Direct measurement of aerosol glass fiber alignment in a DC electric field

We report non-conducting aerosol fiber (i.e., glass fiber) alignment in a DC electric field. Direct observation of fiber orientation state is demonstrated and quantitative analysis of fiber alignment is made using phase contrast microscopy in four different conditions: (i) dry air and naturally charged fibers, (ii) humid and naturally charged, (iii) humid and neutralized (Boltzmann charge distribution), and (iv) humid and neutralized with an electrostatic precipitator upstream electrodes (i.e., non-charged). The glass fiber aerosols generated by a vortex shaking method were conditioned using a Po-210 neutralizer or humidifier and were provided into a test unit where cylindrical or parallel plate electrodes are used and high voltage is applied to them. Fibers were collected on a filter immediately downstream from the electrodes and their images were taken through an optical microscope to visualize the fiber orientation and measure the alignment angles and lengths of the fibers. The results showed that under all four conditions tested, airborne glass fibers could be aligned to the electric field with different alignment quality, indicating that the glass fibers can be polarized in a steady electric field. In humid air, the fiber alignment along the field direction was observed to be much better and the number of uniform background particles (i.e., randomly oriented fibers) in angular distributions is smaller than that in dry air. Also, it was found that charged fibers in humid air could be better aligned with negligible uniform background than neutralized and non-charged fibers. Possible mechanisms about humidity and charge effects on enhanced fiber alignment are discussed to support the observations. The results indicate that the enhancement of alignment in an electric field would be possible in humid air for other non-conducting fibrous particles having surface chemistry similar to glass fibers.     

Transient flashing propellant flow models to predict internal flow characteristics,spray velocity,and aerosol droplet size of a pMDI

Despite the popularity of the pMDI as an asthma remedy, the mechanism leading to spray generation is elusive, mainly due to small length scales and short time scale, causing experimental difficulties to obtain flow information. This mechanism involves transient development of two-phase flashing propellant flow inside pMDI actuator as well as transfer of heat, mass, and momentum between the liquid and vapor phase. Variations in the rate of such interphase phenomena dictate the two-phase mass flow rate emission, which itself determines spray velocity and droplet size. In this work, we compare the performance of existing two-phase flow models to predict the flow conditions and the rate of propellant flow through a pMDI actuator: the homogenous equilibrium model (HEM), the slip equilibrium model (SEM), and the homogenous frozen model (HFM). The velocity prediction of the HFM was found to be in good agreement with phase Doppler anemometry (PDA) data indicating the metastable nature of the emitted propellant spray. This work also considers Clark's correlation for the aerosol droplet size based on the results of the flow model. The results of the correlation were compared with PDA droplet size measurements. Clark's correlation was found to be effective in predictions of the temporal droplet size variations. However, the value of an empirical constant had to be tuned to fix the droplet size for a given combination of formulation, device, and to a lesser extent also the distance from the spray orifice where predictions are compared with PDA data. This highlights the need to develop first principle atomization models without the need for case-by-case adjustment.

© 2017 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Transient aerodynamic atomization model to predict aerosol droplet size of pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDI)

Pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDI) produce large numbers of droplets with smaller sizes than 5 μm to treat asthma and other pulmonary diseases. The mechanism responsible for droplet generation from bulk propellant liquid is poorly understood, mainly because the small length scales and short time scales make it difficult to characterize transient spray formation events. This article describes the development and findings of a numerical atomization model to predict droplet size of pharmaceutical propellants from first principles. In this model, the velocity difference between propellant vapor and liquid phase inside spray orifice leads to formation of wave-like instabilities on the liquid surface. Two variants of the aerodynamic atomization model are presented based on assumed liquid precursor geometry: (1) cylindrical jet-shaped liquid ligaments surrounded by vapor annulus; (2) annular liquid film with vapor flow in the core. The growth of instabilities on the liquid precursor surfaces and the size of the subsequently formed droplets are predicted by numerical solutions of dispersion equations. The droplet size predictions were compared with phase doppler anemometry (PDA) data and the predictions were in good agreement with the number mean diameter D₁₀, which is representative of the respirable droplets. The temporal behavior of droplet size production was captured consistently well during the period of the first 95% of the propellant mass emission. The outcome of our modeling activities also suggests that, in addition to saturated vapor pressure of the propellant, its viscosity and surface tension are also key properties that govern pMDI droplet size.

© 2017 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Transport phenomena governing nicotine emissions from electronic cigarettes: Model formulation and experimental investigation

Electronic cigarettes (ECIGs) electrically heat and aerosolize a liquid-containing propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), flavorants, water, and nicotine. ECIG effects and proposed methods to regulate them are controversial. One regulatory focal point involves nicotine emissions. We describe a mathematical model that predicts ECIG nicotine emissions. The model computes the vaporization rate of individual species by numerically solving the unsteady species and energy conservation equations. To validate model predictions, yields of nicotine, total particulate matter, PG, and VG were measured while manipulating puff topography, electrical power, and liquid composition across 100 conditions. Nicotine flux, the rate at which nicotine is emitted per unit time, was the primary outcome. Across conditions, the measured and computed nicotine flux were highly correlated (r = 0.85, p < .0001). As predicted, device power, nicotine concentration, PG/VG ratio, and puff duration influenced nicotine flux (p < .05), while water content and puff velocity did not. Additional empirical investigation revealed that PG/VG liquids act as ideal solutions, that liquid vaporization accounts for more than 95% of ECIG aerosol mass emissions, and that as device power increases the aerosol composition shifts towards the less volatile components of the parent liquid. To the extent that ECIG regulations focus on nicotine emissions, mathematical models like this one can be used to predict ECIG nicotine emissions and to test the effects of proposed regulation of factors that influence nicotine flux.

Copyright © 2017 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Numerical modeling of particle deposition in ferret airways: A comparison with humans

The ferret is commonly used as an animal model for studying human respiratory diseases, but the validation is lacking. The particle deposition patterns in ferret airways was investigated and compared to those in humans. A computational fluid dynamics method was used to simulate particle deposition in the tracheobronchial airway by using the truncated single-path models. The deposition characteristics of particles with diameters of 1, 3, and 5 μm were investigated under various respiratory rates at different activity conditions (i.e., sedentary, light, moderate, and intense activities). For both human and ferret models, deposition increased with both generation and particle size but decreased with respiratory rate. Particles of 1–5 μm deposit more but transport upper in ferrets than in humans, which suggests that ferrets are more likely to be infected in the proximal airways. The results show that the trend of particle deposition in the ferret airways is similar to that in human airways but with different deposition rates and sites. Our findings indicate that ferret for studying human respiratory diseases is suitable for the upper respiratory diseases, such as human influenza, but may not be suitable for studying the lower respiratory diseases, such as pneumonia.

Copyright © 2017 American Association for Aerosol Research     

A comparison of spherical and cylindrical microparticles composed of nanoparticles for pulmonary application

Nano-embedded microparticles represent promising carrier systems to tackle the challenges of nanoparticle delivery into the lungs by inhalation. While spray drying is widely used for the incorporation of nanoparticles into microparticles, the template-assisted technique is a novel method to prepare aspherical, cylindrical microparticles composed of nanoparticles. In this work, both techniques were applied to produce both spherical and cylindrical nano-embedded microparticles. For both geometries particles consisting of gelatin nanoparticles, mannitol and leucine were prepared in three different sizes each. Cylindrical microparticles could be prepared with defined dimensions and narrow size distributions, allowing to target a wide range of aerodynamic diameters. The size of spherical microparticles was influenced by the spraying feed concentration, yielding only small differences in geometric and aerodynamic diameters and broad particle size distributions. Regarding the redispersibility of the nano-embedded microparticles, spherical particles showed better disintegration behavior and higher nanoparticle release in comparison to cylindrical particles upon contact with water. The template-assisted technique yielded higher nanoparticle content in contrast to spray drying. In summary, cylindrical particles represent a promising drug delivery system with high potential for later application. However, further improvements in the preparation method are required to enable higher yields and a possible later scale-up.

Copyright © 2018 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Inactivation of aerosolized surrogates of Bacillus anthracis spores by combustion products of aluminum- and magnesium-based reactive materials: Effect of exposure time

Targeting bioweapon facilities may release biothreat agents into the atmosphere. Bacterial spores such as Bacillus anthracis (Ba) escaping from direct exposure to the fireball potentially represent a high health risk. To mitigate it, reactive materials with biocidal properties are being developed. Aluminum-based iodine-containing compositions (e.g., Al·I₂ and Al·B·I₂) have been shown to inactivate aerosolized simulants of Ba effectively, i.e., by factors exceeding 10⁴ when the spores are exposed to their combustion products over a short time (～0.33 s). This follow-up study aimed at establishing an association between the spore inactivation caused by exposure to combustion products of different materials and the exposure time. Powders of Al, Al·I₂, Al·B·I₂, Mg, Mg·S, and Mg·B·I₂ were combusted, and viable aerosolized endospores of B. thuringiensis var kurstaki (a well-established Ba simulant) were exposed to the released products for relatively short time periods: from ～0.1 to ～2 s. The tests were performed at two temperatures in the exposure chamber: ～170°C and ～260°C; both temperatures are lower than required for quick thermal inactivation of the spores. The higher temperature and exposure times above 0.33 s generated distinctively higher inactivation levels (as high as ～10⁵) for iodine-containing materials. We also observed inactivation levels of up to ～10³ at very short exposure times, 0.12s, in the presence of condensing MgO. However, the effect of MgO at longer exposure times became negligible. The biocidal effect of sulfur oxides was found to be weak. The study findings are crucial for establishing strategies and developing reaction models that target specific bioagent inactivation levels.

Copyright © 2018 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Mixing and sink effects of air purifiers on indoor PM2.5 concentrations: A pilot study of eight residential homes in Fresno,California

We measured real-time and integrated PM2.5 inside eight occupied single-family homes in Fresno, California to evaluate how turbulent air mixing and pollutant removal caused by a filter-based air purifier influences the levels of fine particles in everyday indoor environments. In each home, we used a real-time monitor to log PM2.5 levels every 5 min over 12 weeks during which air purifiers were operating, except for a designed 3-day shutdown period for baseline measurements. We assessed how the operation of air purifiers changed the patterns of the frequency distributions for short-term (5 min) concentrations, which included spikes produced by sporadic indoor activities or emissions. This allowed us to examine the reduction effectiveness of air purifiers on concentrations of both recently emitted and well-mixed background aerosols. We observed a systematic change in the 5-min PM2.5 distributions in different homes—while air purifiers reduced 96% of the 5-min concentrations, they increased the magnitudes of the top 4%, representing transient concentration peaks. This phenomenon is consistent with what would be theoretically expected based on passive scalar turbulence in fluid physics. We also collected gravimetric filter samples for PM2.5 composition, finding mean reductions of the long-term (2–5 days) concentrations of 29%–37% for indoor PM2.5 and endotoxin. A less significant reduction (19%–26%) was seen for Pb (Lead).

© 2016 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Aerosol deposition in 3D models of the upper airways and trachea of rhesus macaques

Abstract

Little is known about aerosol deposition in macaques, variability in deposition between animals, or how deposition in macaques and humans compare. This is despite the use of macaques in assessments of toxic aerosols that are often translated to estimates of human exposure. We used three dimensional (3D) physical models of the upper airways and trachea (UAT) of Rhesus macaques to begin to fill in this information gap. Models of the UAT of five, living rhesus macaques were produced from CT scans, using 3D printing technology. Models were exposed to a polydisperse aerosol containing 0.54 to 9.65 micron particles, during constant flowrates of 2, 4, and 6 liters per min. Percent deposition in UAT models was quantified using an Aerodynamic Particle Sizer and was compared to in vivo upper airway deposition in ten, adult human subjects. Deposition in the UAT models increased as Stokes number increased. Deposition also varied significantly between models, but intermodel variability was reduced when plotted as a function of Stokes number. Using Stokes number, deposition in four of the five UAT models overlapped with each other and also overlapped with human upper airway deposition. These models could be used to explore the relationship between factors that affect toxic aerosol deposition in the UAT in vitro and pathology following toxic aerosol exposure in Rhesus macaques in vivo. Results from those experiments could also be applicable to humans because of deposition similarities.

Copyright © 2020 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Experimental investigations of particle formation from propellant and solvent droplets using a monodisperse spray dryer

Experimental studies of particle formation from solution droplets were conducted using a newly developed monodisperse spray drying process. Solutes beclomethasone dipropionate and caffeine were dissolved in ethanol, pressurized hydrofluoroalkane propellant 134a, and mixtures thereof. Solutions were atomized into monodisperse microdroplets using a custom droplet generator installed in a laboratory scale spray dryer, enabling drying and collection of the resulting monodisperse microparticles. The effects of droplet diameter, solution concentration, solvent composition, and drying rate on the physical properties of the dried particles were evaluated. Particle morphology and size were assessed using ultramicroscopy and image analysis of micrographs. Extent of crystallinity and polymorphism were investigated using Raman spectroscopy. The drying temperature was found to have a large effect on the morphology of amorphous beclomethasone dipropionate particles. Particles dried near room temperature were spheroidal to ellipsoidal with prevalent surface concavities and evidence of shell buckling; increasing the drying temperature for fixed droplet size and composition resulted in a transition to more spherical, smooth-surfaced particle morphologies. Crystalline caffeine microparticles were made up of assemblies of multiple crystallites. The measured length and breadth of these crystallites was found to be correlated with the time available for crystal nucleation and growth as calculated using a particle formation model. The results highlight the abilities and limitations of currently available particle formation models in elucidating the relationships between the size, composition, and evaporation rate of drying solution droplets and the physical properties of the resulting particles. The work demonstrates the suitability of monodisperse spray drying as an experimental technique for investigating the fundamentals of particle formation from solution droplets.

© 2018 American Association for Aerosol Research     

A model of transient internal flow and atomization of propellant/ethanol mixtures in pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDI)

This article reports the extension to binary propellant/excipient mixtures of the multiphase model of transient internal flow and atomization in pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDIs) of Gavtash and colleagues for propellant-only flows. The work considers different accounts of the effect of less volatile ethanol on the saturated vapor pressure (SVP), viscosity and surface tension of HFA-based pMDI formulations. Representation of the SVP of HFA/ethanol mixtures by Raoult's law is compared with the empirical model developed by Gavtash and colleagues as well as different theoretical mixing rules for surface tension and viscosity. For initial ethanol contents ranging from 0 to 20% by mass, the temperature, pressure and spray velocity were predicted to be almost independent of ethanol concentration when using the empirical SVP model of Gavtash and colleagues. The predicted aerosol droplet size increases with increasing concentration of ethanol. These model predictions compare favorably with phase Doppler anemometry (PDA) measurements of pMDI sprays. Exploration of model predictions with different mixing rules suggest that variations of the dynamic viscosity could result in 0.7 µm droplet size change, and different surface tension models yield around 1.5 µm droplet size change. The findings of this work challenge the view that the increase of droplet size is caused by the low volatility of excipients such as ethanol. Instead, attention is focused on composition-dependent viscosity and surface tension as potential controlling parameters with significant effect on the droplet size of HFA/ethanol sprays.

Copyright © 2018 American Association for Aerosol Research     

A review of microfluidic concepts and applications for atmospheric aerosol science

Microfluidics is used in a broad range of applications, from biology and medicine to chemistry and polymer science, because this versatile platform enables rapid and precise repeatability of measurements and experiments on a relatively low-cost laboratory platform. Despite wide-ranging uses, this powerful research platform remains under-utilized by the atmospheric aerosol science community. This review will summarize selected microfluidic concepts and tools with potential applications to aerosol science. Where appropriate, the basic operating conditions and tunable parameters in microfluidics will be compared to typical aerosol experimental methods. Microfluidics offers a number of advantages over larger-scale experiments; for example, the small volumes of sample required for experiments open a number of avenues for sample collection that are accessible to the aerosol community. Filter extraction, spot sampling, and particle-into-liquid sampling techniques could all be used to capture aerosol samples to supply microfluidic measurements and experiments. Microfluidic concepts, such as device geometries for creating emulsions and developments in particle and droplet manipulation techniques will be reviewed, and current and potential microfluidic applications to aerosol science will be discussed.

Copyright © 2018 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Development and characterization of an oro-nasal inhalation plethysmography mask exposure system

An oro-nasal inhalation plethysmography mask exposure system (ONIPMES) was developed to challenge nonhuman primates and rabbits with biological agents while determining real-time respiratory parameters. The system included novel challenge plethysmography and sample collection masks that delivered aerosol directly to the breathing zone of the animals and to the sample collection probes. Challenge plethysmography masks were fitted with a differential pressure transducer that interfaced with a signal amplifier and computer software to quantify respiratory tidal volume, frequency, and minute volume. Challenge plethysmography masks were calibrated and verified with certified registered gas-tight syringes. Accuracy was determined from simultaneous comparison tests between the challenge plethysmography mask and head-out plethysmographs using live animals. For cynomolgus macaques, the mean differences in tidal volume, frequency, and minute volume were 4.20 ± 0.872 mL, 3.50 ± 3.15 breaths per minute (bpm), and 99.3 ± 91.7 mL/min. For New Zealand white rabbits, the mean differences in tidal volume, frequency, and minute volume were 1.13 ± 0.551 mL, 1.07 ± 0.404 bpm, and 209.3 ± 97.37 mL/min. Standardized tests were used to characterize the inhalation exposure system. The fractional leak rate was 4.17 × 10^?5 min^?1. The theoretical T₉₉ was 1.694 min and the observed T₉₉ was 0.588 min. Mask to mask spatial variation was 0.9%. The particle size distribution (PSD), mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD), and geometric standard deviation (GSD) of a 25 mg/mL saline solution was 1.2 ± 0.01 µm and 1.9 ± 0.20. The ONIPMES minimizes dermal and ocular contamination and multiple species may be used.     

Exploring the impact of formulation and temperature shock on metered dose inhaler priming

The interplay between canister, valve design, formulation, and environmental temperature is crucial to dose retention in metered dose inhalers (MDIs). Previous studies that have utilized MDIs with polymeric capillary retention valves, have shown that exposure to environmental changes can create a temporary temperature gradient between the formulation retained in the metering chamber and the formulation reservoir in the metal canister, which can cause inconsistencies in the dose delivered to the patient. The purpose of this study was to more fully quantify these effects. This was achieved by deliberately varying the temperature difference between inhalers and environment within ranges representative of routine usage, and assessing the resulting loss of prime effect via shot weight and delivered dose testing.

The shot weights delivered by three fixed-dose commercial MDIs—Foster®, flutiform® and Seretide®, were investigated under different experimental conditions. Exposure to temperature changes of up to 15°C did not appear to affect unprimed shot weights (USW) or subsequent doses from the Foster product. In contrast, flutiform maintained prime at a temperature differential of 8.6°C, but delivered a low USW following exposure to a ΔT of 15°C under both realistic and controlled conditions. Seretide exhibited loss of prime at lower temperature differentials (ΔT 8.6°C) and a reduction in USW. The results suggest that the inclusion of ethanol in a solution-based formulation may inhibit loss of prime, leading to more robust performance in the face of temperature variations.

Delivered dose testing was carried out to assess the effect of loss of prime on the device ability to deliver a dose to within 80–120% of the label claim. The results suggest that the drainage of propellant from the metering chamber of suspension MDIs leaves active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) residue, causing an increase in subsequent doses once the prime has been restored. Taken together, the results provide valuable insight into the likely performance of MDIs subjected to routine daily use, highlighting design and formulation strategies that could be applied to make performance more robust.     

Mathematical modeling and numerical simulation of surfactant delivery within a physical model of the neonatal trachea for different aerosol characteristics

Surfactant aerosol delivery in conjunction with a noninvasive respiratory support holds the potential to treat neonatal respiratory distress syndrome in a safe manner. The objective of the present study was to gain knowledge in order to optimize the geometry of an intracorporeal inhalation catheter and improve surfactant aerosol delivery effectiveness in neonates. Initially, a mathematical model capable of predicting the aerosol flow generated by this inhalation catheter within a physical model of the neonatal trachea was implemented and validated. Subsequently, a numerical study was performed to analyze the effect of the aerosol liquid droplet size and mass flow rate on surfactant delivery and on the required aerosolization time period. Experimental validation of the mathematical model showed a close prediction of the air axial velocity at the distal end of the physical model, with an absolute error between 0.01 and 0.15 m/s. Furthermore, an admissible absolute error between 0.2 and 2 µm was attained in the prediction of the aerosol mean aerodynamic diameter and mass median aerodynamic diameter in this region. The numerical study highlighted the beneficial effects of generating an intracorporeal aerosol with a mass median aerodynamic diameter higher than 4 µm and a surfactant mass flow rate above 8.93 mg/s in order to obtain effective surfactant delivery in neonates with minimal airway manipulation.

Copyright © 2017 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Investigation of airflow and particle behavior around a subway train running in the underground tunnel

Airflow around an eight-passenger-car subway train running in the underground tunnel at a cruise speed of 70 km/h was numerically simulated, and the trajectories of the particles that were assumed to be re-suspended from the ground or generated at the contact points between the wheels and rails were predicted. In addition, field experiments were conducted to measure airflow velocity and PM₁₀ mass concentration under a T-car (trailer car without a driving cab) during the running of a subway train in straight sections of the underground tunnel of the Seoul Subway Line 5. The numerically predicted airflow velocities agreed well with the experimental data with the error of less than 30%, and the predicted particle distribution showed a similar tendency to the experimental results. The airflow under the T-car was predicted to be relatively uniform compared to the airflow under other passenger cars. Both numerical results and experimental data signified that a lot of particles could drift under the T-car by showing a higher particle concentration in the central area of the space under the T-car than in the edge area. As a result, the space underneath the T-car is anticipated to be a good place for installing a dust-removal system.

© 2016 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Effect of electric charge convection on the rate of mass transfer from a droplet in a constant electric field

We consider mass transfer in a system comprising a stationary fluid dielectric sphere embedded into an immiscible dielectric liquid under the influence of a constant uniform electric field. The partial differential equation of convective diffusion is solved by means of a similarity transformation, and the solution is obtained in a closed analytical form. For small electric Reynolds numbers the obtained solution recovers the solution found by Morrison [1].     

电场参数对高频脉冲水滴电聚结行为的影响

文章在高频高压脉冲电场条件下,研究了电场强度、电场频率、占空比等电场参数对水滴靠近过程中的变形及运动特性的影响。结果表明:在水滴靠近过程中,自开始施加电场到聚并时比为0.8时,平均变形度和靠近速率变化甚微,在此之后水滴由于偶极作用力和偶极极化变形效应的增强而发生大幅度变形和加速靠近,直至开始聚并。当E=1.071—1.813 kV/cm,f=2—6 kHz,n=12.8%—87.5%时,随电场参数的增大,水滴靠近时间呈现不同趋势的缩短,平均变形度明显加剧,靠近速率小幅增大,且后两者具有相近的变化规律,说明水滴间的极化力和本身的变形性具有一致性。本研究为高频脉冲电场下水滴电聚结和新型动态电聚结设备的优化提供理论基础。     

蒸汽射流压力振荡主频研究

在稳定射流区,对饱和蒸汽在过冷水中浸没射流凝结引起的压力振荡特性进行了研究,测量得到了不同汽水参数下的压力振荡特性。通过FFT方法得到了压力振荡的主频,并分析了蒸汽质量流率和水温对压力振荡主频的影响规律,蒸汽射流凝结换热特性决定了压力振荡主频随着蒸汽质量流率和水温的增大而降低。同时,利用先前学者提出的公式并引入量纲为1的蒸汽质量流率和凝结势给出了计算主频的实验关联式,结果表明在本实验参数范围内计算值与实验值具有相同的变化趋势,且吻合的较好,误差在±8%以内。     

Deformation and breakup of a second-order fluid droplet in an electric field

The effects of elastic property on the deformation and breakup of an uncharged drop in a uniform electric field are investigated theoretically using the second-order fluid model as a constitutive equation. Two dimensionless numbers, the electric capillary number (C) and the Deborah number (De), the dimensionless parammeters governing the problem. The asymptotic analytic solution of the nonlinear free boundary problem is determined by utilizing the method of domain perturbation in the limit of small mathcal C and small De. The asymptotic solution provides the limiting point of C above which no steady-state drop shape exists. The linear stability theory shows that the elastic property of fluids give either stabilizing or destabilizing effect on the drop, depending on the deformation mode.