Determination of Particle Size Distribution of Ultra-Fine Aerosols Using a Differential Mobility Analyzer

Kousaka, Yasuo; Okuyama, Kikuo; Adachi, Motoaki

doi:10.1080/02786828508959049

Cited by 106 publications

(59 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Measurements with doubly charged particles (¡2e) as small as 30 nm were indistinguishable from single charge data. For particles smaller than 30 nm, the probability for acquiring a net charge of 2 or more elementary charges is small (<0.5%) (Kousaka et al 1985). Thus for most practical purposes, applying the single charge Pen dc to singly-and multiply-charged particles is suf ciently accurate.…”

Section: Penetration Coefficientmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of Volatility Method for Measuring Aqueous Sulfuric Acid on Mixed Aerosols

Schmid

Eimer²,

Hagen³

et al. 2002

Aerosol Science and Technology

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The thermal discrimination or volatility technique is a widely used method exploiting differences in aerosol volatility to discriminate between particles of different chemical composition. In recent years numerous investigators applied this technique to determine the existence and the amount of sulfuric acid in the aerosol phase of aircraft contrails forming in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UT/LS). Although the potential for systematic errors due to incomplete evaporation and recondensation of volatile material as well as internal wall losses was recognized by other investigators, we are not aware of any study on polydisperse aerosol (broad size distribution) incorporating these effects into the volatility technique. Here, a tandem differential mobility analyzer (TDMA) is employed to investigate the performance of a thermal discriminator designed at the University of Missouri-Rolla (UMR). Since sulfuric acid is of particular interest for atmospheric aerosol, this study focused on aqueous sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 /H 2 O) aerosol. For an operating temperature of 300 ± C and an aerosol residence time of more than 0.25 s, we found that complete evaporation of H 2 SO 4 /H 2 O aerosol occurred up to diameters of at least 1.9 ¹m, which is consistent with theoretical calculations. No evidence for recondensation was found for H 2 SO 4 /H 2 O particle surface area and mass concentrations typical for UT/LS background and aircraft plume conditions. Wall losses were measured and incorporated into a size-resolved version of the volatility method, allowing more accurate measurements of the volatile (H 2 SO 4 /H 2 O) volume fraction of polydisperse aerosol. The increased accuracy was demonstrated using well-characterized, mixed (partially volatile) H 2 SO 4 /H 2 O/NaCl aerosol.

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Section: Penetration Coefficientmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of Volatility Method for Measuring Aqueous Sulfuric Acid on Mixed Aerosols

Schmid

Eimer²,

Hagen³

et al. 2002

Aerosol Science and Technology

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“…For more details, the reader is referred to reports on the development of mobility particle size spectrometers (e.g. ten Brink et al, 1983;Fissan et al, 1983;Kousaka et al, 1985;Wang and Flagan, 1990;Winklmayr et al, 1991;Chen et al, 1998;Jokinen and Mäkelä, 1997;Birmili et al, 1999;Hinds, 1999), or the documentation provided by commercial manufacturers. Most mobility particle size spectrometers consist of a sequential setup of a bipolar diffusion charger (or traditionally named neutralizer), a DMA, and a CPC.…”

Section: The Principles Of Mobility Particle Size Spectrometersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mobility particle size spectrometers were developed over the last 30 yr (e.g. ten Brink et al, 1983;Fissan et al, 1983;Kousaka et al, 1985;Winklmayr et al, 1991;Wang and Flagan, 1990;Chen et al, 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mobility particle size spectrometers: harmonization of technical standards and data structure to facilitate high quality long-term observations of atmospheric particle number size distributions

et al. 2012

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Abstract. Mobility particle size spectrometers often referred to as DMPS (Differential Mobility Particle Sizers) or SMPS (Scanning Mobility Particle Sizers) have found a wide range of applications in atmospheric aerosol research. However, comparability of measurements conducted world-wide is hampered by lack of generally accepted technical standards and guidelines with respect to the instrumental setup, measurement mode, data evaluation as well as quality control. Technical standards were developed for a minimum requirement of mobility size spectrometry to perform long-term atmospheric aerosol measurements. Technical recommendations include continuous monitoring of flow rates, temperature, pressure, and relative humidity for the sheath and sample air in the differential mobility analyzer.We compared commercial and custom-made inversion routines to calculate the particle number size distributions from the measured electrical mobility distribution. All inversion routines are comparable within few per cent uncertainty for a given set of raw data.Furthermore, this work summarizes the results from several instrument intercomparison workshops conducted within the European infrastructure project EUSAAR (European Supersites for Atmospheric Aerosol Research) and AC-TRIS (Aerosols, Clouds, and Trace gases Research InfraStructure Network) to determine present uncertainties especially of custom-built mobility particle size spectrometers. Under controlled laboratory conditions, the particle number size distributions from 20 to 200 nm determined by mobility particle size spectrometers of different design are within an uncertainty range of around ±10 % after correcting internal particle losses, while below and above this size range the discrepancies increased. For particles larger than 200 nm, the uncertainty range increased to 30 %, which could not be explained. The network reference mobility spectrometers with identical design agreed within ±4 % in the peak particle number concentration when all settings were done carefully. The consistency of these reference instruments to the total particle number concentration was demonstrated to be less than 5 %.Additionally, a new data structure for particle number size distributions was introduced to store and disseminate the data at EMEP (European Monitoring and Evaluation Program). This structure contains three levels: raw data, processed data, and final particle size distributions. Importantly, we recommend reporting raw measurements including all relevant instrument parameters as well as a complete documentation on all data transformation and correction steps. These technical and data structure standards aim to enhance the quality of long-term size distribution measurements, their comparability between different networks and sites, and their transparency and traceability back to raw data.

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“…of the DMA transfer function (Kousaka et al 1985(Kousaka et al , 1986Stolzenburg 1988). Stolzenburg (1988) derived a semianalytical expression for the distorted transfer function over a decade ago, but only recently has use of this, or other similar representations, become routine (Zhang and Flagan 1996;Fissan et al 1996;Rossell-Llompart et al 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improved Inversion of Scanning DMA Data

Collins

Flagan

Seinfeld

2002

Aerosol Science and Technology

150

126

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Recovery of aerosol size distributions from either stepping or scanning mode differential mobility analyzer (DMA) measurements requires an accurate description of the characteristics of the DMA itself, as well as certain properties of the aerosol. Inversion of scanning DMA data is further complicated by the nonunique relationship between the time a particle exits the DMA and the time it is ultimately detected. Without an accurate description of this relationship, and an appropriate method of accounting for it, inverted distributions will be broadened and skewed relative to the true distribution. A simpli ed approach to inversion of scanning DMA data is described here in which adjustment of the raw data to account for the delay time distribution associated with the instrument is accomplished prior to nal inversion. This provides the exibility to utilize more accurate descriptions of the delay time distribution and the DMA transfer function than is feasible if the inversion is to be accomplished in one step as described by Russell et al. (1995). The accuracy of this procedure has been demonstrated through analysis of actual as well as test-case data.

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Determination of Particle Size Distribution of Ultra-Fine Aerosols Using a Differential Mobility Analyzer

Cited by 106 publications

References 10 publications

Investigation of Volatility Method for Measuring Aqueous Sulfuric Acid on Mixed Aerosols

Investigation of Volatility Method for Measuring Aqueous Sulfuric Acid on Mixed Aerosols

Mobility particle size spectrometers: harmonization of technical standards and data structure to facilitate high quality long-term observations of atmospheric particle number size distributions

Improved Inversion of Scanning DMA Data

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