Method and device for detecting aerosol particles

An arrangement for detecting different size or size distribution of aerosol particles of an aerosol gas stream, the arrangement comprising:

• a saturating environment adapted to saturate particle-free carrier flow by a first condensing medium and to provide saturated particle-free carrier flow, wherein said saturating environment is provided within a saturator, said saturator comprising sintered tubing surrounded by said first condensing medium inside a casing, and wherein a porosity of said sintered tubing is chosen so that a surface tension of said first condensing medium prevents it to flow through the pores as a liquid;
• a mixing section comprising anti-static plastic for mixing said saturated particle-free carrier flow with said aerosol gas stream comprising said aerosol particles;
• wherein the arrangement comprises a controllable valve and/or adjustable pump and is adapted for providing at least two separate mixtures of said saturated particle-free carrier flow and aerosol particles, said mixtures having different saturation ratios by changing the flow rate of the saturated particle-free carrier flow and/or the aerosol gas stream sequentially by said controllable valve and/or adjustable pump;
• wherein the arrangement is adapted for introducing said mixtures separately to a first condensing environment by changing the flow rate of the saturated particle free flow and/or the aerosol gas stream sequentially by said controllable valve and/or adjustable pump, said first condensing environment being adapted to condense said first condensing medium onto the aerosol particles of the mixtures so that the mixture having the first saturation ratio is adapted to condense onto the particles having different initial size than the mixture having the second different saturation ratio, wherein said condensation causes the aerosol particles to grow;
• and
• wherein the arrangement comprises a particle counter for detecting said growth of aerosol particles of different mixtures separately after said condensation.

A device for detecting different size or size distribution of aerosol particles of an aerosol gas stream, the device comprising:

• a saturating environment adapted to saturate particle-free carrier flow by a first condensing medium and to provide saturated particle-free carrier flow;
• a mixing section comprising anti-static plastic for mixing said saturated particle-free carrier flow with said aerosol gas stream comprising said aerosol particles;
• wherein the device comprises a controllable valve and/or adjustable pump and is adapted for providing at least two separate mixtures of said saturated particle-free carrier flow and aerosol particles, said mixtures having different saturation ratios by changing the flow rate of the saturated particle-free carrier flow and/or the aerosol gas stream sequentially by said controllable valve and/or adjustable pump;
• wherein the device is adapted for introducing said mixtures separately to a first condensing environment by changing the flow rate of the saturated particle-free carrier flow and/or the aerosol gas stream sequentially by said controllable valve and/or adjustable pump., said first condensing environment being adapted to condense said first condensing medium onto the aerosol particles of the mixtures so that the mixture having the first saturation ratio is adapted to condense onto the particles having different initial size than the mixture having the second different saturation ratio, wherein said condensation causes the aerosol particles to grow;
• and
• wherein the device comprises a particle counter for detecting said growth of aerosol particles of different mixtures separately after said condensation;
• and
• wherein the device is adapted to determine original lowest particle size of the particle detected by monitoring the used saturation ratio so that the higher the saturation ratio the smaller the lowest original particle size.