TSI 3091 Fast Mobility Particle Sizer (FMPS)

Description of TSI 3091

The Fast Mobility Particle Sizer™ (FMPS™) 3091 spectrometer measures aerosol particles in the range from 5.6 to 560 nanometers, offering a total of 32 channels of resolution (16 channels per decade). The FMPS™ spectrometer uses an electrical mobility technique similar to the TSI® Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer™ (SMPS™) spectrometer. However, instead of a Condensation Particle Counter (CPC), it uses multiple, low-noise electrometers for particle detection. As a result, its unique design enables particle size distribution measurements with one-second resolution, letting users visualize particle events and changes in particle size distribution in real-time.

The FMPS™ spectrometer operates at a high sample flow rate (10 L/min) to minimize diffusion losses of ultrafine and nanoparticles. It also operates at ambient pressure to prevent evaporation of volatile particles, requires no consumables, and can be configured to measure a single run or multiple runs continuously for up to 12 hours per run length.

The model 3091 is conveniently packaged in a single cabinet for ease of transport, setup, and operation. Using the large, color VGA display and control knob, you can select parameter settings, interrogate instrument status, and view size distribution information. A full-featured software program combines data collection and analysis. Software highlights include a variety of graphing options, including 3D playback of size distribution and concentration versus time, data export, and the ability to input individual effective densities per channel to calculate a continuous output of total particulate mass.

The combination of features makes the FMPS™ spectrometer ideal for measuring the dynamic behavior of submicrometer particles over a wide range of applications, including particle formation and growth studies, indoor air quality measurements, environmental research, urban canyon studies, and transient emission studies of stacks, boilers, wood burners, and much more.

Features and Benefits

The FMPS™ spectrometer 3091 offers features and benefits that are important to industrial and environmental researchers working with rapidly changing aerosols:

• Real-time measurements.Visualize submicrometer particle size distributions and events with one-second resolution.
• Wide size range.Measure submicrometer aerosols from 5.6 to 560 nanometers in a total of 32 channels (16 channels of size per decade).
• Wide dynamic concentration range.Very sensitive electrometers* measure particle concentrations across a broad range (greater than five orders of magnitude, as shown in Figure 1), making the FMPS™ well-suited for a wide variety of applications.
• Ease of use.Simply connect the sample line, connect the power, switch the instrument ON, and let it warm up. Once warm (approximately ten minutes), the status changes to “Normal” and the instrument is ready to make measurements. It’s really that easy!The front panel includes a large, color VGA display and control knob so you can select parameter settings and interrogate instrument operating status quickly.

  The display is updated in real time and can be configured for a variety of settings, including auto-range, linear or log scale, and normalized concentration (dN/dlogDp) for comparison to other instruments.

• Flexible data management.A full-featured software program (Figure 2) combines data collection and analysis. View up to 12 hours of data in a file at a time, and then “zoom in” on the time scale to view interesting episodes. Data can be displayed, replayed, and exported in many different ways. The software also displays and plays back threedimensional plots of size distribution and particle concentration versus time, so you can visualize particle events as they occur.
• High sample flow rate.The FMPS™ spectrometer operates at a high sample flow rate of 10 L/min, greatly reducing particle sampling losses due to diffusion. All flows are controlled using microprocessorcontrolled, internal pumps corrected for temperature and barometric pressure.
• No radioactive neutralizer.This spectrometer operates using a unipolar diffusion charger to place a predictable charge on the particles. As a result, there are no special licensing concerns regarding radioactive materials.
• Proven technology.The technology was developed originally at the University of Tartu in Estonia. It combines detection from an array of electrometers with electrical mobility classification. TSI® engineers built on this extensive knowledge, combining it with experience gained developing the Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer™ (SMPS™) spectrometer.

Technical specifications of TSI 3091