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COMPACT NEPHELOMETER SYSTEM FOR ON-LINE MONITORING OF PARTICULATE MATTER EMISSIONS
Impact/Purpose:
There are many possible applications for the characterization of particulate matter emissions. These may include the characterization of emissions from incinerators, boilers, coal power plants and diesel engines. Unlike several other devices that can measure particle size such as the scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS), this instrument could be integrated into an exhaust stream because it can make the measurements in undiluted exhaust. Another difference from other particulate instruments is that this device would be quite fast, capable of making a set of measurements in less than 1 s. Proposed Federal particulate matter standards will drastically tighten emissions in the next several years. Because of the potential advantages of such an instrument it may well make a good future standard for particulate measurements. The current standard is a filter-based system that is cumbersome to use. shows large test-to-test variations, and only measures the total particulate mass emissions.
The objective of the proposed three year project is to develop a new instrument for the characterization of particulate matter emissions, a "compact nephelometer". The instrument would measure both the mass concentration of particulate matter emissions and its mean particle diameter, in real-time.
Description:
Our concept would eliminate the camera and optical fibers by using photodiodes, yielding a more robust system that would be faster, more sensitive, and much less expensive. Due to the simplicity of the system it could be adapted to make in-situ measurements, not just measurements of sampled flows, as is current practice. A prototype system having a toot-print of about 1 ft2 will be built and tested in several types of particulate laden flows. Software will be developed to allow automated on-line data acquisition and analysis.