[Stoves] TESTING: Fine Particulates from a Selection of Cookstoves

[Crispin Pemberton-Pigott]

Dear Frank

That is how the SeTAR Dilution system works.  It uses CO2 as a tracer, however, measuring the CO2 loose in the stack and CO2 trapped in the diluter.

The ratio is calculated using a deduction for the background CO2 which is separately monitored.

While He would work as you propose, getting He in developing countries can be quite a challenge.

It is not possible to ship cylinders by air freight, and it can be difficult to get land transport as well. The calibration gas we used in Ulaanbaatar was 'borrowed' from the lab next door. It was a 5 kg cylinder with 10 gases in it. It cost $17,000 to buy it from Japan ship it to Mongolia.

CO2 is provided free by the atmosphere and the fuel!

Regards
Crispin


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Dear Stovers,

There are so many variables along the path to the filter paper used when testing particles that I would think all values in suspect. Any small errors in values of dilution, flow and temperature will accumulate to large errors. 

A better way is to measure Helium after the filter. Introduce Helium at a rate of one liter per minute into the stove and then determine the amount of particle buildup on the paper (ug) / sum of liter Helium recorded from after the filter. You know ug particles per liter Helium and Helium is being introduced at one liter per minute.  This without the need to know all the dilutions, flow rate etc etc.  

I wonder if this would actually work.

Regards

Frank