• 대한기계학회논문집B
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• 제27권10호
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• pp.1489-1497
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• 2003

Aerosol charge neutralizers with various radioactive sources have been used to apply an equilibrium charge distribution to aerosols of unknown charge distribution. However, the performance of aerosol charge neutralizers is not well known, especially for highly charged particles. Measurements of highly charged particles are needed in air cleaning devices, e.g. electrostatic precipitator, bag filter with a pre-charger, and electrical cyclone. In this study, the particle charging characteristics of two different aerosol charge neutralizers were experimentally investigated for singly charged monodisperse particles and highly charged polydisperse particles. One has radioactive source of $^{85}$ Kr (beta source, 2 mCi) and the other has $^{210}$ Po (alpha source, 0,5 mCi). The air flow rate passing through each aerosol charge neutralizer was changed from 0.2 to 2.5 L/min. The results show that the charge distribution of singly charged monodisperse particles passing through the $^{85}$ Kr aerosol charge neutralizer is well agreed with the Boltzmann equilibrium charge distribution at an air flow rate of 0.3 L/min, However, it deviates from the equilibrium charge distribution when the air flow rates are 0.6, 1,0, and 1,5 L/min, On the other hands, the effect of air flow rate is insignificant for the $^{210}$ Po aerosol charge neutralizer. The non-equilibrium character in charge distribution of highly charged polydisperse particles passing through the $^{85}$ Kr aerosol charge neutralizer greatly depends on the air flow rate, however it is insensitive to the air flow rate for the $^{210}$ Po aerosol charge neutralizer.