Enhanced particle loss in ventilation duct with ribbed surface

In this work, small tracer particles, in the range 0.7-7.1 μm, were used to study deposition enhancement in a 150 mm square ventilation duct with streamwise-periodic ribs mounted on one of the principal walls, under turbulent flow condition. A new analytical technique, with very high sensitivity, was adopted to determine the spatial mass flux along the ribbed duct. On some surfaces, particle deposition enhancement as high as seven times, relative to smooth surfaces, was observed. The experimental data showed that the efficiency indexes were high for the smallest and biggest particles. Results can be used to improve the design of current filtration device for mechanical ventilation system. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.