A multifunctional HTDMA system with a robust temperature control

Abstract

The hygroscopicity of atmospheric aerosols significantly influences their size distribution, cloud condensation nuclei ability, atmospheric residence time, and climate forcing. In order to investigate the hygroscopic behavior of aerosol particles and serious haze in China, a Hygroscopic Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzers (HTDMA) system was designed and constructed at Fudan University. It can function as a scanning mobility particle sizing system to measure particle size distribution in the range of 20–1000 nm in diameter, as well as a hygroscopicity analyzer for aerosol particles with diameters between 20–400 nm in the range of 20%–90% RH (relative humidity). It can also measure the effect of uptake of inorganic acids or semi-VOCs on the hygroscopic behavior of aerosols, such as typical inorganic salts in atmospheric dust or their mixtures. The performance tests show that the system measured particle size of the standard polystyrene latex spheres (PSLs) is 197 nm, which is in excellent agreement with the certified diameter D=199±6 nm, as well as a standard deviation of the repeated runs SD=8.9×10−4. In addition, the measured hygroscopic growth factors of the model compounds, (NH4)2SO4 and NaNO3, agree with the Kohler theoretical curves. The results indicate that the HTDMA system is an excellent and powerful tool for studying the hygroscopic behavior of submicron aerosols and meets the demand required for laboratory research and fieldwork on atmospheric aerosols in China.