A solid particle seeder for particle-based laser measurement techniques in low volume-flowrate gas streams

This article describes a device to seed solid micron-size particles into gases for particle-based laser diagnostic techniques. The particle seeder consists of a sealed vessel containing the particles, into which the gas to be seeded is introduced. Using an electric fan placed inside the vessel, a fine aerosol can be easily generated. It is demonstrated that (1) at a fixed fan speed the particle seeding density N _p can be kept within the range 10-100 particles mm^-3 across the gas volume flowrate range 0.05-5 LPM; and (2) at a fixed gas volume flowrate, the fan speed can be used for approximate adjustment of the particle seeding density in the range 1-100 particles mm^-3. The device does not affect the volume flowrate of the gas stream. This simple method should prove useful for researchers wishing to generate solid particle aerosols in low volume flowrate gas streams.