Modeling of filtration efficiency of nanoparticles in standard filter media

The goal of this study is to model the data from the experiments of nanoparticle filtration performed at the Particle Technology Lab, University of Minnesota and at the 3M Company. Comparison shows that the experimental data for filter efficiency are bounded by the values computed from theoretical expressions which do not consider thermal rebound. Therefore thermal rebound in the tested filter media is not detected down to 3 nm particles in the present analysis. The efficiency measured experimentally is in good agreement with the theoretical expression by Stechkina (1966, Dokl. Acad. Nauk SSSR 167, 1327) when the Pectlet number Pe is larger than 100; it agrees well with the theoretical expression by Kirsch and Stechkina (1978, Fundamentals of Aerosol Science. Wiley, New York) when Pe is of the order of unit. We develop an empirical power law model for the efficiency depending on the Peclet number, which leads to satisfactory agreement with experimental results.