CALCULATION OF SINGLE-FIBER EFFICIENCIES FOR INTERCEPTION AND IMPACTION WITH SUPERPOSED BROWNIAN-MOTION

The single fiber efficiency of fibrous filters was studied by using a Brownian dynamics simulation technique. This simulation technique permits a rigorous and simultaneous consideration of all the important mechanisms of particle capture including interception, inertial impaction and Brownian motion. Simulation results obtained for a variety of situations indicate that diffusion tends to act synergistically with particle inertia leading to an increase in the collection efficiency as compared to when the mechanisms are considered individually. In particular, significant increases in collection efficiency are found in the critical range of the minimum single fiber efficiency.