Real-Time Mass Concentration Spectrometer

Summary

This project develops a new sensor capable of measuring mass concentrations of aerosol particles resolved into a number of size bins in real time. The mass concentrations in all size bins would be simultaneously sampled with essentially instantaneous sampling time, and the sampling rate would be adjustable such that the time history of the concentrations in each bin would be continuously monitored in real time. The new sensor uses a combination of inertial separation and optical sensing to obtain the necessary sensitivity to particle mass with the desired time response. Expected application areas include monitoring respirable aerosol concentrations, monitoring process flow characteristics in chemical, food and pharmaceutical industries, and emissions monitoring for engines.