Modification of Laminar Flow Ultrafine Condensation Particle Counters for the Enhanced Detection of 1 nm Condensation Nuclei

This paper describes simple modifications to thermally diffusive laminar flow ultrafine condensation particle counters (UCPCs) that allow detection of ～1 nm condensation nuclei with much higher efficiencies than have been previously reported. These non-destructive modifications were applied to a commercial butanol-based UCPC (TSI 3025A) and to a diethylene glycol-based UCPC (UMN DEG-UCPC). Size and charge dependent detection efficiencies using the modified UCPCs (BNL 3025A and BNL DEG-UCPC) were measured with high resolution mobility classified aerosols composed of NaCl, W, molecular ion standards of tetra-alkyl ammonium bromide, and neutralizer-generated ions. With negatively charged NaCl aerosol, the BNL 3025A and BNL DEG-UCPC achieved detection efficiencies of 37% (90× increase over TSI 3025A) at 1.68 nm mobility diameter (1.39 nm geometric diameter) and 23% (8× increase over UMN DEG-UCPC) at 1.19 nm mobility diameter (0.89 nm geometric diameter), respectively. Operating conditions for both UCPCs were identified that allowed negatively charged NaCl and W particles, but not negative ions of exactly the same mobility size, to be efficiently detected. This serendipitous material dependence, which is not fundamentally understood, suggests that vapor condensation might sometimes allow for the discrimination between air “ions” and charged “particles.” As a detector in a scanning mobility particle spectrometer (SMPS), a UCPC with this strong material dependence would allow for more accurate measurements of sub-2 nm aerosol size distributions due to the reduced interference from neutralizer-generated ions and atmospheric ions, and provide increased sensitivity for the determination of nucleation rates and initial particle growth rates.

Copyright 2012 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Moderated,Water-Based,Condensational Particle Growth in a Laminar Flow

Presented is a new approach for laminar-flow water condensation that produces saturations above 1.5 while maintaining temperatures of less than 30°C in the majority of the flow and providing an exiting dew point below 15°C. With the original laminar flow water condensation method, the particle activation and growth occurs in a region with warm, wetted walls throughout, which has the side-effect of heating the flow. The “moderated” approach presented here replaces this warm region with two sections—a short, warm, wet-walled “initiator,” followed by a cool-walled “moderator.” The initiator provides the water vapor that creates the supersaturation, while the moderator provides the time for particle growth. The combined length of the initiator and moderator sections is the same as that of the original, warm-walled growth section. Model results show that this new approach reduces the added heat and water vapor while achieving the same peak supersaturation and similar droplet growth. Experimental measurements confirm the trends predicted by the modeling.

Copyright 2014 American Association for Aerosol Research     

激光粒度仪分级测定水煤浆粒度分布的研究

为确定多种磨矿产品级配制得水煤浆样品的粒度分布,文章提出了分级测定水煤浆粒度的方法,已知各磨矿产品的粒度分布,通过分级拟合的方法得到不同质量比级配样品的粒度分布。结果表明:分级计算方法得到的煤样粒度分布可以准确反映出级配样品的峰型,且粒度测试结果较为准确。     

A New Coincidence Correction Method for Condensation Particle Counters

A new method for solving the theoretical rate of coincidence in a condensation particle counter (CPC) using the Lambert W function is described. The method, based on a Poisson process, corrects for the inherent effects of coincidence in particle counters, and provides an accurately determined true counting rate. Using an experimentally determined dead time for MSP Model 1110 and TSI Model 3760A CPCs, the method provided correction of up to 99% of the maximum count rate allowed by this method, with an average discrepancy of less than 4% when compared with a reference number concentration standard. The new coincidence correction method can be applied to any CPC with a known per-event dead time, extending its upper concentration measuring range by nearly one order of magnitude.

Copyright 2013 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Characterization of Mixing and Size Segregation in a Rotating Drum by a Particle Tracking Method

The mechanisms of segregation in solids mixing, even in simple rotating drums, are not clearly understood. Although most past studies have focused on binary mixtures, this work investigates the effect of polydispersity on granular flow, mixing, and segregation in a rotating drum operated in rolling regime through particle trajectories obtained from the radioactive particle tracking technique. Velocity profiles, radial segregation, and axial dispersion coefficients for monodisperse and polydisperse systems of glass beads are analyzed with respect to rotational speed and particle size. A model is introduced to predict the residence times along streamlines and evaluate the rate at which the material renews at the free surface and within the inner layers of the bed. Our results reveal similar velocity profiles and residence times for monodisperse and polydisperse systems. They also indicate that the particles distribute along the radial direction of the drum, although not necessarily in a core/shell configuration. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 1894–1905, 2013     

A Laminar-Flow,Water-Based Condensation Particle Counter (WCPC)

A new water-based condensation particle counter (WCPC) is presented. The WCPC is a thermally diffusive, laminar flow instrument. Condensational enlargement is achieved through the introduction of a saturated airflow into a “growth tube” with wetted walls held at a temperature higher than that of the entering flow. An unsheathed, 1 L/min instrument utilizing this principle has been evaluated with various aerosols. The particle size detected with an efficiency of 50% is at or below 4.8 nm for particles sampled from vehicular emissions or ambient air, and for various laboratory-generated inorganic salts. The cut point is higher for the organic materials tested, ranging from 8 nm to 30 nm depending on the compound and purity level. An empirically determined dead-time correction factor is applied to the coincidence correction, which allows extension of the single-count mode to higher concentrations. The counting efficiencies for 80 nm oil and salt aerosols are equal, and above 97% for concentrations approaching 10 ⁵ cm ^?3 . When subject to a step-fucntion change in input concentration the time required to attain 90% of the final value, including a 0.5 s lag, is 1.3 s. The corresponding exponential time constant is 0.35 s. The WCPC evaluated here is marketed as the TSI Model 3785.     

SA-3100离心粒度分析条件对粒径真实测定的影响

用SA-3100型离心粒度分析仪测试粉体的粒度时,对同一样品的分析,往往会有不同的结果.通过对沉降介质和分散剂、最大粒径值的设定、以及测量模式的选择等影响因素作比较试验,寻求准确使用该仪器进行粒度分析的方法.     

快速测定工业水煤浆粒度组成的方法

提出了一种快速测定工业水煤浆粒度组成的方法 ;工业生产证明 ,该方法所测结果与激光粒度分析仪所测结果吻合较好 ,能满足实际生产的需要。     

A Fast Scanning Mobility Particle Spectrometer for Monitoring Transient Particle Size Distributions

The Scanning Mobility Particle Spectrometer (SMPS) is a key tool for measuring particle size distribution. The application of the instrument to obtain size distributions throughout a wide range of particle sizes for transient systems, such as motor vehicle emissions, has been limited by the time resolution of the SMPS. In this paper, we present a fast-SMPS (f-SMPS) that utilizes a Radial Differential Mobility Analyzer (rDMA) and a Wixing Condensation Particle Counter (mCPC). The combination of these two components allows for the acquisition of particle size distributions on the time scale of several seconds. The Instrument has an operating range of 5–98 nm and can obtain particle size distributions at rates of up to 0.4 Hz. This paper presents the initial construction and calibration of the instrument followed by its application to several sampling scenarios. Samples from the on-road testing of a heavy-duty diesel (HDD) vehicle demonstrate the utility of this instrument for momtor vehicle emissions measurements as size distributions can now be associated with discrete events taking piace during vehicle onroad operation. For instance, these data indicate the presence of a number peak at 15 nm during transient vehicle operation. Previous work indicates that these particles are associated with the loss of engine lubricating oil.     

Water Adsorption in Feed Ingredients for Animal Pellets at Different Temperatures,Particle Size,and Ingredient Combinations

Production of animal feed pellets with uniform, predictable, and good technical pellet quality is challenging. The objective of this work was to investigate water adsorption in dry ingredients and in mixture of dry ingredients commonly used in animal feed. Rehydration at 20 and 80°C and water adsorption in moist air at 80°C were studied. Ingredients studied were soybean meal, wheat, barley, dehulled oats, rapeseed cake, sugar beet pulp, maize, and wheat bran. The ingredients were milled fine (< 0.5 mm) or coarse (> 0.5 mm).

Results show that the chemical composition of ingredients and the physical state of water affect water adsorption. A combination of steam and water should be used to optimize production of pelletized feed. The combination of a fine degree of milling, high temperature, and a long residence time favor the water adsorption process for most of the dry ingredients. For mixtures of dry ingredients, the individual chemical composition of each ingredient could be as important as physical factors such as particle size, temperature, and residence time in water.     

LiFePO_4材料的溶胶凝胶法合成及其粒度研究

采用溶胶凝胶法合成了橄榄石型LiFePO4材料。运用XRD、SEM和激光粒度分布仪等手段对材料进行表征。研究了反应体系pH值、煅烧温度、煅烧升温速率和柠檬酸用量等工艺参数对LiFePO4粒径和粒度分布、物相组成和结构等物性的影响。得到的适宜工艺条件为：反应体系pH值为3.57,煅烧温度800℃,煅烧升温速率7℃/min,柠檬酸用量3.5∶1.0。同时分析了各因素对LiFePO4材料粒度分布的影响机制,重点讨论了反应过程机理和煅烧过程机理。     

大颗粒、高浓度硅溶胶的制备新方法

以水玻璃为原料,采用滴加工艺制备一定粒径大小的二氧化硅作为母核;采用在催化剂和分散剂共同作用下水解硅粉的方法使母核二氧化硅颗粒进一步增长,得到了高均匀分布的平均粒径在100nm以上、浓度可达50％的二氧化硅溶胶。并对新方法下pH值、温度以及母核SiO2的浓度、粒径大小对二氧化硅平均粒径及其均匀性的影响进行了分析。研究结果对制备大颗粒、高浓度的硅溶胶具有积极意义。     

A Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy Method for Determining Manganese Composition in Welding Fume as a Function of Primary Particle Size

Increasing evidence suggests that the physicochemical properties of inhaled nanoparticles influence the resulting toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics. This report presents a method using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) to measure the Mn content throughout the primary particle size distribution of welding fume particle samples collected on filters for application in exposure and health research. Dark field images were collected to assess the primary particle size distribution and energy-dispersive X-ray and electron energy loss spectroscopy were performed for measurement of Mn composition as a function of primary particle size. A manual method incorporating imaging software was used to measure the primary particle diameter and to select an integration region for compositional analysis within primary particles throughout the size range. To explore the variation in the developed metric, the method was applied to 10 gas metal arc welding (GMAW) fume particle samples of mild steel that were collected under a variety of conditions. The range of Mn composition by particle size was -0.10 to 0.19 %/nm, where a positive estimate indicates greater relative abundance of Mn increasing with primary particle size and a negative estimate conversely indicates decreasing Mn content with size. However, the estimate was only statistically significant (p<0.05) in half of the samples (n=5), which all had a positive estimate. In the remaining samples, no significant trend was measured. Our findings indicate that the method is reproducible and that differences in the abundance of Mn by primary particle size among welding fume samples can be detected.     

厌氧颗粒污泥粒径分布的分析测试方法简介

厌氧颗粒化污泥的形成是UASB等高效厌氧反应器启动成功的标志,研究污泥颗粒化常用的手段就是测定反应器内污泥颗粒的粒径分布,测量颗粒污泥粒径的方法有沉降法、湿式筛分析法、显微镜法、图像分析和激光粒度测定法等。而湿式筛分析法是一种适合我国国情的方法。     

Minimizing Concentration Effects in Water-Based,Laminar-Flow Condensation Particle Counters

Concentration effects in water condensation systems, such as used in the water-based condensation particle counter, are explored through numeric modeling and direct measurements. Modeling shows that the condensation heat release and vapor depletion associated with particle activation and growth lowers the peak supersaturation. At higher number concentrations, the diameter of the droplets formed is smaller, and the threshold particle size for activation is higher. This occurs in both cylindrical and parallel plate geometries. For water-based systems, we find that condensational heat release is more important than vapor depletion. We also find that concentration effects can be minimized through use of smaller tube diameters, or more closely spaced parallel plates. Experimental measurements of droplet diameter confirm modeling results.

© 2013 American Association for Aerosol Research     

激光衍射法测定细微滑石粉粒度的研究

文章研究了分别以焦磷酸钠、六偏磷酸钠、乙醇、乙二醇单丁醚作为分散剂时使用激光粒度仪对细微滑石粉粒度的测定情况,确定了使用乙醇:乙二醇单丁醚=2:1的混合溶剂进行预分散,再加入水中使用激光粒度仪测定粒度的最佳方法。使用该方法测得的细微滑石粉粒度(D90)RSD为0.49%。     

Plastic Flow of Saturated, Consolidated Alumina Powder Compacts: Particle Size and Binary Mixtures

The flow stresses and relaxed yield stresses of saturated, alumina powder compacts that have been consolidated via pressure filtration were measured in unconstrained uniaxial compression. Two different sized powders, as well as binary mixtures of the two powders, were investigated. Bodies that were consolidated from slurries of larger particles had lower flow and relaxed yield stresses, relative to bodies that were made of small particles with the same relative density and solution conditions. This result is primarily due to the lower number of particle-particle contacts per unit volume in the body that was made of the large particles. The flow stress of the body can be controlled by adjusting the fraction of large particles to small particles.     

Refrigerant Droplet Size Measurements in Conjunction with a Novel Method for Improving Flow Distribution in Evaporators

Maldistribution of two-phase flow in evaporators is known to significantly affect their performance. To reduce refrigerant maldistribution, a pressure-swirl atomizer is used to distribute R-134a in the header of a typical evaporator. A phase-doppler particle analyzer is used to characterize the spray along the centerline of the header for 1, 2, and 3 g/s total mass flow rate. The thermodynamic quality is varied in the header from 0% to 15%. The centerline droplet size is found to decrease with increasing quality and to decrease with increasing distance downstream of the nozzle. Flow distribution is found to be more uniform when the atomizer is used as the expansion device when compared to a typical expansion valve and pipe inlet.     

A New Method for Retrieving Particle Refractive Index and Effective Density from Aerosol Size Distribution Data

As part of the Big Bend Regional Aerosol Visibility and Observation study (BRAVO) in July-October 1999, dry aerosol size distributions were measured over the size range of 0.05 < Dp < 20 w m using a TSI differential mobility analyzer (DMA), a PMS LASAIR 1003 optical particle counter (OPC), and a TSI aerodynamic particle sizer 3320 (APS). Extensive calibrations were performed to characterize the response of the OPC and APS to particles of different size and composition. This paper describes a new method that was developed to align size distributions in the instrument overlap regions, allowing for the retrieval of aerosol real refractive index and effective density. To validate the method, retrieved particle real refractive index was compared with volumeweighted model estimates based on measured PM 2.5 chemical composition. The study average retrieved real refractive index was m r = 1.566 - 0.012, and the average computed PM 2.5 refractive index was m r = 1.56 - 0.02; the agreement is well within experimental uncertainties. The average value of computed PM 2.5 bulk density was 1.85 - 0.14 g cm -3 . The average value of retrieved effective density, a function of particle dynamic shape factor, was 1.56 - 0.12 g cm -3 . The comparisons of effective density to computed bulk density suggested an average particle dynamic shape factor of h = 1.2. Sensitivity studies showed that real refractive index could be retrieved with uncertainties on the order of 2-3%, and effective density was retrieved with uncertainties on the order of 20-30%.