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Shape memory polymers (SMPs) capable of recovering from a deformed state through heating were 3D printed using volumetric additive manufacturing, which enabled the layerless, single-step fabrication of self-standing tripod and actuating gripper structures.
This dataset was collected by the measurement system in the Atmosphere, Climate, and Ecosystems (ACE) Lab at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) from July 12 to July 31, 2024, as part of the Community Research on Climate and Urban Science (CROCUS) Urban Integrated Field Laboratory (UIFL) project, led by Argonne National Laboratory.To enhance understanding of urban air quality dynamics in Chicago, and as part of the CROCUS 2024 Urban Canyon Intensive Observation Period (IOP), several instruments were set up to provide continuous measurements of air quality parameters in Chicago during July 2024. These measurements cover both aerosols and gas-phase species. It focuses on particle size distribution (2.5–478 nm) measured by two Scanning Mobility Particle Sizers (SMPS) at a 4-min resolution, total particle number concentrations at a 1-s resolution, and chemical composition from a High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS) at a 1-min resolution. Key gas-phase species, including NO, NO₂, SO₂, and O₃, are measured at a 1-min resolution, along with high-resolution NO and dimethyl sulfide (DMS) data from a Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer (CIMS). Volatile organic compound (VOC) data for toluene, isoprene, and benzene are provided by a GC-PID with a time resolution of 25 minutes.The data are formatted as NetCDF (.nc) files, making them easily accessible using common software such as MATLAB, R, and Python. Each parameter is stored in an individual dataset, which includes detailed instrument information in the header, as well as the corresponding sample start time and concentration/distribution data for each sample.
Two material types identified by Sew-EZ were tested in various configurations, and under various conditions, by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). The primary focus of this study was to assess the filtration performance of these two materials and identify if they perform similarly to certified N95 respirators. Testing was conducted on two systems which use distinctly different techniques to characterize the aerosol penetration characteristics of materials: a) R&D Filtration System: A large-scale R&D filtration system was used with testing parameters that mimicked NIOSH guidelines, where possible. Efficiency data as a function of particle size was attained using NaC1 as the test aerosol and a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) for measurements. A more detailed system description can be found in Omana et al. 2020. b) Automated Tester: A commercial, automated filter tester (100Xs, Air Techniques International) was used to provide penetration/efficiency data for Sew EZ materials. The 100Xs aerosolizes a polydisperse NaC1 aerosol with a consistent concentration and size profile. The 100Xs manual (Air Techniques International 2018) states, "The aerosol particle size and distribution are designed to meet all requirements as defined in the relevant sections of NIOSH 42 CFR, Part 84 (pg. 32)."
Solvent-based post-combustion CO 2 capture (PCC) technology remains one of the leading methods to combat global CO 2 emissions produced from large-scale coal-fired power production. Advanced solventbased PCC technology has made significant improvements in design and performance that reduce capital and operating costs to enable its commercial use. Key to low cost, manageable logistics, and environmentally safe operation of solvent-based PCC technology are minimal solvent losses from the process through the treated gas stream exiting PCC plant absorbers. High flue gas aerosol particle concentrations (>10 5 particles/cm 3 ) for particles in the range of 70-200 nm have been shown to cause significant amine solvent losses for solvent-based PCC processes through several mechanisms including absorption of solvent and water into growing aerosol particles. Flue gas aerosol pretreatment technology is the only realistic and economically attractive method to reduce very high aerosol particle concentrations (>10 7 particles/cm 3 ) to enable solvent-based PCC for existing power plants lacking sufficient particle removal systems, such as baghouses. The overall goal of this project was to design, construct, independently test, and evaluate three flue gas aerosol pretreatment technologies identified to significantly reduce high aerosol particle concentrations (>10 7 particles/cm 3 ) in the 70-200 nm particle size range: (1) a novel, high-velocity water injection spray concept developed by RWE and tested by Linde, (2) an innovative electrostatic precipitator (ESP) device with optimized operating conditions developed by Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL), and (3) a non-regenerative sorbent-based filter technology developed by InnoSepra for SO x and NO x removal from coal-fired power plant flue gas. Each technology has been validated with tests on 500-1000 scfm of actual coal-fired flue gas and evaluated in terms of particle removal efficiency (%), cost competitiveness, and environmental impact. Aerosol measurements were performed upstream and downstream of each aerosol reduction unit during independent testing of each technology using advanced instrumentation and analytical methods provided by WUSTL. To perform aerosol measurements, isokinetic probes were inserted into flanged pipes attached to the flue gas piping, and a small suction pump was used to sample gas containing aerosol particles. Aerosol particle number concentrations (# particles/cm 3 ) and size distributions were then measured using a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS, TSI Inc.) for very fine particles (<1,000 nm) and a particle counter manufactured by GRIMM for particles larger than 1,000 nm. This report summarizes the aerosol removal performance results from pilot scale testing of each technology. Performance results have been benchmarked against pre-defined targets and other flue gas aerosol pretreatment technologies with documented performance. Linde Gas North America LLC has been the prime contractor to DOE responsible for overall project management and provided the design for the high-velocity water spray-based aerosol removal technology based on a design concept developed by the German utility company RWE.
One of the main goals of the U.S Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Tracking Aerosol Convection Interactions Experiment (TRACER) near Houston, Texas is to improve understanding of how meteorology and aerosols impact storm dynamical and microphysical processes in deep convection to better constrain and improve their model representation. The Houston area is strongly influenced by sea- and bay-breeze circulations that generate convergence and help to initiate and organize deep convection. To properly isolate and understand the roles of varied meteorological conditions and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and ice nucleation particles (INP) distributions in different air masses, co-located thermodynamic, kinematic, and aerosol vertical profile observations are needed. The focus of this campaign was to provide key measurements in air masses both in front of and behind sea/bay breeze fronts moving through the greater Houston area to sample the airmass heterogeneity. The overarching scientific goal of this campaign is to understand how the vertical distributions of both CCN and INP correspond to the inflow layer of deep convection in maritime, background continental, and polluted continental air masses, and how these variations influence deep convection. To fully sample the heterogeneity in both meteorological conditions and aerosols across the sea-breeze front (SBF), Texas A&M University (TAMU) deployed a InterMet 3050A 403 MHz mobile unit launching iMet-4 radiosondes and the new Rapid Onsite Atmospheric Measurement Van (ROAM-V) for aerosol sampling during the TRACER intensive operational period (IOP) from June to September 2022. The suite of instruments deployed on ROAM-V included a condensation particle counter (CPC; GRIMM Model 5.403 CPC), scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS; TSI 3750 detector, TSI 3082 classifier, TSI 3088 neutralizer, TSI 3081A differential mobility analyzer), cloud condensation nuclei counter (Droplet Measurement Technologies CCN counter), micropulse lidar (Droplet Measurement Technologies micropulse lidar [miniMPL]), and a Davis Rotating Uniform size-cut Monitor (DRUM; DRUMAir 4-DRUM). Before sampling at each location, the latitude and longitude were recorded using the Global Positioning System (GPS) on the phone application “My Altitude”. The DRUM data were collected as part of a closely related ARM field campaign and also supported by DOE Atmospheric System Research grant DE-SC0021047. The TAMU team sampled these airmass heterogeneities by strategically choosing deployment sites in a different airmass than the ARM fixed sites in La Porte and Guy, Texas. On days when the sea/bay breeze boundary was pushing inland, the TAMU team would usually sample the airmass on the maritime side of the SBF at a coastal site in Galveston, Texas in the early afternoon (1730-1900 UTC) and then move inland ahead of the SBF to sample the airmass on the continental side during late afternoon (2030-2230). Figure 1 shows the Galveston maritime site and the array of sites for the late afternoon continental measurements.
This campaign requested the deployment of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) User Facility optical particle counter (OPC) at the first ARM Mobile Facility (AMF1) located at the Scripps Pier in La Jolla, California during the Eastern Pacific Cloud Aerosol Precipitation Experiment (EPCAPE). The addition of the OPC was requested for two reasons. (1) Close the gap between the scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) and aerodynamic particle sizer (APS) size distribution from the Aerosol Observing System (AOS) measurements. (2) Principal investigator Petters has been working with Tracking Aerosol Convection Interaction Experiment (TRACER) data to compute particle fluxes from Doppler lidar (Petters et al. 2024). Briefly, backscatter flux is obtained using the eddy covariance technique using the Doppler vertical velocity and attenuated backscatter. Building upon prior studies, we were able to relate backscatter to particle number concentration by calibrating the lidar retrievals against optical particle counter-measured ground-based aerosol size distribution and radiosonde-interpolated relative humidity at lidar sample height. Performing similar analysis was of interest to EPCAPE to better understand the emissions and vertical transport of large particles into the overlying stratus clouds. However, as stated above, this analysis requires an optical size distribution that covers the 0.3-30-μm-diameter size range. The OPC was deployed between 2023-04-14 and 2024-02-14. The deployment, data quality analysis, and data archiving was handled by the DOE ARM instrument mentor team without additional involvement by the principal investigator. Data quality was marked as “routine” for the majority of the campaign.
Aerosols are particles suspended in the atmosphere, ranging in size from nanometers to micrometers. Their size distribution affects key atmospheric processes, including nucleation, coagulation, scavenging, activation, and radiative properties (Seinfeld and Pandis 2016). Aerosol size distribution is a critical parameter in atmospheric science, influencing processes such as cloud formation and radiative forcing. Accurate representation of aerosol size distributions is essential for understanding their impact on climate, air quality, and human health. However, aerosol size and composition vary significantly across time and space due to meteorological conditions and natural or anthropogenic sources. (Wu and Boor 2021). Various instruments are used to measure aerosol size distributions, each with distinct principles, advantages, and limitations. This report begins with an in-depth overview of aerosol size-distribution comparison studies, focusing on the passive cavity aerosol spectrometer probe (PCASP), portable optical particle spectrometer (POPS), ultra-high-sensitivity aerosol spectrometer (UHSAS), aerodynamic particle sizer (APS), and scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS). All of these instruments are used by the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Aerial Facility (AAF), which commissioned this comparison and report. The report evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of these instruments, highlights their applications, and discusses efforts to merge data from multiple instruments for comprehensive analysis.
Aitken mode aerosol particles play an important role influencing cloud properties and sustenance, acting as a reservoir of potential cloud condensation nuclei against precipitation scavenging. However, there is limited data on Aitken mode aerosols. In this study, we develop a method to estimate Aitken mode aerosol concentrations and size distribution using cloud condensation nuclei measurements (CCN) and κ-Köhler theory. The performance of this method is evaluated using scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) data from recent field campaigns to demonstrate its skills and applicability. The method reasonably estimates Aitken- and accumulation-mode aerosol concentrations, achieving correlations of 0.7–0.9 with only modest biases (mean fractional bias within ±23% for Aitken mode and ±34% for accumulation-mode). This method is further applied to measurements collected over the Southern Ocean and Antarctica in recent years from multiple platforms, including ground sites, aircraft, and ships, to derive Aitken and accumulation-mode aerosol concentrations. Using the derived data, we examine the seasonal cycle, latitudinal variations, and vertical distribution of aerosols. Aitken mode aerosol concentrations are elevated over the Southern Ocean and Antarctica during the austral summer similar to the accumulation mode. In the austral summer, the free troposphere has more Aitken mode aerosols and fewer accumulation mode aerosols than the boundary layer, and thus likely serves as an important source of cloud-forming aerosol while also diluting the accumulation mode.
We first validate the performance of the Portable Optical Particle Spectrometer (POPS), a small light-weight and high sensitivity optical particle counter, against a reference scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) for a month-long deployment in an environment dominated by biomass burning aerosols. Subsequently, we examine any biases introduced by operating the POPS on a quadcopter drone, a DJI Matrice 200 V2. We report the root mean square difference (RMSD) and mean absolute difference (MAD) in particle number concentrations (PNCs) when mounted on the UAV and operating on the ground and when hovering at 10 m. When wind speeds are low (less than 2.6 m s –1 ), we find only modest differences in the RMSDs and MADs of 5 % and 3 % when operating at 10 m altitude. When wind speeds are between 2.6 and 7.7 m s –1 the RMSDs and MADs increase to 26.2 % and 19.1 %, respectively, when operating at 10m altitude. No statistical difference in PNCs was detected when operating on the UAV in either ascent or descent. We also find size distributions of aerosols in the accumulation mode (defined by diameter, d, where 0.1 ≤ d ≤ 1 µm) are relatively consistent between measurements at the surface and measurements at 10 m altitude, while differences in the coarse mode (here defined by d > 1 µm) are universally larger. Our results suggest that the impact of the UAV rotors on the POPS PNCs are small at low wind speeds, but when operating under a higher wind speed of up to 7.6 m s –1 , larger discrepancies occur. In addition, it appears that the POPS measures sub-micron aerosol particles more accurately than super-micron aerosol particles when airborne on the UAV. These measurements lay the foundations for determining the magnitude of potential errors that might be introduced into measured aerosol particle size distributions and concentrations owing to the turbulence created by the rotors on the UAV.
New particle formation (NPF) is the atmospheric process whereby gas molecules react and nucleate to form detectable particles. NPF has a strong impact on Earth's radiative balance as it produces roughly half of global cloud condensation nuclei. However, the time resolution and sensitivity of current instrumentation are inadequate in measuring the size distribution of sub-3 nm particles, the particles critical for understanding NPF. Here we present the Condensation Particle Counters For Atmospheric Rapid Measurements (CPC FARM), a method to measure the concentrations of freshly nucleated particles. The CPC FARM consists of five CPCs operating in parallel, each configured to operate at different detectable particle sizes between 1–3 nm. This study explores two methods to calculate the size distribution from the differential measurements across the CPC channels. The performance of both inversion methods was tested against the size distribution measured by a pair of stepping particle mobility sizers (SMPSs) during an ambient air sampling study in Pittsburgh, PA. Observational results indicate that the CPC FARM is more accurate with higher time resolution and sensitivity in the sub-3 nm range compared to the SMPS.
Merged aerosol particle size distributions for the Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS) and Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) instruments
Aerosol size distribution, optical properties, and speciation data collected in La Port TX, during TRACER-CAT-LANL, July 2022, with basic trace gas measurements. All sampling was conducted with an identical aerosol inlet as the standard ARM-AOS systems. The TRacking Aerosol Convection interactions ExpeRiment Carbonaceous Aerosols Thrust by Los Alamos National Laboratory (TRACER-CAT-LANL, July 2022) was designed to complement the larger ARM TRACER science goals to understand convective cloud lifecycles and aerosol-convection interactions. TRACER-CAT-LANL is focused on understanding the relationship between particle composition and light absorption and the influence of water uptake on this relationship. This aerosol and trace gas data can be used to understand the relationship between particle composition and light absorption and the influence of water uptake on this relationship. Instruments Include: Picarro GHG Photoacoustic Soot Spectrometer (PASS-3) Humidified-cavity attenuated phase shift-single scattering albedo particulate matter monitor (H-CAPS-PMSSA) Soot Particle Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (SPAMS) Single-Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) Cloud Condensation Nuclei Counter (CCNc) Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS) Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS)
Aerosol size distribution, optical properties, and speciation data collected in La Port TX, during TRACER-CAT-LANL, July 2022, with basic trace gas measurements. All sampling was conducted with an identical aerosol inlet as the standard ARM-AOS systems. The TRacking Aerosol Convection interactions ExpeRiment Carbonaceous Aerosols Thrust by Los Alamos National Laboratory (TRACER-CAT-LANL, July 2022) was designed to complement the larger ARM TRACER science goals to understand convective cloud lifecycles and aerosol-convection interactions. TRACER-CAT-LANL is focused on understanding the relationship between particle composition and light absorption and the influence of water uptake on this relationship. This aerosol and trace gas data can be used to understand the relationship between particle composition and light absorption and the influence of water uptake on this relationship. Instruments Include: Picarro GHG Photoacoustic Soot Spectrometer (PASS-3) Humidified-cavity attenuated phase shift-single scattering albedo particulate matter monitor (H-CAPS-PMSSA) Soot Particle Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (SPAMS) Single-Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) Cloud Condensation Nuclei Counter (CCNc) Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS) Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS)
Aerosol size distribution, optical properties, and speciation data collected in La Port TX, during TRACER-CAT-LANL, July 2022, with basic trace gas measurements. All sampling was conducted with an identical aerosol inlet as the standard ARM-AOS systems. The TRacking Aerosol Convection interactions ExpeRiment Carbonaceous Aerosols Thrust by Los Alamos National Laboratory (TRACER-CAT-LANL, July 2022) was designed to complement the larger ARM TRACER science goals to understand convective cloud lifecycles and aerosol-convection interactions. TRACER-CAT-LANL is focused on understanding the relationship between particle composition and light absorption and the influence of water uptake on this relationship. This aerosol and trace gas data can be used to understand the relationship between particle composition and light absorption and the influence of water uptake on this relationship. Instruments Include: Picarro GHG Photoacoustic Soot Spectrometer (PASS-3) Humidified-cavity attenuated phase shift-single scattering albedo particulate matter monitor (H-CAPS-PMSSA) Soot Particle Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (SPAMS) Single-Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) Cloud Condensation Nuclei Counter (CCNc) Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS) Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS)
Aerosol size distribution, optical properties, and speciation data collected in La Port TX, during TRACER-CAT-LANL, July 2022, with basic trace gas measurements. All sampling was conducted with an identical aerosol inlet as the standard ARM-AOS systems. The TRacking Aerosol Convection interactions ExpeRiment Carbonaceous Aerosols Thrust by Los Alamos National Laboratory (TRACER-CAT-LANL, July 2022) was designed to complement the larger ARM TRACER science goals to understand convective cloud lifecycles and aerosol-convection interactions. TRACER-CAT-LANL is focused on understanding the relationship between particle composition and light absorption and the influence of water uptake on this relationship. This aerosol and trace gas data can be used to understand the relationship between particle composition and light absorption and the influence of water uptake on this relationship. Instruments Include: Picarro GHG Photoacoustic Soot Spectrometer (PASS-3) Humidified-cavity attenuated phase shift-single scattering albedo particulate matter monitor (H-CAPS-PMSSA) Soot Particle Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (SPAMS) Single-Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) Cloud Condensation Nuclei Counter (CCNc) Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS) Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS)
Aerosol size distribution, optical properties, and speciation data collected in La Port TX, during TRACER-CAT-LANL, July 2022, with basic trace gas measurements. All sampling was conducted with an identical aerosol inlet as the standard ARM-AOS systems. The TRacking Aerosol Convection interactions ExpeRiment Carbonaceous Aerosols Thrust by Los Alamos National Laboratory (TRACER-CAT-LANL, July 2022) was designed to complement the larger ARM TRACER science goals to understand convective cloud lifecycles and aerosol-convection interactions. TRACER-CAT-LANL is focused on understanding the relationship between particle composition and light absorption and the influence of water uptake on this relationship. This aerosol and trace gas data can be used to understand the relationship between particle composition and light absorption and the influence of water uptake on this relationship. Instruments Include: Picarro GHG Photoacoustic Soot Spectrometer (PASS-3) Humidified-cavity attenuated phase shift-single scattering albedo particulate matter monitor (H-CAPS-PMSSA) Soot Particle Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (SPAMS) Single-Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) Cloud Condensation Nuclei Counter (CCNc) Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS) Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS)
Aerosol size distribution, optical properties, and speciation data collected in La Port TX, during TRACER-CAT-LANL, July 2022, with basic trace gas measurements. All sampling was conducted with an identical aerosol inlet as the standard ARM-AOS systems. The TRacking Aerosol Convection interactions ExpeRiment Carbonaceous Aerosols Thrust by Los Alamos National Laboratory (TRACER-CAT-LANL, July 2022) was designed to complement the larger ARM TRACER science goals to understand convective cloud lifecycles and aerosol-convection interactions. TRACER-CAT-LANL is focused on understanding the relationship between particle composition and light absorption and the influence of water uptake on this relationship. This aerosol and trace gas data can be used to understand the relationship between particle composition and light absorption and the influence of water uptake on this relationship. Instruments Include: Picarro GHG Photoacoustic Soot Spectrometer (PASS-3) Humidified-cavity attenuated phase shift-single scattering albedo particulate matter monitor (H-CAPS-PMSSA) Soot Particle Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (SPAMS) Single-Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) Cloud Condensation Nuclei Counter (CCNc) Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS) Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS)