Numerical simulation of a triple laser beam particle sizing instrument

The Mississippi State University Particle Sizing Instrument (MSU-PSI) is designed to perform real-time measurement of the particle-size distributions by means of non-intrusive methods. The instrument is based upon the principles of forward scatter of a laser beam by a single particle. Three beams are used to illuminate the particle. The green central beam is used to measure particles in the range of 2–15 μm in diameter. Two crossed blue beams are used to validate the trajectory of particles through the green beam. The size of a particle is determined by the amount of light that it scatters. This scattered light is captured and processed electronically and eventually is converted to a histogram, which, when interpreted, will be a representation of the particle-size distribution. In this paper, the model used to simulate the instrument numerically in the Ripple Validated Small Angle Near Forward Scattering (RVSANFS) mode is explained.