NUCL 5420G - Aerosol Mechanics

Aerosols, or particles suspended in the air, are generated from numerous processes and used in numerous ways. Some examples of commonly encountered aerosols are smoke from power generation, cigarette and forest fire; atmospheric aerosols causing ozone depletion, reduced visibility, rain, snow, cloud and fog; and respiratory deposition or drug delivery through respiratory system. Some aerosols cause significant health and environmental problems while others improve the quality of life. To prevent the formation of undesired pollutants or to produce materials of desired properties, it is important to understand the mechanics of aerosols. This course explores the properties, behaviour and measurement of airborne particulate. Concepts related to particle motion, particle size statistics, forces acting on particles, respiratory and mechanical filtration, and physicochemical properties of particles are discussed. Real-world examples of particle transport are used to reinforce the issues being discussed.
Credit hours: 3
Prerequisite(s): Undergraduate courses in physics, chemistry, differential equations and statistics. A working knowledge of the MATLAB code is required.