Semi-Analytical Methods for Population Balance models involving Aggregation and Breakage processes: A comparative study

Abstract: Population balance models often integrate fundamental kernels, including sum, gelling and Brownian aggregation kernels. These kernels have demonstrated extensive utility across various disciplines such as aerosol physics, chemical engineering, astrophysics, pharmaceutical sciences and mathematical biology for the purpose of elucidating particle dynamics. The objective of this study is to refine the semi-analytical solutions derived from current methodologies in addressing the nonlinear aggregation and coupled aggregation-breakage population balance equation. This work presents a unique semi-analytical approach based on the homotopy analysis method (HAM) to solve pure aggregation and couple aggregation-fragmentation population balance equations, which is an integro-partial differentia equation. By decomposing the non-linear operator, we investigate how to utilize the convergence control parameter to expedite the convergence of the HAM solution towards its precise values in the proposed method.