Thermophoretic deposition of aerosol particles (particle diameter ranges from 0.038 to 0.498 µm) was measured in a tube (1.18 m long, 0.43 cm inner diameter, stainless steel tube) using monodisperse NaCl test particles under laminar and turbulent flow conditions. In the previous study by Romay et al., theoretical thermophoretic deposition efficiencies in turbulent flow regime do not agree well with the experimental data. In this study, particle deposition efficiencies due to other deposition mechanisms such as electrostatic deposition for particles in Boltzmann charge equilibrium and laminar and turbulent diffusions were carefully assessed so that the deposition due to thermophoresis alone could be measured accurately. As a result, the semiempirical equation developed by Lin and Tsai in laminar flow regime and the theoretical equation of Romay et al. in turbulent flow regime are found to fit the experimental data of thermophoretic deposition efficiency very well with the differences of less than 1.0% in both flow regimes. It is also found that Talbot's formula for the thermophoretic coefficient is accurate while Waldmann's free molecular formula is only applicable when Kn is greater than about 3.0.

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An aerosol charge analyzer has been constructed to measure the charge distribution of NaCl particles generated in the laboratory. A radioactive electrostatic charge neutralizer utilizing Po‐210 was used to neutralize the electrostatic charge of the particles. The atomization technique was used to generate NaCl particles with diameters of 0.2 to 0.8 μm, while the evaporation and condensation method was adopted to generate particles of 0.01 to 0.2 μm in diameter. The experimental data demonstrates that the absolute average particle charge depends on the particle diameter, and is higher than that calculated by the Boltzmann charge equilibrium for particles within the range of 0.2 to 0.8 μm. The charge increases with decreasing NaCl concentration. When these particles are neutralized using the Po‐210 neutralizer, it is found that the electrostatic charge reaches the Boltzmann charge equilibrium. For 0.01 to 0.2 μm NaCl particles generated using the evaporation and condensation method, test results show that the absolute average particle charge is higher than that calculated by the Boltzmann charge equilibrium for particles larger than 0.03 to 0.05 μm in diameter, while it is lower than that predicted by the Fuchs theory [1], for particles smaller than 0.03 to 0.05 μm. However, after charge neutralization, particles with diameter above 0.05 μm reach the Boltzmann charge equilibrium condition, and the charges for particles with diameters of 0.010 to 0.05 μm, agree well with Fuchs' theory.

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