AAAR 36th Annual Conference October 16 - October 20, 2017 Raleigh Convention Center Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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Design and Performance Characterization of a Dilution Sampling System for the Measurement of Biomass Combustion Aerosols
JAKE LINDBERG, Dave Guerrieri, Gerald Willson, NYS DEC
Abstract Number: 577 Working Group: Instrumentation and Methods
Abstract NYS DEC Emissions Measurement and Research Group has previously developed small scale dilution systems to sample exhaust gases from mobile sources directly at the vehicle tailpipe in efforts to evaluate primary ultrafine particulate matter. The success of these dilution sampling systems in measuring ultrafine particulate matter warrants the adaptation of this technique to stationary sources: specifically, biomass-fueled combustion appliances.
In this work we present a two-stage dilution system for direct stack sampling of biomass combustion aerosols at high concentration (103-108 particles per cubic centimeter) over a large size range (0.01 – 10 microns). The primary dilution stage features an adjustable inlet flowrate (0.4 – 30 liters per minute) which can be used to achieve isokinetic sampling conditions given exhaust velocity is between 1.4 and 110 centimeters per second. Further, the primary stage is designed to minimize diffusion losses and to mitigate agglomeration and condensation effects. In the secondary stage the sample can be further diluted to achieve ultimate dilution ratios in the continuous range between 20:1 and 180:1. In the future we intend to use the system to measure ultrafine particulate mass and number concentration, size distribution, PAH content, and EC/OC ratio on a selection of biomass-fueled combustion appliances in collaboration with NYS DOH and Brookhaven National Laboratory.