Analysis of error in soot characterization using scattering-based techniques

The increasing concern of the health and environmental effects of ultrafine soot particles emitted by modern combustion devices calls for new techniques to monitor such particles. Techniques based on light scattering represent one possible monitoring method. In this study, numerical simulations were conducted to examine the errors involved in soot characterization using light scattering techniques. Specifically, this study focused on examining the error caused by the approximate fractal scattering models based on the Rayleigh–Deybe–Gans theory (the RDG-FA model). When the angular scattering properties were used to retrieve parameters of soot aggregates (the radius of gyration and the fractal dimension), the RDG-FA method was observed to cause a relative error of ∼10% for a representative set of soot parameters. The effects of measurement uncertainties were also investigated. Our results revealed the pattern of the errors: the errors consisted of a relatively constant baseline error caused by the RDG-FA approximation and an error increasing with the measurement uncertainties. These results are expected to be useful in the analysis and interpretation of experimental data, and also in the determination of the accuracy and applicable range of scattering techniques.

When the angular scattering properties were used to retrieve parameters of soot aggregates, the RDG-FA method was observed to cause a relative error of ∼10% for a representative set of soot parameters. The errors consisted of a relatively constant baseline error caused by the RDG-FA approximation and an error increasing with the measurement uncertainties.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide