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Modeling study of the effects of the coagulation kernel with van der Waals forces and turbulence on the particle size distribution

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Abstract

In this study, variations in the size distributions due to different assumptions for the coagulation kernel are investigated. In order to evaluate how the coagulation kernel influences the form of the particle size distribution and to describe the process of the Brownian coagulation, the Brownian coagulation kernel, including the van der Waals forces, is compared with the most frequently used coagulation coefficients. Retardation should be considered for interparticle interactions for particles larger than 1μm radius. However, for particle sizes larger than 0.1 μm, the Brownian kernel is not dominant, so the retardation effect can be ignored. The inclusion of the van der Waals forces in the Brownian coagulation kernel caused a faster coagulation process in the small particle size range. Taking account of the turbulent coagulation kernel, the turbulent coagulation kernel becomes more important when the turbulent intensity is higher. The turbulent coagulation kernel affects the large particle size range and ignoring the turbulent coagulation kernel will lead to overestimation of particle number concentration in model simulation. The results of this study indicate that the inclusion of van der Waals forces or the turbulent coagulation kernel in the total coagulation kernel impacts on the modeled particle size distributions and total particle number concentration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth and Space Science and Center of Atmospheric Chemistry, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Canada

    S. Cho M.Sc., Ph.D. (Postdoc.researcher) & D. V. Michelangeli M.Sc., Ph.D. (Professor)

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  1. S. Cho M.Sc., Ph.D.
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  2. D. V. Michelangeli M.Sc., Ph.D.
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Correspondence to S. Cho M.Sc., Ph.D..

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Cho, S., Michelangeli, D.V. Modeling study of the effects of the coagulation kernel with van der Waals forces and turbulence on the particle size distribution. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 5, 1–10 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03325991

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03325991

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