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Lab 2 Aerosol
Lab 2 Aerosol
Laboratory 2, pg. 1
The air that is forced to rise over the barrier is now moist enough for condensation to
occur. But, after the air flows over the range, it sinks down into North Park, a large
valley directly east of SPL. Descending air warms adiabatically and hence, the cloud
droplets and snow crystals evaporate. The annual precipitation is about 16 inches in
Hayden (the airport where you landed), is about 60 inches at the crest of the range
(where SPL is) and is, once again, 16 inches at Walden just 20 miles downwind of SPL
in North Park (Hindman, 1986: J. Appl. Meteor.). From these numbers, you can see the
tremendous influence the Park Range has on the weather.
At SPL, the DRI has installed a suite of instruments that measures the size distribution
and number concentration of aerosol particles with diameters between 0.003 and 20
m:
The aerosol particle size distribution is divided into three modes: the nucleation, fine
and coarse. The nucleation mode is populated by particles that formed by gas-to-
particle reactions or by combustion, the fine mode is populated by particles that
coagulated and grew from the nucleation mode and the coarse mode is populated by
particles produced by mechanical processes (eg. road dust).
It can be seen in the diagram, cloud droplets form on the smaller particles while the
crystals form on the larger particles. The fate of the aerosol particles in cloud droplet
and snow crystal formation at SPL has been described by Borys, Hindman and DeMott
(1988, J. Atmos. Chem., 7, 213-239), Borys, Lowenthal and Mitchell (2000, Atmos.
Environ. 34, 2593-2602), Lowenthal, Borys and Wetzel (2002, J. Geophys. Res., 107,
4345) and Borys, et al. (2003, Geophys. Rsh. Ltrs. 30, 1538).
The operating principles of the suite of instruments can be found on-line at
www.tsi.com. First, there are the particle counters, the TSI3025A ultrafine
condensation particle counter (UCPC) and TSI3010 condensation particle counter
(CPC). Briefly, particles greater than a minimum size are caused to grow to light-
scattering sizes by condensation of alcohol vapors in a rapid expansion chamber as
Laboratory 2, pg. 2
described by Agarwal and Sem (1980, J. Aerosol Sci., 11, 343-357). Then, there is the
particle sizer, the TSI3936 scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS). Particles entering
the instrument and are electrically neutralized. Then, a known charge is applied to the
particles and they flow through an annulus in which an electric charge is applied to a
center probe. All particles smaller than a size specified by the probe migrate to the
probe. The particles just larger flow through the annulus and into a TSI3022 ultrafine
CN counter to be counted. The charge on the probe is increased and a larger size-cut
occurs and those particles are counted. The sizer steps through a particle diameter rage
of 8.6 to 300 nm in about 5-minutes. The minimum particle diameter detected by the
TSI3022 counter is about 8.6 nm and so this is the minimum diameter detected by the
SMPS. Finally, there is the particle sizer and counter. The TSI3321 aerodynamic
particle sizer (APS) is a time-of-flight spectrometer that measures the velocity of
particles in an accelerating air flow through a nozzle to size the particle. A count is
added to the size-bin encompassing the particle size. Then, the next particle in the air
stream is sized and counted and so on until a statistically significant number of particles
are counted. This takes about 5-minutes. So, a size spectrum and number
concentration is obtained every five minutes. Both the SMPS and APS instruments
have cyclones on the inlets to remove particles, respectively, greater than 1 and 20
micrometers in diameter.
The SMPS and APS instruments both have "cyclones" on the inlets to remove particles,
respectively, with diameters greater that 1 and 20 micrometers.
The mass concentration (micrograms/cubic meter) of aerosol particles with diameters
less than or equal to 10 micrometers, called PM10, is a standard air pollution
measurement. The Routt County Environmental Health Dept. measures hourly PM10
values downtown. Thus, we can compare our DustTrak data with theirs to develop a
pattern of PM10 in the valley. Also, in January 2000, the acidic cloud episode detected
at SPL occurred concurrently with elevated PM10 concentrations at SPLB as reported
by Hindman, et al. (2002, J. Wea. Modif.). The operating principles of this instrument
can be found on-line at www.tsi.com. An Met-One AEROCET 531 PM10 will also be
used. Details are at www.metone.com/documents/AEROCET531Particulate.pdf.
OBJECTIVES:
Learn to measure the concentrations of aerosol particles using the PortaCount Plus (a
variation of the CPC), the CPC, the Ultrafine CPC, the DustTrak and Scanning
mobility particle sizer and Aerosol particle sizer.
INSTRUMENTS:
Laboratory 2, pg. 3
PROCEDURES:
SPL:
The CPC and Ultrafine CPC data are continuously recorded with the weather data on
the CR10 data logger. Every three hours, record on the CPC data sheet CN and UFCN
concentration values from the real-time SPL weather display on the SPL web-site
(stormpeak.dri.edu). The screen updates every 5-min and the values are 5-min
averages.
SMPS and
APS data
display
screen
Weather
display
screen
2002
The Aerodynamic particle sizer (APS) and Scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS)
data are displayed on the Gateway desktop monitor. These data are recorded onto a
Laboratory 2, pg. 4
computer and preliminary analyses are automatically performed (make sure the clock
on the Gateway computer is identical to the clock on the CR10 to synchronize the
data). We will display cumulative mass concentrations values: the mass of aerosol
particles with sizes greater than or equal to a minimum particle diameter. The SMPS
measures the mass concentration of the submicron particles and the APS measures the
mass concentration of the supermicron particles. Record values on the APS/SMPS data
sheet (displayed are 5-minute-average mass concentration):
CPC
DustTrak
SPLB:
At the 0800, 1400, 2000 and 0200 MST observations, record the time and three CN
values in the CN data sheet. Note, the PCP screen is blank and the data are scrolling on
the PC screen attached to the PCP.
At the 0500, 1100, 1700 and 2300 MST observations, record the time and three CN
values and replace the wick with the wick that has been soaking.
:
Laboratory 2, pg. 5
Met-One AEROCET 531 to measure PM10:
At each observation time, just record three mass concentration values in the data book:
Laboratory 2, pg. 6
Laboratory 2, pg. 7
Laboratory 2, pg. 8
Laboratory 2, pg. 9
Laboratory 2, pg. 10
Instructions on manipulating the filter and filter-
holder
1. Remove the red lid form the filter-holder
2. Unscrew the screw-cap of the holder
3. Lift the Key
4. Use the clipper to pick the filter from the filter box. Notice that there is a sheet that
separate the filters; remove the separator and take the filter. The shiny side of the filter
is faced downward.
5. Place the filter on the top of the filter-holder base. Notice, the shiny side of the filter
must face upward
6. Do not wrinkle the filter. Avoid the electrostatic caused by the clipper and/or your
finger, which results in folding and sticking the filter in the clipper and/or finger
7. Make sure the filter is flat; return the key and make sure it is stable does not twist
8. Screw on the screw-cap
9. Cover the apparatus by the red lid to protect the filter
10. The gas meter is attached to the trailer tongue. There is a tube, which is attached to the
gas meter. Insert the filter-base into the tube.
11. Remove the red lid and let the filter collect particles for six hours. The filter must be
changed every six hours; no more, no less.
12. The tube leaving the gas meter is attached to the air pump. It sucks the air and allows
particles that have diameter greater than about 0.1 microns to be collected.
Laboratory 2, pg. 11
Laboratory 2, pg. 12
Laboratory 2, pg. 13