Chemical Engineering Journal, Vol.157, No.1, 52-59, 2010
Combined effects of thermophoresis and electrophoresis on particle deposition onto a vertical flat plate from mixed convection flow through a porous medium
Suspended dust particles are usually correlated to indoor air quality, filtration processes, and environmental problems. Dealing with air mixed with suspended particles is a matter of great urgency. This paper presents a theoretical study on aerosol particles responding to thermophoresis, electrophoresis and the particle deposition rate onto a vertical flat wall with wall heat flux in a porous medium. The non-Darcian model is employed to analyze this process. The flow is modeled as a two-dimensional, incompressible, steady-state laminar mixed convection flow. The particle transport mechanisms are promoted by convection, Brownian diffusion, thermophoresis and electrophoresis. Similarity analysis is used to transform the governing equations for continuity, momentum, energy and concentration into a system of partial differential equations. Using numerical techniques, the particle concentration profiles and deposition velocities are obtained to improve the particle filtration technology and remove contaminants from the air. (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.
Keywords:Particle deposition;Thermophoresis;Electrophoresis;Filtration processes;Porous medium;Indoor air quality