Particle deposition in random fibrous porous materials: effect of acoustic fields, fibres distribution and porosity,

Abstract

Porous filters are widely used to control air pollution and have different industrial applications since they constitute a reliable and low cost solution to separate particulate matter from an air stream. In this study, the particle deposition within 3D porous filters subjected to low-frequency acoustic fields is studied following a numerical approach. Findings demonstrate that the application of acoustic waves enhances the deposition of particles, which in turn improves filter performance. It is shown that frequencies ranging from 200 to 1000 Hz (intensity 120 dB) increase particle deposition up to 2.5 times. Besides, the manner in which fibres are distributed in the porous material and the filter porosity affect considerably the number of particles deposited, for filters subjected to the same filtration velocity.