Field Evaluation of a TSI Model 3034 Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer in New York City: Winter 2004 Intensive Campaign

A new “single box” Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (TSI SMPS Model 3034) was deployed and operated during a period of four weeks as a part of the PMTACS-NY Winter 2004 intensive study in Queens College, New York City. The SMPS 3034 is an alternative to a conventional multi-component TSI SMPS and houses a Differential Mobility Analyzer and butanol-based Condensation Particle Counter in one cabinet. The SMPS 3034 operates at a fixed 1 l/min sample flow rate (4 l/min sheath flow rate) and measures size distributions within a 10–487 nm size range. One size scan is produced every 3 minutes. Four other measurement systems (a conventional TSI SMPS with a Nano Differential Mobility Analyzer, an Aerodynamic Particle Sizer, a stand-alone Condensation Particle Counter, and an R&P Inc. Filter Dynamic Measurement System (FDMS) TEOM mass monitor) were operated side-by-side with the SMPS 3034. It is shown that total particle number concentrations measured by the SMPS 3034 are highly correlated with those from the conventional Nano SMPS, the Condensation Particle Counter and the FDMS TEOM monitor, and that the number median diameters measured by the SMPS 3034 and the Nano SMPS agree within 3 nm.

This work was supported in part by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), contract # 4918ERTERES99, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cooperative agreement # R828060010 and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC), contract # C004210. Although the research described in this article has been funded in part by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, it has not been subjected to the Agency's required peer and policy review and therefore does not necessary reflect the views of the Agency and no official endorsement should be inferred.

The authors would like to thank TSI Incorporated for lending us an SMPS 3034 unit for the campaign, Wei Liu, Maynard Havlicek and Steven W. Kerrigan (TSI Inc.) for their advice and helpful discussions, as well as Dirk Felton and Aaron Pulaski (NYS DEC). The authors would also like to acknowledge Queens College for cooperation and logistical support during the campaign.

Notes

* A dryer was installed in the sheath flow.

**Electrical mobility diameter, corresponds to physical diameter for spherical shape particles.

*** Aerodynamic diameter, corresponds to physical diameters of approximately 443–16,167 nm, assuming density of 1.5 g/cm³.

**** 25% of data had to be discarded due to a possible cyclone-induced leak.