition, one of the quadratic fitting parameters was found to be a positional uncertainty itself. Using this model, the expanded uncertainties were evaluated for the semi-automatic and full-automatic calibration of SLM.     

The structural transitions in ferronematics and ferronematic droplets

The paper presents an overview of the observations of structural transitions in ferronematic based on thermotropic nematic 6CHBT (4-trans-4′-n-hexyl-cyclohexyl-isothiocyanato-benzene) and in ferronematic droplets. The type of anchoring was determined using the results of the capacitance measurements. The ferronematic droplets were observed in solutions of nematogenic 6CHBT with fine magnetic particles and phenyl isocyanate. The phase diagram of the transitions between isotropic and nematic phases was found. The magneto-dielectric measurements of various structural transitions in this new system enabled to estimate the type of anchoring of nematic molecules on magnetic particles surfaces in droplets.     

Size response of an SMPS–APS system to commercial multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are representative-engineered nanomaterials with unique properties. The safe production of CNTs urgently requires reliable tools to assess inhalation exposure. In this study, on-line aerosol instruments were employed to detect the release of multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs) in workplace environments. The size responses of aerosol instruments consisting of both a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) and an aerodynamic particle sizer (APS) were examined using five types of commercial MWCNTs. A MWCNT solution and powder were aerosolized using atomizing and shaking methods, respectively. Regardless of the phase and purity, the aerosolized MWCNTs showed consistent size distributions with both SMPS and APS. The SMPS and APS measurements revealed a dominant broad peak at approximately 200–400 nm and a distinct narrow peak at approximately 2 μm, respectively. Comparing with field application of the two aerosol instruments, the APS response could be a fingerprint of the MWCNTs in a real workplace environment. A modification of the atomizing method is recommended for the long-term inhalation toxicity studies.     

In-Line Particle Size Determination for Jet Agglomeration Processes

In jet agglomeration plants, powders are agglomerated to obtain good instant properties. The free-falling initial material is wetted in a spray cone by droplets or in a steam jet by condensation at the particle surface. In a subsequent region of high particle concentration, collision between particles occurs and agglomerates form, if the forces of adhesion are strong enough. A commercial measurement device, working according to the principle of Fraunhofer diffraction, was modified for in-line application. It was used to measure particle size distributions and concentrations of solid particles and droplets in jets. A model is presented to calculate local particle sizes by means of mass balances from integral measurements over large volumes. The results of in-line particle size and agglomerate size analyses show the practical importance of dry agglomeration during transport and lead to a better understanding of the subsequent wet agglomeration process.     

Modelling of two-phase,transient airflow and particles distribution in the indoor environment by Large Eddy Simulation

Prediction of particles distribution in the smaller-scale atmospheric environment, such as the indoor atmosphere, is of major importance for the comfort and the well-being of its occupants. The objective of this study is to investigate the airflow and particles transport, as well as the particles concentration evolution indoors, using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques. A three-dimensional, Euler–Euler two-phase flow model for the investigation of the indoor aerosol is developed, within a CFD general-purpose computer program (PHOENICS), and is validated against experimental measurements from the literature, for an ordinary case of indoor dilute aerosol. Turbulent flow is simulated by Large Eddy Simulation (LES) and the results are compared with those obtained applying the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations together with the ReNormalisation Group (RNG) k–? model. Τwo-way coupling between the two phases is modelled by means of appropriate interphase interactions. This study focused on particles of one size group (mean aerodynamic diameter of 10 μm) but the numerical method described can equally well be applied for a broader size range. It is concluded that for the very dilute aerosols considered here, simpler models (such as single-phase and drift flux) do as well in predicting the important parameters of the flow, as the more complex ones.     

Increase of the reactivity of densified silica fume by sonication treatment

Five silica fumes from different manufacturers were subjected to ultrasonic treatment in order to decrease particle agglomeration and improve particle dispersion. The effectiveness of the sonication was observed as a reduction in particle size distribution of sonicated silica fume (SSF) compared to non-sonicated silica fume. SSF was added to Portland cement, and then the hydrated paste was analysed by thermogravimetric analyses (TGA/DTG) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM/EDX). The results were compared with those of control pastes made with untreated densified silica fume (DSF), as well as a reference cement paste of ordinary Portland cement (OPC). A maximum grade of de-agglomeration by the sonication was obtained, with a high volume of particles of diameter less than 1 μm. Images obtained by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of the SSF showed sintered particles that could not be fragmented by the treatment. Micro-structural characterisation results showed an increase in the reactivity of the silica fume after the treatment.     

The ranges of the aerodynamic drag coefficient of water droplets moving through typical gas media

The integral characteristics of the deformation processes of liquid (water) droplets moving through a gas medium (air at a temperature of about 300 K, kerosene combustion products with a temperature of about 1100 K) were experimentally investigated. The initial sizes (characteristic radii) of the droplets varied from 50 μm to 2.5 mm, and the initial velocities, from 0.5 m/s to 5 m/s. Velocities of the gas counter (relative to the direction of droplets displacement) flow weremaintained about 1.5 m/s by means of a special-purpose pressure system. Characteristic “deformation cycles” of droplets, their number, durations, and lengths, and also maximal amplitudes of the deformation process were identified. The ranges of numerical values of the aerodynamic drag coefficients c _d for the characteristic deformation cycles were determined. The influence of droplets velocities and sizes, and also of the gas medium temperature on these parameters was established. Characteristic times of preserving the corresponding droplet forms and c _d values within the range of the most typical deformation cycles were found.     

大气气溶胶消光特性和折射率的测量

 介绍了一种综合利用能见度仪、微脉冲激光雷达和光学粒子计数器测量大气气溶胶折射率的新方法。首先使用能见度仪和激光雷达测量出大气气溶胶的消光系数和消光后向散射比,然后使用粒子计数器测量出粒子谱分布,结合气溶胶粒子折射率,根据球形粒子的米（Mie）散射理论,可以得到气溶胶消光系数和消光后向散射比。通过分析消光系数、消光后向散射比、粒子谱分布和折射率之间的关系,结合已知的消光系数和消光后向散射比,反演出大气气溶胶粒子的折射率。     

Surface modification of ceria nanoparticles and their chemical mechanical polishing behavior on glass substrate

To improve their chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) performance, ceria nanoparticles were surface modified with γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS) through silanization reaction with their surface hydroxyl group. The compositions, structures and dispersibility of the modified ceria particles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), laser particle size analyzer, zeta potential measurement and stability test, respectively. The results indicated that APS had been successfully grafted onto the surface of ceria nanoparticles, which led to the modified ceria nanoparticles with better dispersibility and stability than unmodified ceria particles in aqueous fluids. Then, CMP performance of the modified ceria nanoparticles on glass substrate was investigated. Experimental results showed that the modified ceria particles exhibited lower material removal rate (MRR) but much better surface quality than unmodified ceria particles, which may be explained by the hardness reduction of ceria particles, the enhancement of lubrication of the particles and substrate surfaces, and the elimination of the agglomeration among the ceria particles.     

Droplet ejection from an interface between two immiscible liquids under pulsed ultrasound

The emphasis of this study is on the ejection of single droplets of a certain size under pulsed ultrasound. Droplet ejection from an interface of two immiscible liquids in this mode, which differs from the well-known ultrasonic fountain (where liquid droplets arise spontaneously), has been experimentally implemented and investigated. The spatial and time evolution of the interface deformation and violation of interface integrity, caused by pulsed acoustic radiation pressure, has been recorded with a high-speed video camera. It is shown that, depending on the ultrasound intensity, three characteristic modes of interface response can be distinguished. In the first (low-intensity)mode, the interface undergoes forced oscillations, without violation of its integrity. In the second (intermediate-intensity) mode, which is in the focus of our study, the interface integrity is violated due to the ejection of a single droplet of a certain size; the latter continuously changes its shape when moving in the second liquid. In the third (high-intensity) mode, the predictable ejection of droplets of a predictable size turns into stochastic ejection of multiple droplets with unpredictable sizes. The dependence of the sizes of single droplets on the parameters of focused ultrasound beam have been measured in the second (stable) mode of ultrasound ejection. Based on these measurements, the range of ultrasound parameters providing controlled generation of single droplets of a specified size is estimated. Differences in the dynamics of interface motion and specific features of droplet generation for the liquid/liquid interface in comparison with the liquid/gas interface are indicated. Possible applications of the observed effects are discussed.     

Numerical Investigation and Wind Tunnel Validation on Near-Wake Vortical Structures of Wind Turbine Blades

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has been used by numerous researchers for the simulation of flows around wind turbines. Since the 2000s, the experiments of NREL phase VI blades for blind comparison have been a de-facto standard for numerical software on the prediction of full scale horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT) performance. However, the characteristics of vortex structures in the wake, whether for modeling the wake or for understanding the aerodynamic mechanisms inside, are still not thoroughly investigated. In the present study, the flow around NREL phase VI blades was numerically simulated, and the results of the wake field were compared with the experimental ones of a one-to-eight scaled model in a low-speed wind tunnel. A good agreement between simulation and experimental results was achieved for the evaluation of overall performances. The simulation captured the complete formation procedure of tip vortex structure from the blade. Quantitative analysis showed the streamwise translation movement of vortex cores. Both the initial formation and the damping of vorticity in near wake field were predicted. These numerical results showed good agreements with the measurements. Moreover, wind tunnel wall effects were also investigated on these vortex structures, and it revealed further radial expansion of the helical vortical structures in comparison with the free-stream case.     

Lagrangian measurements of inertial particle accelerations in grid generated wind tunnel turbulence

We describe Lagrangian measurements of water droplets in grid generated wind tunnel turbulence at a Taylor Reynolds number of R(lambda)=250 and an average Stokes number (St) of approximately 0.1. The inertial particles are tracked by a high speed camera moving along the side of the tunnel at the mean flow speed. The standardized acceleration probability density functions of the particles have spread exponential tails that are narrower than those of a fluid particles (St approximately 0) and there is a decrease in the acceleration variance with increasing Stokes number. A simple vortex model shows that the inertial particles selectively sample the fluid field and are less likely to experience regions of the fluid undergoing the largest accelerations. Recent direct numerical simulations compare favorably with these first measurements of Lagrangian statistics of inertial particles in highly turbulent flows.     

Measurement of Size,Number Concentration and Velocity of Aerosol Particles using an optical particle counter

An aerosol measurement instrument is presented which allows for the simultaneous measurement of the size distribution, number concentration and velocities of particles. A commercial optical particle counter (OPC) was modified in terms of optics and signal evaluation to provide the required measurement information. The design of this instrument allows the definition of a cubic measuring volume by purely optical means. This is achieved by an aperture/lens system which projects a sharply defined light beam into a stream of aerosol flow. Light scattered from single particles at average angles of 90° is collected by two opposite receiver units, each projecting light on to a separate photomultiplier. The intensity of the scattered light with this instrument is found to be an unambiguous function of the particle size. The total number of particles detected per unit time results in the particle flux. The particle velocity can be calculated, in principle, through the correlation of the signal length and the optical length of the measuring volume, provided that the particles have a straight trajectory through the measuring volume and the measuring volume length in the mean flow direction is well defined. The absence of sharpness in real optical projections effects a border zone of definite length, in which the illumination declines to zero. This leads, together with the low-pass filtering of the particle signals, to an increase in the length of the signal slopes, causing some difficulties in the determination of the signal length. A digital signal evaluation technique was developed that renders possible the clear differentiation between the slope and the kernel region of the signal. The latter represents the motion of particles through the completely illuminated region, which can be a more accurate parameter to define the signal length. In addition to the signal length determination, a cross-correlation technique was tested for its potential to obtain particle velocity. the instrument has two interlaced measuring volumes of nearly the same size, which are shifted for this special application in the main flow direction by 20 μm. The phase difference between the signals from the two photomultipliers, together with the optical distance, yields the particle velocity.