Patent ID: 6330060
Filing Date: 2001-12-11
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
A cloud condensation nucleus system, comprising:a gas flow channel configured to receive and transfer a gas flow from an input opening to an output opening and having an inner wall which is wetted by a liquid, wherein said liquid vaporizes to form vapor within said gas flow channel;a plurality of alternating hot and cold temperature-maintaining segments arranged next to one another relative to said gas flow channel to control and maintain a spatial temperature distribution of said gas flow channel from said input opening to said output opening and to produce a spatially-varying supersaturation environment in said gas flow channel, each hot temperature-maintaining segment having a temperature higher than an adjacent cold temperature-maintaining segment, wherein a temperature difference between adjacent hot and cold temperature-maintaining segments increases with position from said input opening to said output opening to produce a spatial supersaturation distribution that increases with position from said input opening to said output opening; anda particle counter disposed near said output opening of said gas flow channel and operable to determine presence and dimension of individual particles in the gas flow.