A stochastic particle model for aggregate morphology and particle size distributions under coagulation process

Abstract

A new simple and efficient particle model is proposed in the present study based on the ballistic cluster–cluster agglomeration (BCCA) mechanism. The proposed Random Orientation-Tangent Point (ROTP-BCCA) model is implemented into the Monte Carlo method to investigate the aggregate coagulation process under the free molecular regime. The proposed ROTP-BCCA model is firstly used to predict the fractal characteristics of aggregates composed of monodispersed primary particles and validated by the previously reported results and is compared with the method of Lindberg et al. (L-BCCA model). Then the effects of primary particle polydispersity on the fractal characteristics, the first three order moments and the particle size distributions (PSD) of the aggregates are also investigated. The results show that the obtained fractal characteristics, the first three order moments and the particle size distributions of the aggregates for monodispersed and polydispersed primary particles from the present ROTP-BCCA model agree well with the results of L-BCCA model. Furthermore, the computational efficiency of the present proposed ROTP-BCCA model is proved to be much higher than the L-BCCA model.