Extended Monte Carlo modeling for submicron particle size measurement under high light extinction conditions

Abstract

The light extinction method (LEM) based on Lambert Beer's law (LB) is widely used to characterize particle size distribution (PSD) in multiphase flow. However, as the optical thickness increases with concentration, the phenomenon of multiple scattering is enhanced, potentially leading to reduced accuracy and a limited application range. In this study, an extended Monte Carlo-based light extinction model (EMC) was developed, which was initially employed to calculate and evaluate the impact of multiple scattering. Subsequently, it was used to predict the extinction spectrum that incorporates multiple scattering effects under varying concentrations. To validate the modeling, a compact setup was constructed to perform a series of experiments on polystyrene and silica dioxide (SiO2) suspensions. A differential evolution algorithm was also implemented for the inversion of PSD based on spectral content, with the incorporation of an improved coefficient matrix that considers multiple scattering effects. In comparison to the linear LB model, the EMC exhibits a markedly enhanced capacity in handling higher particle concentrations and improving measurement accuracy. For a 700 nm PS suspension, the particle size inversion error of the EMC can be kept within 4% (93.86% for the LB model) compared with the nominal value, even with an optical thickness of 5.