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Aerosol & Particulate Research Lab

Brownian Motion & Diffusion
Reading: Chap7
http://galileo.phys.virginia.edu/classes/109N/more_stuff/Applets/brownian/brownian.html
HISTORY
In 1827, English botanist Robert Brown
noticed that pollen grains suspended in water
jiggled about under the lens of the
microscope, following a zigzag path. Even
more remarkable was the fact that pollen
grains that had been stored for a century
moved in the same way. Magic?
Q: Observation?
http://www.michaelorgan.org.au/robertbrown.jpg
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Aerosol & Particulate Research Lab
Definition:
Brownian motion: irregular wiggling motion of a
particle caused by random bombardment of gas
molecules against the particle
Diffusion: the net transport of particles from a region
of higher concentration to a region of lower
concentration
The primary transport mechanism for small particles (<
0.1 m); Important when transport distance is small: e.g.
filter, airway in human lung, loss in sampling path
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Aerosol & Particulate Research Lab
Ficks First Law of Diffusion
The net flux of aerosols (the net number of
particle traveling through a unit area per
unit time) is proportional to the
concentration gradient


J: flux (#/area/time)
D: diffusion coefficient (area/time)
n: particle number concentration (#/cm
3
)
J D
dn
dx
x
=
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Aerosol & Particulate Research Lab
Ficks Second Law of Diffusion
(

+ + = V =
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
z
n
y
n
x
n
D n D
t
n
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
c
A
B
C
D
A
B
D
C
J
J
x
x
x
x

o
o
o
2
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Spread of particles over time and space
Numbers on curves are values of Dt
1
1/2
1/16
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Aerosol & Particulate Research Lab
Solve 1-D equation
2
2
x
n
D
t
n
c
c
c
c
=
Solution
|
|
.
|

\
|

=
}

Dt
x
Dt
dx x n
t x n
4
exp
2
) (
) , (
2
t
Mean Square Displacement of particles
Dt dx t x n x
dx x n
x 2 ) , (
) (
1
2 2
= =
}
}

Dt x
rms
2 =
Recall Mean Surface Area
Q: Why not mean displacement?
(normal distribution!)
Q: How does x
rms
depend on time?
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Assumptions:
the Brownian motion of an aerosol is
equivalent to that of a giant gas molecule; the
kinetic energy for aerosol Brownian motion is
the same as the gas molecules (KE=3/2KT)
the diffusion force on a particle is equal to the
friction force


Stokes-Einstein Equation for Diffusion Coefficient
p
c
d
kTC
kTB D
t 3
= =
Q: What are the parameters that affect an aerosols diffusivity?
HISTORY
The first mathematical
theory of Brownian motion
was developed by Einstein
in 1905. For this work he
received the Nobel prize
for particles greater than the mean free path of air
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Particle Mean Free Path
3 2
48 8
p p
d
kT
m
kT
c
t t
= =
Mean thermal velocity

Particle mean free path

c
p
t =
c D
p

t
8
=
Gas molecule aerosol
(Chap. 2.2.2-2.3)
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Aerosol & Particulate Research Lab
Aerosols adhere when they hit a surface.
Ex. A vertical surface in a infinitely large volume of aerosol
Diffusional Deposition
dn
dt
D
d n
dx
=
2
2
n x n for x
n t for t
( , )
( , )
0 0
0 0 0
0
= >
= >


Solution:
} |
|
.
|

\
|

t
=
x
dp
Dt
p
Dt
n
t x n
0
2
0
4
exp
) , (
Q: What if d
p
is larger?
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Aerosol & Particulate Research Lab
Deposition Rate
Concentration gradient at the surface


Using Ficks First Law


Integrating over time



Deposition velocity
General form of the concentration
profile near a wall
J n
D
t
=
0
t
dn
dx
n
Dt
x = =
0
0
t
for
t
t
Dt
n
dt
t
D
n
Area
t N
0
t
0
0
2

) (
=
=
}
0
n
J
V
dep
=
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Q: Which mechanism (diffusion and gravitational settling) is
more important to deposit particles?
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Dimensionless deposition parameter



Penetration
Penetration
Qh
DLW
Q
DL
U d
DL
t
=
= =

t

4
2
009 . 0 for ) 179 exp( 0325 . 0
) 1 . 70 exp( 0975 . 0 ) 5 . 11 exp( 819 . 0
009 . 0 for 77 . 3 5 . 5 1
3 / 2
> +
+ =
< + = =



P
n
n
P
in
out
005 . 0 for ) 249 exp( 0153 . 0
) 7 . 85 exp( 0531 . 0 ) 54 . 7 exp( 91 . 0
005 . 0 4 . 0 96 . 2 1
3 / 2
> +
+ =
< + = =



P
f or
n
n
P
in
out
tube
rectangular
channel
Tube
Rectangular channel (h: distance between plates)
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Aerosol & Particulate Research Lab
Penetration versus deposition parameter for circular
tubes and rectangular cross-section channels
Deposition parameter,
0.0001 0.001 0.01 0.1 1
P
e
n
e
t
r
a
t
i
o
n

(
%
)
0
20
40
60
80
100
Tube
Rctangular channel
Q: How does P change if the tube diameter doubles while the
volume flow rate remains the same? Why?
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Aerosol & Particulate Research Lab
Diffusion Battery: tube bundle; parallel plate. Same
equation for a single long tube or by cutting it into n
parallel tubes each carrying 1/n of the total flow





L
L
W
h
d
t
Penetration for an aerosol flowing through
a tube (1m length) at 3 laminar flow rates
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Aerosol & Particulate Research Lab
Screen-type Diffusion Battery/Classifier
Aerosol Measurement, Ed. Willeke, K. & Baron, P. A., 1993.
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Aerosol & Particulate Research Lab
Aerosol Measurement, Ed. Willeke, K. & Baron, P. A., 1993.
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Aerosol & Particulate Research Lab
Diffusion Denuder
( )
( )
) (if
1 1 2
2 1
2 1
d -d d
d d Q
d d DL
<<

+
=
t

Aerosol Measurement, Ed. Willeke, K. & Baron, P. A., 1993.

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Honeycomb Denuder
Filter Pack
Spring
Denuder
Spacer
Denuder
Spacer
1.5" Glass
Spacer
Nozzle Layout
Impactor Plate
Inlet
To pump
http://www.rpco.com/products/ambprod/amb3500/
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Aerosol & Particulate Research Lab
Diffusion Dryer
http://www.tsi.com/en-1033/segments/particle_instruments/2216/diffusion_dryer.aspx
TSI Instruction Manual: Model 3306
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Aerosol & Particulate Research Lab
Reflection