Abstract: A system and a method is described herein for the collection of small particles in a concentrated manner, whereby particles are deposited onto a solid surface or collected into a volume of liquid. The collected samples readily interface to any of a number of different elemental, chemical, or biological or other analysis techniques.

Abstract: A system and method for particle enlargement with continuously wetted wicks includes a container into which a flow of particle-laden air is introduced in a laminar manner through an inlet and to an outlet. The container has a first section, a second section and a third section though which the particle-laden air flows between the inlet and the outlet. The temperature of the second section is warmer than that of the first section at the inlet and the third section at the outlet. In one embodiment, a continuous wick spanning an interior wall of the first second, second section and third section, said wick being capable of internally transporting liquid water along its length is provided.

Abstract: A particle charging method and apparatus are provided. An ion source is applied to a particle laden flow. The flow is introduced into a container in a laminar manner. The container has at least a first section, a second section and a third section. The first section includes wetted walls at a first temperature. A second section adjacent to the first section has wetted walls at a second temperature T2 greater than the first temperature T1. A third section adjacent to the second section has dry walls provided at a temperature T3 equal to or greater than T2. Additional water removal and temperature conditioning sections may be provided.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for creating enlarged particles in a flow. The apparatus includes a coiled tube having a tube diameter and a coil diameter, the tube having an input receiving the flow and an output, the tube having a length between the input and the output. A heater heats a first portion of the tube along a first, longitudinal portion of the tube, and a cooler cools a second, longitudinal portion of the tube along at least a second portion of the tube. The method includes heating a first portion of the tube along a first longitudinal portion of the tube, and simultaneously cooling a second portion of the tube along at least a second longitudinal portion of the tube. While heating and cooling, the method includes introducing a flow into an interior of the tube at an input, the flow moving the output.

Abstract: This technology is a method and apparatus for the semi-continuous measurement of the concentration of constituents of airborne particles which couples a laminar flow, water condensation particle collector to a microfluidic device for assay of particle chemical composition by electrophoresis. The technology has been used for the assay of sulfates, nitrates, chlorides, and organic acids contained in fine and submicrometer atmospheric particles. For these compounds the apparatus and method described is capable of one-minute time resolution at concentrations at the level of micrograms of analyte species per cubic meter of air. Extension to other analytes is possible.

Abstract: An aerosol collection system and method. The system includes a bio-aerosol delivery device configured to supply bioparticles in a gas stream, a moisture exchange device including a partition member coupled to the gas stream and configured to humidify or dehumidify the bioparticles in the gas stream, and an aerosol collection medium downstream from the moisture exchange device and configured to collect the bioparticles. The method includes delivering bioparticles in a gas stream, humidifying or dehumidifying the bioparticles in the gas stream by transport of water across a partition member and into a vapor phase of the gas stream, and collecting the bioparticles by a collection medium.

Abstract: This technology relates to the enlargement by water condensation in a laminar flow of airborne particles with diameters of the order of a few nanometers to hundreds of nanometers to form droplets with diameters of the order of several micrometers. The technology presents several advanced designs, including the use of double-stage condensers. It has application to measuring the number concentration of particles suspended in air or other gas, to collecting these particles, or to focusing these particles.

Abstract: A system and method for particle enlargement with continuously wetted wicks includes a container into which a flow of particle-laden air is introduced in a laminar manner through an inlet and to an outlet. The container has a first section, a second section and a third section though which the particle-laden air flows between the inlet and the outlet. The temperature of the second section is warmer than that of the first section at the inlet and the third section at the outlet. In one embodiment, a continuous wick spanning an interior wall of the first second, second section and third section, said wick being capable of internally transporting liquid water along its length is provided.

Abstract: A particle charging method and apparatus are provided. An ion source is applied to a particle laden flow. The flow is introduced into a container in a laminar manner. The container has at least a first section, a second section and a third section. The first section includes wetted walls at a first temperature. A second section adjacent to the first section has wetted walls at a second temperature T2 greater than the first temperature T1. A third section adjacent to the second section has dry walls provided at a temperature T3 equal to or greater than T2. Additional water removal and temperature conditioning sections may be provided.

Abstract: Technology is presented for the high efficiency concentration of fine and ultrafine airborne particles into a small fraction of the sampled airflow by condensational enlargement, aerodynamic focusing and flow separation. A nozzle concentrator structure including an acceleration nozzle with a flow extraction structure may be coupled to a containment vessel. The containment vessel may include a water condensation growth tube to facilitate the concentration of ultrafine particles. The containment vessel may further include a separate carrier flow introduced at the center of the sampled flow, upstream of the acceleration nozzle of the nozzle concentrator to facilitate the separation of particle and vapor constituents.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the in-situ, chemical analysis of an aerosol. The method may include the steps of: collecting an aerosol; thermally desorbing the aerosol into a carrier gas to provide desorbed aerosol material; transporting the desorbed aerosol material onto the head of a gas chromatography column; analyzing the aerosol material using a gas chromatograph, and quantizing the aerosol material as it evolves from the gas chromatography column. The apparatus includes a collection and thermal desorption cell, a gas chromatograph including a gas chromatography column, heated transport lines coupling the cell and the column; and a quantization detector for aerosol material evolving from the gas chromatography column.

Abstract: Technology is presented for the high efficiency concentration of fine and ultrafine airborne particles into a small fraction of the sampled airflow by condensational enlargement, aerodynamic focusing and flow separation. A nozzle concentrator structure including an acceleration nozzle with a flow extraction structure may be coupled to a containment vessel. The containment vessel may include a water condensation growth tube to facilitate the concentration of ultrafine particles. The containment vessel may further include a separate carrier flow introduced at the center of the sampled flow, upstream of the acceleration nozzle of the nozzle concentrator to facilitate the separation of particle and vapor constituents.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for producing a region of vapor super-saturation and particle growth in a laminar flow by surrounding the particle flow with a saturated or super-saturated sheath flow from which vapor diffuses into the aerosol flow. This method is applicable when the mass diffusivity of the condensing vapor is greater than the thermal diffusivity of the carrier gas, such as is the case when water vapor diffuses into air.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for producing a diffusive, continuous laminar flow for particle growth via condensation of vapors with a mass diffusivity near or higher than the thermal diffusivity of the surrounding gas. In an exemplary embodiment, the method uses the condensation of water vapor onto particles suspended in air.

Abstract: A particle microtrap screen apparatus has an inlet, a jet orifice screen with multiple microjet orifices, and a microtrap plate having multiple microtraps spaced opposite the multiple microjet orifices for entrapping particles entrained by the jets and then released by the gas, and impacting in the microtraps with the energy imparted by the gas as the gas turns and flows between the jet orifice screen and the microtrap impact plate. Collection efficiencies of greater than 90% of particles, about 2 micrometers or larger in size, are experienced with pressure drops of less than 5 millimeters of water. The pressure drop does not increase upon increased loading with particles. The jet orifices have widths of D, about 0.5 millimeters, with spacing between orifices of about 5D and trap width and depth of about 4D and 2D, respectively, with about 2D spacing between the jet orifice screen and the microtrap plate.

Abstract: The SPIRAL SAMPLER is a sampler for airborne particles. The spiral groove in the sampler allows for sticky or liquid particles as well as solid or bouncy particles of any given aerodynamic diameter to be sampled with the same efficiency. The SPIRAL SAMPLER does not require any oil or grease, which may become dislodged during operation and contaminate the particle deposit. By varying the dimensions of the inlet tube and the spiral groove, as well as the number of turns of the spiral, samplers may be made for sampling at any desired flow rate and with chosen particle size cutoffs. The SPIRAL SAMPLER may be scaled to any size, from personal to an area sampler. For sampling in areas with high loadings of large particles, a particle trap may be used to effectively and compactly separate oversized particles which would adversely affect the sampler operator.

Abstract: An integrated collection and vaporization cell apparatus has a collector and vaporizer cell for collecting airborne particles from sample gas on a collector strip in the cell and a power source connected to the strip for rapidly heating the strip and converting the particles to vapors for analysis without need of removing the strip from the cell. A sample gas director connected to the cell directs sample gas and particles to the collector strip. Particles are collected on the strip by impaction. Rapid heating of the strip vaporizes the particles. A carrier gas flowed into the cell through the director and directly into the cell through a port directs the vapors from the cell to an analyzer port. A measurer connected to the analyzer port measures the amount of vapors and elemental constituents obtained from vaporization of the particles. A humidifier is provided to increase particle collection efficiency.