Naval Biomedical Research Laboratory, Programmed Environment, Aerosol Facility

Mathematical considerations of the behavior of aerosolized particles in a rotating drum are presented, and the rotating drum as an aerosol-holding device is compared with a stirred settling chamber. The basic overall design elements of a facility employing eight rotating drums are presented. This facility provides an environment in which temperature can be maintained within 0.5 F (0.25 C) of any set point over a range of 50 to 120 F (10 to 49 C); concomitantly the relative humidity within any selected drum may be controlled in a nominal range of 0 to 90%. Some of the major technical aspects of operating this facility are also presented, including handling of air support systems, aerosol production, animal exposure, aerosol monitoring, and sampling.