Patent ID: 8943873
Filing Date: 2015-02-03
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A method for detecting different size or size distribution of aerosol particles of an aerosol gas stream, the method comprising the steps of: saturating particle-free carrier flow by a first condensing medium to provide saturated particle-free carrier flow; mixing said saturated particle-free carrier flow with said aerosol gas stream comprising said aerosol particles, and preventing loss of ions by performing said mixing in a mixing section made of anti-static plastic; providing at least two separate mixtures of said saturated particle-free carrier flow and aerosol particles, said mixtures having different saturation ratios; introducing said mixtures separately to a first condensing environment in order to condense said first condensing medium onto the aerosol particles of the mixtures so that the mixture having the first saturation ratio is condensed onto the particles having different initial size than the mixture having the second different saturation ratio, wherein said condensation causes the aerosol particles to grow; and detecting said growth of aerosol particles of different mixtures separately after said condensation; wherein the original lowest particle size of the particle detected is determined by the used saturation ratio so that the higher the saturation ratio the smaller the lowest original particle size.