Diesel Particle Size Distribution: The Conversion Of Particle Number Size Distribution To Mass Distribution

The ELPI particle size instrument measures the number of particles in 12 size ranges using a series of impaction stages. To convert the measurement of number to mass, the instrument assumes that all the particles are spheres and are of a constant density, defined by the user, but normally around 1000kg/m³. Both of these assumptions are incorrect for all size ranges and the resultant mass emissions for PM10 usually do not agree with standard filter paper measurements. This paper presents a review of the current situation of the knowledge on converting particle number into mass, using the ELPI or other particle size instruments. Andersen Impactors were used for gravimetric determinations of the mass in the sizes above 400nm, in order to compare their resullts with ELPI number measurements. Gravimetric determination of mass using the ELPI was also attempted. The sampling time with both instruments was two hours to collect enough mass to weigh in each size range. The compared distributions agreed well in the middle size range measured by the ELPI, but resulted in an overestimated mass for particles bigger than 1μm.