Design of a Slot Nanoparticle Virtual Impactor

Author: Middha* Prachi  

Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

ISSN: 1521-7388

Source: Aerosol Science and Technology, Vol.40, Iss.10, 2006-10, pp. : 737-743

Disclaimer: Any content in publications that violate the sovereignty, the constitution or regulations of the PRC is not accepted or approved by CNPIEC.

Previous Menu Next

Abstract

A novel design for a nanoparticle slot virtual impactor is proposed. Compressible flow through the slot impactor is simulated using the CFD code FLUENT, and the corresponding particle trajectories are studied. The variation of the impactor performance with design parameters is also investigated. The design is optimized for a specific application where the virtual impactor serves as a preconcentrator. However, the design proposed is suitable for any application that requires concentration of ultrafine particles at high volumes. Additionally, the design developed in this work can be used for size selection by simply varying the operating pressure of the instrument. The 50% cut-off diameter varies from 13 nm to 200 nm as the operating pressure is increased by a factor of 20, without affecting the minor to total flow ratio significantly.