Electrical characteristics of soot particles in a LPG diffusion flame and particle size change by electric fields

LPG 확산화염내 매연입자의 전기적 특성 및 전기장에 의한 입자 크기 변화

Electrical characteristics of soot particles in a LPG diffusion flame were studied for the control of soot particle coagulation. When a DC voltage was applied between two electrodes installed parallel to gas flow, ionic wind effect caused soot deposition on the cathode, implying that most of the soot particles were positively charged. Soot deposit on the cathode linearly increased and was saturated with respect to the strength of the applied voltage. The possibility of applying an AC voltage to enhance the particle coagulation was then investigated and the efficiency of the size control was checked with transmission electron microscope photographs. For the amplitude of 2 kV AC field, primary (spherical) soot particle size decreased from 30 ~ 40 nm to around 20 nm when the frequency of the applied AC voltage was 60 Hz and higher. Collisions between the soot particles in such a selected AC condition could lead to the formation of much bigger agglomerates of roughly 1-5 .mu.m in size.