A Customizable Solution for Aerosol Detection
Over the past 12 years, DAS has performed in both prime and subcontractor roles on a variety of chemical and biological detection programs. Early in these efforts, DAS identified the need to generate a well characterized aerosol sample for the evaluation of emerging sensor technologies. Leveraging years of expertise in aerosol handling, the DAS team developed the Fast Response Aerosol Chamber (FRAC), bringing Aerosol generation and testing into an on-demand application. With this internally funded effort, programs since have benefited from this low cost, high accuracy and simple configuration allowing the generation of stable and changing aerosol concentrations from low 10’s of particles per liter to nearly 100,000 using a closed-loop feedback control system. To date, several FRAC systems have been produced and delivered to customers as a way to simplify the aerosol testing and generation process for both dry and wet aerosols.
Traditional vapor-based chemical threats are quickly becoming replaced with more advanced solids-based toxic compounds. Most military and industrial real-time chemical detection systems are unable to identify these solids-based compounds. There is a distinct need to challenge chemical sensors rapidly and reliably with a variety of backgrounds and chemical simulants prior to agent testing in a government laboratory.
The FRAC provides a gold standard method for assessing aerosol detection sensors, providing real-time in-situ measurement and control of the dose presented to the device under test. Iso-kinetic sampling, dynamic feedback of aerosol generation, and dynamic flow through the chamber adjust the aerosol concentration to keep it stable for long periods or change it according to programmable profiles for short duration pulses. The chamber is reconfigurable and customizable to fit your flow and space requirements. Stand alone, or combined with other referee instrumentation, the DAS Fast Response Aerosol Chamber provides a cost-effective solution to meet all your dynamic testing needs. Develop, assess, and improve your system in your own laboratory, prior to third party independent assessments.
The Fast Response Aerosol Chamber (FRAC) system incorporates a flexible design to facilitate rapid integration into a variety of detection platforms
The FRAC development incorporated know-how and needs from staff intimately familiar with government evaluation of chemical and biological sensors. This system enables increased productivity through rapid, repeatable, and reliable aerosol generation assessments of system performance before you step foot in an expensive, hazardous government laboratory.
Sample Data
Wet Aerosol Generator
The FRAC supports solution based media producing an aerosol from particles suspended in water. This data is a screenshot taken directly from GRIMM-11C particle counter software showing the controllability of this generation method using industry standard software. In this example, the only control was on/off of the aerosol generator and the concentration was controlled by the concentration of the solution.
Dry Aerosol Pulses
The FRAC supports direct aerosol generation using mechanical excitation of a powder into the flow stream. Using this method, step changes in concentration can be produced over three orders of magnitude with a clear down time of 15 seconds or less.
Plume Simulation
The FRAC had the ability to follow a simulation of a plume passing over a stationary point. In this simulation the spool up was generated by a sigmoid curve followed by an exponential decay. The cumulative total dose is shown on the right side of the figure.
Key Features
Air Conditioning/Containment
Incoming air can be HEPA and/or Carbon filtered allowing an affordable high-quality baseline.
Water addition subsystem allows humidity control
Exhaust air can be HEPA and/or Carbon Filtered to minimize laboratory contamination.
Entire system operates at negative pressure, eliminating exterior contamination during testing.
Aerosol Generation
System is configurable for Wet and Dry Aerosols. The system generates and neutralizes the charge of aerosols prior to the sampling region, eliminating electrostatic effects common in the majority of aerosol test systems.
Iso-kinetic Sampler
Multiple, reconfigurable Iso-kinetic sampling ports accommodate a variety of flow rates for referee and test instrumentation
GRIMM particle counter or other particle sizing and quantification instrumentation as desired.
Referee samples (sorbent tubes, referee filters etc.)
Automated Controls
A simple computer-controlled interface enables concentration control (rate and level) as well as dynamic flow rate control to allow simulated operational testing (i.e. plume dynamics, extended exposure, replicates)
Tied to your windows system, using a USB interface, the FRAC will continue to grow with your capabilities
Customizations
Air Temperature Control
Expanded Humidity Control
Zero-Grade air input - providing pure background environment
Multiple particle generation and control allowing combined target and background ratio control
Portable Design for field testing
What does it cost?
The baseline system starts at $175,000 providing the one of a kind capability for aerosol generation and measurement. Save time with this system capable of rapid replicates for detailed analysis. Additional options can be included.
Need expanded temperature/humidity? High temperatures are easy, lower temperatures are a little more difficult. Historical temperature and humidity control systems range from $55,000 to $120,000 depending on the parameters. Let DAS work with you to develop the most valuable test setup getting your answers for the lowest procurement and implementation costs. Generally cold and wet is more intensive than hot and dry. Let us know your range and we can provide an estimate.
Need expanded particle sizing? Beyond the GRIMM particle sizer provided, customers can require additional resolution or different particle size ranges. Higher fidelity systems start around range from $35,000 with those in the nanometer range costing closer to $83,000. Or, let DAS integrate dual measurement technologies capable of ~10 nanometer to 30 micrometers providing the best value, and most capable integration on the market! We have the solutions and implementation understanding to get you the performance you require.
Multiple particles of interest? In the public health sector and need to assess environmental impacts on your systems? Our implementation team can work with you to combine target (pharmaceutical and environmental) particulates into a single system and flow stream. These systems allow you to input multiple parameters quantitatively, resulting in highly measurable and repeatable experiments.
Looking for something else? Contact DAS with your requirements and we will design a system to meet your test and evaluation needs.
