Particle Resuspension From Carpeted Floorings in Indoor Environment in Turbulent Flows
Particle resuspension is an important source of particulate matter in the indoor environment. [1] In this study, a model for resuspension of spherical particles from carpet fibers was developed using the micro-roughness model for simulating the adhesion of rough spherical particles. The Johnson-Kendall-Roberts (JKR) adhesion model was used for modeling the adhesion force between particles and carpet fibers. Adhesion of pollen particles to the carpet fibers was studied, and the pull-off forces predicted by the model are compared with the available experimental data. The effect of the hydrodynamic force of fluid flow on resuspension of particles under turbulent flow conditions was studied and the effect of turbulence bursts was included in the model. In particular, the range of airflow velocity for resuspension of pollen particles from carpet was evaluated and the results are presented in graphical form. The role of airflow on resuspension of particles from carpeted floorings is discussed.