Patent ID: 8372187

Claim:
An apparatus for generating and collecting particulate matter derived from combusting a liquid carbon-containing fuel, which apparatus comprising a fuel burner comprising a nozzle, which nozzle is housed in a container, which container comprising a gas inlet and a gas outlet, said gas outlet connecting with a conduit for transporting gas from the gas outlet to atmosphere, means for detecting a rate of gas flowing through the gas inlet and a gas flow-forcing means for forcing an oxidising gas to flow from the gas inlet via the container, the gas outlet and the conduit to atmosphere, a station for collecting particulate matter from gas flowing through the conduit and a control means for controlling the gas flow-forcing means in response to a detected gas flow rate at the gas inlet to maintain the rate of gas flow at the gas inlet at a desired rate to provide substoichiometric fuel combustion within the container, thereby to promote particulate matter formation.