SASS® 4000

A concentrator processes large volumes of ambient air, continuously transferring particulates from this primary air stream to a much smaller secondary air flow (Figure 1). As a result, the secondary flow can reach aerosol concentrations that are 4 to 15 times higher than present in the incoming air. The concentrator therefore amplifies the ambient aerosol concentration, while retaining most of the particles that were present in the incoming air flow in the secondary flow.

Particles are routed into the secondary flow by forcing primary circuit air to circulate through specially shaped channels where centrifugal force and particle momentum are used to isolate and concentrate the particles. The interior structure has been designed so that the smallest flow cross-section is a channel 0.6 mm wide × 6.35 cm long, providing good resistance to clogging by larger particles. A coarse screened cover with 5.4 mm square openings further restricts the entrance of large debris.

Air flow patterns are shown schematically in Figure 2. Air flows radially inward into the concentrator through the coarse square-mesh screen. This inward radial flow provides 360° sampling of the surrounding aerosol environment. A quick-release tripod that is standard with the product allows the preconcentrator section to be located from about 0.6 m to 1.43 m above the tripod mounting surface.

The primary fan and a curved air shroud are mounted above the concentrator, channeling exhaust air into a vertical stream away from the input air areas. The secondary concentrate air is available at a hose barb fitting designed nominally for 3.8 cm ID hose. This allows the discharged aerosol concentrate to be delivered, with minimum tubing length, to an assay system or wet collector on the ground under the concentrator. We recommend delivering the aerosol concentrate using a smooth-surfaced tube of not less than 3.5 cm ID and length not to exceed 3 m (2 m is preferable).

Any sudden change in the aerosol concentrate tube’s cross-section is to be avoided to minimize particle loss to the tube wall and excessive pressure drop. Tube bend radii should also be as large as possible to minimize secondary circulation patterns and particle collisions with the tube wall.

The particulate concentration process is primarily performed within 20 rectangular collection “blades” that slip into radial slots in the main structure (Figure 3). These blades are precisely formed to the desired shape using state-of-the-art CNC machining centers at Research International. This manufacturing method assures that air moves as intended within the interior channels and minimizes particle loss through wall collisions, while also minimizing the overall pressure difference required to push air through the device.

Figure 4 shows typical data for concentration factor as a function of particle size for a primary air flow of about 3000–3600 LPM and a secondary air flow of 300 LPM. This figure is based on tests that used fluorescent polystyrene microspheres (density 1.05 g/cc) and fragments thereof as test particles. Concentration factors were determined from multiple test runs using a Met One 200L laser particle counter.

The figure shows that aerosols of this density and with effective optical diameters in the range of 0.5–1.0 µm were concentrated by a factor of 3× to 4×. Particles in the range of 1.0–2.0 µm were concentrated by a factor of 4× to 5×, while larger respirable particles were concentrated by a factor of about 6×.

Particle concentrations in the secondary flow can be further enhanced by reducing the secondary airflow, as shown in Figure 5. For example, at a secondary airflow of about 40 LPM, the concentration factor is increased by about 3× relative to operation at 300 LPM. However, the total amount of particulate matter collected begins to fall substantially for secondary airflows below about 200 LPM.

Reduced airflow can be valuable if the detection method requires small amounts of fluid. For example, Research International’s standard air sampler, the SASS 2300, has an airflow of about 300 LPM when connected to the SASS 4000 Concentrator and operates with a water inventory of about 5 ml. The SASS 2400 (“Mini-SASS”), however, has a nominal airflow of 40 LPM and a liquid inventory of only about 1 ml. Hence, the Mini-SASS may show a concentration increase of about 15× for this example case, compared to ~5× for the SASS 2300. However, the total amount of particulates collected within a fixed period by the Mini-SASS may be only ~40% of that collected with the larger wet sampler. The best overall collection strategy depends on the application.