A Computationally Efficient Model for Multicomponent Activity Coefficients in Aqueous Solutions
Three-dimensional models of atmospheric inorganic aerosols need an accurate yet computationally efficient parameterization of activity coefficients, which are repeatedly updated in aerosol phase equilibrium and gas-aerosol partitioning calculations. In this paper, we describe the development and evaluation of a new mixing rule for estimating multicomponent activity coefficients of electrolytes typically found in atmospheric aerosol systems containing H(+), NH4(+), Na(+), Ca(2+), SO4(2-), HSO4(-), NO3(-), and Cl(-) ions. The new mixing rule, called MTEM (Multicomponent Taylor Expansion Model), estimates the mean activity coefficient of an electrolyte A in a multicomponent solution from a linear combination of its values in ternary solutions of A-A-H2O, A-B-H2O, A-C-H2O, etc., as the amount of A approaches zero in the mixture at the solution water activity, aw, assuming aw is equal to the ambient relative humidity. Predictions from MTEM are found to be within a factor of 0.8 to 1.25 of the comprehensive Pitzer-Simonson-Clegg (PSC) model over a wide range of water activities, and are shown to be significantly more accurate than the widely used Kusik and Meissner (KM) mixing rule, especially for electrolytes in sulfate-rich aerosol systems and for relatively minor but important aerosol components such as HNO3 and HCl acids. Because the ternary activity coefficient polynomials are parameterized as a function of aw, they have to be computed only once at every grid point at the beginning of every 3-D model time step as opposed to repeated evaluations of the ionic strength dependent binary activity coefficient polynomials in the KM method. Additionally, MTEM also yields a non-iterative solution of the bisulfate ion dissociation in sulfate-rich systems, which is a major computational advantage over other iterative methods as will be shown by a comparison of the CPU time requirements of MTEM for both sulfate-poor and sulfate-rich systems relative to other methods.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 963850
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-42224; KP1202010; TRN: US200918%%248
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: American Association for Aerosol Research 23rd Annual Conference, October 4-8, 2004, Atlanta, Georgia
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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