Theory for Aerosol Generation in Laminar Flow Condensers

Abstract

Generation of aerosols in laminar flow condensers is investigated theoretically. A model is developed for simultaneous heat and vapor mass transfer, aerosol nucleation, condensation, coagulation, thermophoresis, and diffusion representing the aerosol size distribution by a lognormal function throughout the process. The importance of the above physical phenomena and the effect of process parameters (reheater and boiler temperature, seed nuclei concentration) on product aerosol characteristics (average particle size and concentration, polydispersity, and yield) and condenser length are investigated. The effects of the classical Becker-Doering and the Lothe-Pound theories for homogeneous nucleation on product aerosol characteristics are examined. Nucleation and condensation are the controlling aerosol phenomena in production of aluminum sec butoxide and dibutylphthalate aerosols in laminar flow condensers. This theory is in good agreement with theoretical and experimental results in literature.