Numerical investigation of PM2.5 size enlargement by heterogeneous condensation for particulate abatement

Vapor heterogeneous condensation with PM2.5 as nuclei is a promising approach to enlarge the particle sizes and thus facilitate subsequent particulate abatement by the existing inertial separators. However, the investigation on PM2.5 size enlargement by vapor heterogeneous condensation, which is important to optimize the particulate abatement process, has been largely lacking. In this study, the evolution of particle size distribution due to vapor heterogeneous condensation on the surfaces of polydisperse insoluble PM2.5 was modelled based on the classical heterogeneous nucleation theory and the condensation droplet growth theory. Using this model, the effects of operational parameters on the particle size distribution after heterogeneous condensation were numerically investigated. The results show that the polydisperse fine particles shift to monodisperse coarse particles at a small contact angle, whereas bimodal particle size distribution after heterogeneous condensation is generated at a large contact angle. Higher vapor saturation ratio, higher gas temperature, longer residence time, and greater geometric mean particle size are beneficial to PM2.5 size enlargement and subsequent particulate abatement. Moreover, the geometric standard deviation of particle sizes has little effect on the PM2.5 size enlargement. The model predictions of the particle size distribution after vapor heterogeneous condensation match well with the experimental data. (C) 2019 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.