Sampling cyclones

Storms sampled by this network were pre-selected based on synoptic meteorological information in an attempt to sample cyclonic frontal rain that was fairly uniform over the 80 km. extent of our network. The sampling protocol required that a period of good atmospheric ventilation preceed rain sampling. Dry deposition was not evaluated but is expected to be small compared to wet deposition due to low ambient pollutant concentrations during rainy weather. 

We can give an idea of the scale where this becomes a consideration. In a cyclone with a tangential inlet of circular cross section working with ambient air at an inlet velocity of 15 m/s, = 2 x 10 would correspond to an inlet diameter of 2 cm. The reduced efficiency is therefore only a feature in small sampling cyclones or in very small multicyclone banks. Cyclones in small industrial units comprising multicyclone installations are seldom less than 15 cm in diameter. 

The cross section of a tangential inlet tube to a cyclone is often rectangular. Inlets with circular cross sections ( pipe-type inlets) are mostly used only in small sampling cyclones and in some applications where a simple circular inlet can achieve the desired separation and/or simplicity of construction and low cost are prime considerations. Certain shop and grain-processing cyclones fall into this category. 

For determination of the aerodynamic diameters of particles, the most commonly apphcable methods for particle-size analysis are those based on inertia aerosol centrifuges, cyclones, and inertial impactors (Lundgren et al.. Aerosol Measurement, University of Florida, Gainesville, 1979 and Liu, Fine Paiiicles—Aerosol Generation, Measurement, Sampling, and Analysis, Academic, New York, 1976). Impactors are the most commonly used. Nevertheless, impactor measurements are subject to numerous errors [Rao and Whitby, Am. Ind. Hyg. A.s.soc.]., 38, 174 (1977) Marple and WiUeke, "Inertial Impactors, in Lundgren et al.. Aerosol Measurement and Fuchs, "Aerosol Impactors, in Shaw, Fundamentals of Aerosol Sci-... 

Because a filter sample includes particles both larger and smaller than those retained in the human respiratory system (see Chapter 7, Section III), other types of samplers are used which allow measurement of the size ranges of particles retained in the respiratory system. Some of these are called dichotomous samplers because they allow separate measurement of the respirable and nonrespirable fractions of the total. Size-selective samplers rely on impactors, miniature cyclones, and other means. The United States has selected the size fraction below an aerodynamic diameter of 10 /xm (PMiq) for compliance with the air quality standard for airborne particulate matter. 

Standard sampling trains are specified for some tests. One of these standards is the system specified for large, stationary combustion sources (4). This train was designed for sampling combustion sources and should not be selected over a simpler sampling train when sampling noncombustion sources such as low-temperature effluents from cyclones, baghouses, filters, etc. (5). 

A very important analytical tool that is overlooked by many sourcetesting personnel is the microscope. Microscopic analysis of a particulate sample can tell a great deal about the type of material collected as well as its size distribution. This analysis is necessary if the sample was collected to aid in the selechon of a piece of control equipment. All of the efficiency curves for particulate control devices are based on fractional sizes. One would not try to remove a submicron-size aerosol with a cyclone collector, but unless a size analysis is made on the sampled material, one is merely guessing at the actual size range. Figure 32-8 is a photomicrograph of material collected during a source test. 

Cyclone collectors are popularly used both for particle removal and for particle sampling (Fig. 13.1). The separation process of a cyclone relies on the centrifugal accelerations that are produced when particle-laden fluid experi-... 

As a simple and efficient particle separation device, cyclone collectors can be used for anything from dust removal in a fluid stream to material collection in the fluid conveying system. However, the cyclone is not suitable or economical for the separation of extremely small particles (say, less than 1 /xm), which frequently occur in industrial processes. It is recommended that the size of particles to be separated in an industrial ventilation cyclone be in the region of around 10 to 100 p.m. However, for the purpose of aerosol sampling, the size of particles to be separated may be much less than 10 jxm. 

Grant et al. (2002) designed a parallel system employing two HTLC columns (Cyclone, 50 x 1 mm, Cohesive Technologies) connected to one analytical column (Zorbax SB-C18, 50 x 2 mm, Hewlett Packard) on a 2300 HTLC. A polyarylethyl ketone (PAEK) six-port Valeo (Valeo Instruments, Texas) was used to increase switching speed and reduce carry-over. Peak focusing was used when the analyte was flushed from the TFC column into the analytical column by aqueous dilution. Compared to the dual column method, the overall time reduction was 1.5 to 4 min per sample with comparable data quality at the linear range of 0.1 to 100 ng/mL. 

Phenyl (Cohesive Technologies), the polymer-based Oasis HLB (Waters), the Cyclone (Cohesive Technologies), and the porous graphitized carbon-based Hypercarb (ThermoHypersil, Cheshire, UK) Cohesive s 2300 system was the HTLC component. Merck s monolithic reversed-phased Chromolith Speed ROD (RP-C18 (50 x 4.6 mm) served as the analytical column. The Oasis HLB, Cyclone TFC, and Hypercarb yielded the best retention capacity and good elution efficiency and volume. Recovery was 42 to 94% with a sample volume of 10 mL. Run time was 14 min. LODs were 0.4 to 13 ng/L for most compounds. 

Blank, calibrator, control, and patient whole-blood samples (50 /iL) were transferred into 1.5 mL conical test tubes, mixed with 100 /xL of the IS, vortexed for 10 sec, and centrifuged at 13,000 g for 5 min. Twenty-five microliters of supernatant were injected onto a Cohesive Technologies Cyclone polymeric turbulent flow column (50 x 1 mm, 50 /flushed with a mixture of methanol and water (10 90 v/v) at a flow of 5 mL/min. Column switching from the TFC to HPLC systems was via a Cohesive Technologies system. The analytical column was a Phenomenex Phenyl-Hexyl-RP (50 x 2.1 mm, 5 /.mi). The mobile phase consisted of methanol and ammonium acetate buffer (97 3 v/v). The buffer was 10mM ammonium acetate containing 0.1% v/v acetic acid. The flow rate was 0.6 mL/min. 

Aerosol for chemical analysis was sampled in the air monitoring trailer through a 1.3 cm ID stainless steel pipe. The air inlet was about 1 m above the roof of the trailer, a total of 4 m above the ground. Loss of 0.1 pm diameter particles to the walls due to turbulent diffusion was calculated to be less than 1% using the method of Friedlander (11). A cyclone preseparator (12) was used to separate the coarse (D > 2 pm) aerosol from the airstream so that only the fine (D <2 pm) aerosol would be collected for analysis. The cyclone was operated at 26-30 liters per minute (1pm) and was cleaned every 8-10 weeks. 

The fine particle airstream from the cyclone was sampled by two total filters in parallel. A Millipore Fluoropore 47 mm diameter Teflon filter with a 1 pm pore size was used for the first seven samples. Subsequent samples were obtained with a 0.4 pm pore size 47 mm Nuclepore polycarbonate filter because particle absorption measurements and elemental analysis by particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) were easier and more accurate using the Nuclepore filters. In parallel with the Nuclepore filter, a TWOMASS tape sampler collected aerosol using a Pallflex Tissuequartz tape. The aerosol deposit area was 9.62 cm on the Nuclepore and Millipore filters and 0.317 cm on the Tissuequartz tape. The flow rate was 16-20 1pm through the Nuclepore and Millipore filters and 10 1pm through the Tissuequartz tape. Each Millipore or Nuclepore filter was placed in a labeled plastic container immediately after collected, sealed with Parafilm, enclosed in a ziplock bag, and placed in a refrigerator in the trailer. The tape in the TWOMASS sampler was advanced between samples. The tape sample was removed about once every 8-10 weeks and stored similarly to the Nuclepore filters. The TWOMASS was cleaned at that time. All samples were stored in an ice chest during the return trip to Caltech. Field blanks were handled identically to the samples. Of approximately 100 filter samples collected in 1979, 61 were selected for analysis. The 61 were chosen to span the variation in bjp and to obtain representative seasonal and diurnal samples. Sample times varied from 6 to 72 hours, with an average of 20.1 hours. 

John, W. Reischl, G., "A Cyclone for Size-Selective Sampling of Ambient Air " J. Air Poll. Contr. Assoc. 30 872-876, 1980. 

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