Grantee Research Project Results
2013 Progress Report: Development of Cost-effective, Compact Electrical Ultrafine Particle (eUFP) Sizers and Wireless eUFP Sensor Network
EPA Grant Number: R835132Title: Development of Cost-effective, Compact Electrical Ultrafine Particle (eUFP) Sizers and Wireless eUFP Sensor Network
Investigators: Chen, Da-Ren , Lu, Chenyang
Institution: Washington University
Current Institution: Washington University , Virginia Commonwealth University
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: September 1, 2012 through August 31, 2015 (Extended to August 31, 2016)
Project Period Covered by this Report: September 1, 2012 through August 31,2013
Project Amount: $499,130
RFA: Developing the Next Generation of Air Quality Measurement Technology (2011) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Air Quality and Air Toxics , Air
Objective:
Specific objectives of this research project are (i) to develop a cost-effective, portable electrical ultrafine particle (eUFP) sizer, enabling the spatial and temporal monitoring of UFP size distribution in the ambient; (ii) to develop a cost-effective, pocket eUFP sizer for measuring the UFP exposure at the personal level; (iii) to develop a wireless mesh network using proposed portable sizers as the nodes, enabling to monitor the working status of deployed sizers and to acquire data being collected via internet; and (iv) to evaluate and validate proposed technologies in planned field testing.
Progress Summary:
A mini-plate electrical ultrafine particle classifier (mini-plate EAC) has been developed in Year 1 of this project. Detail experiments had been performed to calibrate the performance of mini-plate EAC. The result shows that the particle sizing resolution of the prototype can be continuously improved up to the aerosol-to-sheath flowrate ratio of 1:10. At the aerosol-to-sheath flowrate ratio of 12, the sizing resolution of mini-plate EAC is not significantly better than that at the 1:10 flowrate ratio. In addition, prototype mini-Faradcages have been constructed and their performance has been evaluated by comparing its readings with those measured by condensation particle counters (CPCs). In addition, a series of mini-cyclones having multiple inlets have been designed and experimentally investigated. The mini-cyclone with multiple inlets will be installed in the mini-plate sizers for removing particles of large diameters.
Future Activities:
(1) Development of mini-plate differential mobility classifier and aerosol charger.
(2) Assembly of the first portable electrical ultrafine particle sizer (eUFP sizer).
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 19 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
Differential mobility analyzer, DMA, mini-aerosol charger, electrical aerosol classifier, EACProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.