AAAR 33rd Annual Conference
October 20 - October 24, 2014
Rosen Shingle Creek
Orlando, Florida, USA
Abstract View
Cleanable, High-Flow Aerosol Concentrator
STEVEN SPIELMAN, Nathan Kreisberg, Susanne Hering, Aerosol Dynamics Inc.
Abstract Number: 620 Working Group: Instrumentation and Methods
Abstract We have developed a device that concentrates the particles from a 15 L/min aerosol flow into a 1.5 L/min output. The device combines a water-based condensational growth tube and an aerodynamic focusing stage. The growth tube uses a parallel plate configuration, with outer dimensions 43 x 90 x 390 mm. Constructed only of stainless steel and PTFE, it allows for aggressive cleaning options necessary in biological applications or in cases where the build-up of organic compounds must be controlled. Heat and moisture are delivered (and removed) by a filtered, recirculating water system, which prevents the accumulation of water soluble compounds on the wetted surfaces. The activated particles form 2- to 3-um droplets, which enter the concentrator (43 x 72 x 50 mm) attached directly to the growth tube housing. The droplets are aerodynamically focused by eight round orifices operating in parallel. Waste flow is extracted from annular slits leaving most of the droplets in the 1.5 L/min concentrated flow. We have demonstrated 7x concentration enhancements of particles as small as 15 nm. The concentration factor was comparable for salt, oil, and ambient particles.