Theses and Dissertations

Advisor

Knizley, Alta

Committee Member

Berry, Gentry

Committee Member

Zhao, Jian

Date of Degree

5-15-2026

Original embargo terms

Immediate Worldwide Access

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Mechanical Engineering

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

James Worth Bagley College of Engineering

Department

Michael W. Hall School of Mechanical Engineering

Abstract

Electrospun nanofiber media are being developed as potential alternatives to conventional HEPA filtration materials due to their small fiber diameters and tunable microstructures. To support future testing of these materials, the Small-Scale Test Stand (SSTS) at the Institute for Clean Energy Technology (ICET) requires modifications to ensure accurate and repeatable aerosol filtration measurements. Electrospun filters introduce challenges including fragile media structures and uncertain filtration efficiencies that may allow particle penetration to downstream instrumentation. This work evaluates adaptations to the SSTS design to support testing of electrospun filtration media. In addition, an uncertainty framework for aerosol measurements obtained using a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) is established using previously published SMPS uncertainty studies. This framework is used to identify the dominant sources of uncertainty associated with particle counting and particle size measurements and to provide a representative basis for future instrument-specific calibration of the SSTS.

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