Ultrafine particles in engine exhaust are known to adversely affect human health. Capable of penetrating the alveolar-capillary barrier and evading the body’s natural defenses, they are deposited in lung tissues and transported through the bloodstream. This may lead to serious health conditions such as asthma and inflammatory diseases, or even premature death.

Currently available instruments were designed for use in a laboratory and are large, expensive, sensitive to vibration; thus they are not well suited to in situ measurement.

Low-Cost, Onboard Detectors
Now small, inexpensive detectors that require only 5 – 10 watts of power and resist the effects of vibration can be installed in cars or other vehicles.

Two Cost-Effective Designs
One configuration (389) consists of a corona ionizer that negatively charges the particles and repels them toward a flexible printed circuit board. This component can be easily removed for chemical analysis of the collected particles, a key capability for researchers and government agencies.
Post-collection, off-board signal processing mitigates on-board processing requirements, allowing the size and cost of the detector to be minimized.
A second configuration (402) couples a MEMS-device corona ionizer to a an aspiration capacitor. It offers greater portability, lower power requirements, and potentially lower per-unit cost in multiple installations.
Large fleets of cars equipped with either detector would provide a large data set for research. In addition, the technology could be used for stationary or on-board vehicle diagnostics, evaluation of control-strategy programs, and manufacturer testing of forthcoming engine designs.

File Number: 389/402 

Web site: http://www.uvminnovations.com/instrumentation.html

Other Information:

Patent pending. Exclusive rights available.