Atmospheric Measurement Techniques www.atmos-meas-tech.net 1867-1381 1867-8548 2 1 2009 10.5194/amt-2-81-2009 http://www.atmos-meas-tech.net/2/81/2009/ http://www.atmos-meas-tech.net/2/81/2009/amt-2-81-2009.html http://www.atmos-meas-tech.net/2/81/2009/amt-2-81-2009.pdf 81 85 2009-03-30 Influence of particle charging on TEOM measurements in the presence of an electrostatic precipitator N. K. Meyer nicmeyer@yahoo.co.uk A. Lauber T. Nussbaumer H. Burtscher Institute for Aerosol and Sensor Technology, University of Applied Sciences, Windisch, Switzerland Bioenergy Research Group, University of Applied Sciences, Lucerne, Horw, Switzerland now at: Laboratory for Energy Systems Analysis, Paul Scherrer Institut, Switzerland The efficiency of an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) for reducing wood combustion emissions was investigated. Real-time measurements were conducted by directly reading the change in frequency of the tapered element in a Thermo Scientific 1400a TEOM. These measurements have been shown to be influenced by the charge on the aerosols reaching the tapered element such that the TEOM overestimates mass concentration. This electrostatic effect was crosschecked with particle mass concentration and particle number concentration measurements where no influence was observed. Placing a radioactive neutraliser prior to the TEOM leads to agreement between observed ESP efficiencies as measured by both the TEOM, mass filters and a CPC. Baron, P. A. and Willeke, K. (Eds.): Aerosol Measurement: Principles, Techniques and Applications, Wiley Interscience, 2001. Burtscher, H.: Physical characterization of particulate emissions from diesel engines: a review, J. Aerosol Sci., 36(7), 896–932, 2005. EPA: Ambient Air Monitoring Reference and Equivalent Methods Designation, US Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Register, 55, 43406–43407, 1990. Chen, J. and Davidson, J. H.: Model of the Negative DC Corona Plasma: Comparision to the Positive DC Corona Plasma, Plasma Chem. Plasma Process, 23(1), 83–102, 2002. Green, D., Fuller, G., and Barratt, B.: Evaluation of the TEOM "correction factors" for assessing EU Stage 1 limit values for PM10, Atmos. Environ., 35, 2589–2593, 2001. Green, D. and Fuller, G. W.: The implications of tapered element oscillating microbalance (TEOM) software configuration on particulate matter measurements in the UK and Europe, Atmos. Environ., 40, 5608–5616, 2006. Klippel, N. and Nussbaumer, T.: Feinstaubbildung in Holzfeuerungen und Gesundheitsrelevanz von Holzstaub im Vergleich zu Dieselruss, 9th Wood Energy Symposium, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland, 2006. Nussbaumer, T.: Combustion and co-combustion of biomass: Fundamentals, technologies and primary measures for emission reduction, Energ. Fuel., 17, 1510–1521, 2003. Nussbaumer, T. and Hasler, P.: Bildung und Eigenschaften von Aerosolen aus Holzfeuerungen, Holz als Roh- und Werkstoff, 57, 13–22, 1999. Oser, M., Nussbaumer, T., Schweizer, B., Mohr, M., and Figi, R.: Untersuchung der Einflüsse auf die Partikelemissionen in einer Unterschubfeuerung, 6th Wood Energy Symposium, ETH, Zurich, 2000.