Performance of a compact air-to-liquid aerosol collector with high concentration rate

This research investigates the physical collection characteristics of a novel and compact (combined dimensions ) air-to-liquid aerosol collector recently developed by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. In this collector, the air flow is drawn into an annular, centripetal slot, which directs the aerosol flow into a small volume of liquid at the samplerʹs center, thereby imbedding airborne particles in the liquid. A mist eliminator positioned above the liquid prevents liquid droplets from escaping the sampler thus improving its performance. We found that the samplerʹs collection efficiency increases with decreasing width of the annular slot, and with increasing flow rate, mist eliminator speed and sample volume. When operating at a flow rate of 275 l/min and collecting particles into 1 ml of liquid, the sampler can achieve concentration rates as high as 275,000/min. We also determined that by changing the samplerʹs operational parameters we can move its collection efficiency curve over a wide range of particle sizes, thus adjusting the samplerʹs cutoff size from to . The samplerʹs small size and its high collection performance make it suitable for many biodetection strategies.