TECHNOLOGY BRIEF

INSTRUMENT FOR RAPID, CONTINUOUS AEROSOL CHEMICAL ANALYSIS

For further information, contact Lori-Anne Neiger

Description: The subject invention is an aerosol sampler that permits quantitative collection of ambient aerosol particles, and automated, continuous, on-line rapid analysis of the chemical composition of aerosol particle samples. The device is capable of collecting particles as small as 100 nm for analysis at near 100 percent efficiency, and it can determine the major aerosol ionic components with a limit of detection of ~0.1 microgram per cubic meter.

Commercial and Technical Merit: This design is relatively simple, which makes it easy to use and operate, compared with aerosol samplers currently available commercially. It should also be relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Competitive Advantage: The principle advantage offered by this design over similar devices which are currently available, is that it is able to rapidly sample and process, in a continuous fashion, a sufficient volume of ambient air to form a representative sample over a short time period of 4 minutes or less. This makes in-the-field adjustments and modifications of experiment sampling strategies and protocols possible.

Stage of Development: A prototype has been built, and was successfully tested during the 1999 Atlanta Supersite experiment. An aircraft version was built and successfully deployed during the Texas 2000 Air Quality Study, whereby the time resolution was improved to 3 min.

Inventors: Yin-Nan E. Lee and Rodney J. Weber

Patent Status: U.S. Patent 6,506,345

License Status: Available exclusively or non-exclusively