AAAR 36th Annual Conference October 16 - October 20, 2017 Raleigh Convention Center Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
Abstract View
Laboratory and Field Calibration of a Low-Cost Particulate Matter Sensor
TOFIGH SAYAHI, Kerry Kelly, University of Utah
Abstract Number: 174 Working Group: Instrumentation and Methods
Abstract The availability of low-cost light-scattering particulate matter (PM) sensors offers the possibility of improved spatiotemporal PM information. However, this type of sensor needs to be characterized for the conditions of use. This work focuses on field and laboratory calibration of the Plantower PMS PM sensor. The field evaluation took place over two years through multiple seasons and a variety of elevated PM events, including wintertime inversions, fireworks, and wildfires. It compared the Plantower PMS PM2.5 and PM10 concentration with co-located federal equivalence and federal reference methods. The laboratory evaluation included the development of a cylindrical calibration chamber that addresses the issue of uneven particle distribution found in conventional cubic chambers. This test chamber is designed for monodisperse polystyrene sphere particles, ammonium nitrate, dust, or sodium chloride particles. The PM sensors, along with a reference sensor, track the particle concentration and changes within laboratory chamber. Both the laboratory and field evaluations allow for the determination of sensor precision, accuracy, limit of detection, drift and linearity of the response.