Abstract
This research proposed the design, fabrication, and experiments of a surface acoustic wave resonator (SAWR)-based multi-sized particles monitor. A wide range selection and monitoring of large coarse particles (LCP), inhalable particles (PM10), and fine inhalable particles (PM2.5) were achieved by combining high-performance 311 MHz SAWRs and a specially designed cascade impactor. This paper calculated the normalized sensitivity distribution of the chip to the mass loading effect, extracted the optimal response area for particle attachment, analyzed the influence of the distance between nozzle and chip surface on the particle distribution, and evaluated the collection efficiency of the specially designed 2 LPM (L/min) impactor through computational fluid dynamics simulation software. An experimental platform was built to conduct the response experiment of the sensor to particle-containing gas generated by the combustion of leaf fragments and repeatability test. We verified the results of the particle diameter captured at each stage. This research suggests that the sensor’s response had good linearity and repeatability, while the particles collected on the surface of the SAWR in each impactor stage met the desired diameter, observed through a microscope.
Highlights
Liquid or solid suspended particles are often present in the atmosphere
The World Health Organization states that when the annual average mass concentration of PM2.5 exceeds 35 μg/m3, the risk of human mortality increases by about 15% compared to the annual average mass concentration of 10 μg/m3 [5]
The surface acoustic wave (SAW) is an elasticity acoustic wave traveling along the surface of a material
Summary
Liquid or solid suspended particles are often present in the atmosphere. PM10 can enter the human throat and chest cavity through the nose and mouth; PM2.5 can enter the human trachea, bronchi, and alveoli, seriously affecting human health and causing respiratory, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular diseases [1,2,3,4]. The gravimetric method has high measurement accuracy, and its data are often used as reference standards and calibration data for automatic monitoring equipment, but it requires manual operation and takes a longer time than other methods [8]. The β-ray attenuation method analyzes the particles based on their absorption intensity of the β-rays, but the measurement accuracy is usually not high. The light scattering method detects the intensity of the scattered light from the sampled particles to deduce the concentration of the particles, but this method relies on the nature of the particles, and it has relatively low accuracy. Since the devices manufactured by these methods generally have the disadvantages of being expensive, time-consuming, and bulky, designing and producing highly sensitive, small, and low-cost aerosol particle monitoring devices is one of the goals for researchers
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