Brownian Motion & Diffusion

Reading: Chap7

HISTORY
In 1827 the English botanist Robert Brown noticed that pollen
grains suspended in water jiggled about under the lens of the
microscope, following a zigzag path. Even more remarkable was
the fact that pollen grains that had been stored for a century moved
in the same way. Magic?

http://galileo.phys.virginia.edu/classes/109N/more_stuff/Applets/brownian/enbrownian.html

http://www.geocities.com/piratord/browni/Difus.html

Q: Observation?

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• Definition:
– Brownian motion: irregular wiggling motion of a
particle caused by random bombardment of gas
molecules against the particle
– Diffusion: the net transport of particles from a region
of higher concentration to a region of lower
concentration
• The primary transport mechanism for small particles (<
0.1 µm); Important when transport distance is small: e.g.
filter, airway in human lung, loss in sampling path

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 Fick’s First Law of Diffusion
• The net flux of aerosols (the net number of
particle traveling through a unit area per
unit time) is proportional to the
concentration gradient
dn
J x = −D
dx
J: flux (#/area/time)
D: diffusion coefficient (area/time)
n: particle number concentration (#/cm3)

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Fick’s Second Law of Diffusion

∂n  ∂ 2n ∂ 2 n ∂ 2 n 
= D∇ 2 n = D 2 + 2 + 2 
∂t ∂ x ∂ y ∂ z 
A’
A

B B’
δJ δ x
Jx − x
δx 2
D D’

C C’

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 Spread of particles over time and space

1/16

Numbers on curves are values of Dt

1/2

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• Solve 1-D equation

∂n ∂ 2n
=D 2
∂t ∂ x
Solution∞
n(x, t ) =
∫−∞  − x2 
n ( x ) dx
exp   (normal distribution!)
2 π Dt  4 Dt 
Mean Square Displacement of particles
1 ∞
x2 = ∞ ∫ x 2 n ( x, t ) dx = 2 Dt
∫ n( x) dx
−∞
−∞

⇒ xrms = 2Dt Recall Mean Surface Area

Q: Why not mean displacement?

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 Stokes-Einstein Equation for
Assumptions:
Diffusion Coefficient
HISTORY
– the Brownian motion of an aerosol is
The first mathematical
equivalent to that of a giant gas molecules; the theory of Brownian motion
kinetic energy for aerosol Brownian motion is was developed by Einstein
the same as the gas molecules (KE=3/2KT) in 1905. For this work he
– the diffusion force on a particle is equal to the received the Nobel prize
friction force
kTC c
D = kTB = for particles greater than the mean free path of air
3πµd p

Q: What are the parameters that affect an aerosol’s diffusivity?

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Particle Mean Free Path

Mean thermal velocity
8kT 48kT
c= =
πm π 2 ρ p d 3p
(Chap. 2.2.2-2.3)
Particle mean free path
λ p = τc
π
⇒D= λ pc
8
Gas molecule aerosol

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 Diffusion Deposition
• Aerosols adhere when they hit a surface.
Ex. A vertical surface in a infinitely large volume of aerosol
dn d2n n ( x , 0) = n0 for x > 0
=D 2
dt dx n ( 0, t ) = 0 for t > 0

Solution:
n (x , t ) =
n0 x  − x2 
πDt ∫0
exp   dp
 4 Dt 

Q: What if dp is larger?
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Deposition Rate
• Concentration gradient at the surface
dn n0
= for x = 0
dx πDt General form of the concentration
profile near a wall
• Using Fick’s First Law
D
J = n0
πt
• Integrating over time
N (t ) t D
= ∫ n0 dt
Area 0 π t
Dt
= 2 n0
π
• Deposition velocity
J
Vdep =
n0
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 Q: Which mechanism (diffusion and gravitation settling) is
more important to deposit particles?

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Penetration
• Dimensionless deposition parameter
4DL DL Q: How does P change if the tube
µ= = Tube
πd t U
2
Q diameter doubles while the volume
DLW flow rate remains the same? Why?
µ=
Qh Rectangular channel
• Penetration
nout
P= = 1 − 5 .5µ 2 / 3 + 3 .77 µ for µ < 0 .009
nin tube
P = 0. 819 exp( − 11.5 µ ) + 0 .0975 exp( −70. 1µ )
+ 0. 0325 exp( − 179 µ ) for µ > 0. 009

n out
P= = 1 − 2 .96 µ 2 / 3 + 0. 4 µ for µ < 0 .005
nin rectangular
P = 0.91 exp( − 7. 54µ ) + 0. 0531exp( −85.7 µ ) channel
+ 0.0153 exp( −249µ ) for µ > 0.005
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 Penetration versus deposition parameter for circular
tubes and rectangular cross-section channels
100

Rctangular channel
80
Penetration (%)

Tube
60

40

20

0
0.0001 0.001 0.01 0.1 1
Deposition parameter, µ
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• Diffusion Battery: tube bundle; parallel plate. Same

equation for a single long tube or by cutting it into n
parallel tubes each carrying 1/n of the total flow
L L

Penetration for an aerosol flowing through

W a tube (1m length) at 3 laminar flow rates
h
dt

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 Screen-type Diffusion Battery/Classifier

Aerosol Measurement, Ed. Willeke, K. & Baron, P. A., 1993.

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Aerosol Measurement, Ed. Willeke, K. & Baron, P. A., 1993.

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 Diffusion Denuder

πDL (d1 + d 2 )
µ= (if d 2 -d1 << d1 )
Q (d1 − d 2 )
Aerosol Measurement, Ed. Willeke, K. & Baron, P. A., 1993.

• Diffusion Dryer
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Summary
• Brownian motion and diffusion
• Fick’s first and second laws
• Stokes’ Einstein equation for diffusivity
• Diffusion deposition, penetration,
• Device: diffusion battery, denuder, dryer

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