HTabsOverviewThe Magee Scientific Carbonaceous Aerosol Speciation System, model CASS, is a combined unit of a Total Carbon Analyzer, model TCA08 and an Aethalometer, model AE33 providing a revolutionary scientific instrument that measures the Total Carbon Content(“TC”), the Elemental Carbon content (EC), the Organic Carbon content (OC) and the Black Carbon content (BC) of suspended aerosol particles in near-real Time. Key features of the Carbonaceous Aerosol Speciation System Model CASS include: DUALSPOT™ TECHNOLOGY for yielding Black Carbon result independent of the so-called “filter loading effects.” CONTINUOUS ANALYSIS OF TOTAL CARBON content by using 2 identical flow channels with 2 independent stainless steel combustion chambers. SOURCE APPORTIONMENT to discriminate Black Carbon from fossil fuel vs. Black Carbon from biomass burning with built-in analysis by a 2-component model. CALIBRATION/VALIDATION against NIST STANDARD reference material to validate the data by a Neutral Density Optical Filter Kit. This procedure can be performed at the instrument site to maximize up-time and minimizes expenses. Using AMBIENT AIR in the combustion chamber as a carrier gas to create CO2 pulse and measures the level of TC in ambient air, therefore NO special GAS and NO special quartz GLASS are required. RUGGED and ALL STEEL CONSTRUCTION to fit the requirements of standardized 19” rack type mounting. EASY INSTALLATION and MAINTENANCE and VERY LONG AUTONOMOUS OPERATION SpecificationMeasurement Parameter: Carbonaceous AerosolSpecification: The Magee Scientific Carbonaceous Aerosol Speciation System CASS operates and simultaneously controls an operation of 2 instruments, i.e., the Total Carbon Analyzer TCA08 and the Aethalometer AE33. The first one collects a sample of atmospheric aerosols on a quartz fiber filter positioned inside a small stainless-steel chamber at a controlled sampling flow rate of 16.7 LPM. The default sampling time of TCA08 is 60 min but can be set from 20 min – 24 h, depending on the ambient aerosol concentrations. TCA08 instrument consists of 2 identical parallel channels, in which ball valves and solenoids are controlling air-flows. A continuous operation is enabled and sustained by the following principle of operation: while one channel collects its sample, the other channel analyzes an already collected one and reports a Total Carbon TC level on a set time-base (from 20 min – 24h). After collecting the filter, two flash-heating elements combust the sample instantaneously in a small ‘analytic’ flow of filtered ambient air. This converts all the carbonaceous compounds into CO2and creates a short, but large-amplitude pulse of CO2 in the analytic flow passed to the NDIR CO2 detector. The background level of CO2 in ambient air during the heating cycle is determined before, and after the heating cycle, the provide the baselines against which the combustion pulse is measured. The CO2 concentration over the baseline is integrated to give the sample’s Total Carbon (TC) content. In parallel to TCA08, the CASS instrument also performs a BC/EC monitoring with AE33 on a 1 Hz time base performing an optical attenuation analysis at 7 wavelengths from near UV (370 nm) to near IR range (950 nm) to characterize a Black Carbon (BC/EC) aerosols accumulated on a Teflon-coated glass fiber filter tape. The Aethalometer AE33 draws the sample air stream through a filter tape with a flow rate from 2 – 5 LPM. Aerosols are collected on two spots on the tape and are illuminated by a multi-wavelength light source. Detectors measure the attenuation of light by the absorbing components of the aerosols relative to a reference through an unexposed portion of the tape. On a defined time-base (1 s or 60 s), AE33 reports this BC/EC data to TCA08. BC/EC data is together with TC included in a simple mathematical formula (TC = BC (EC) + OC) to deduce the OC level on the same time-base as the TC level. Further InfoFurther Info: ONLINE TC, BC, OC/EC DETERMINATION The Magee Scientific Carbonaceous Aerosol Speciation System CASS provides real-time data for BC, closely related to EC. It automatically combines them with TC data from TCA to provide a complete characterization of the carbonaceous component of the aerosol in near-real-time: TC, BC, (or ´EC´), and OC. All carbonaceous aerosol components are characterized by including a simple mathematical relation: TC = BC (EC) + OC. REAL-TIME SOURCE APPORTIONMENT (%BB) The Magee Scientific Carbonaceous Aerosol Speciation System CASS instrument discriminates a Black Carbon fossil fuel from a Black Carbon biomass burning (%BB) in real-time through a sophisticated built-in SW analysis based on a two-component Aethalometer model. SEVEN WAVELENGTH OPERATION: UV-IR, 1HZ DATA The BC (´EC´) optical analysis is performed at 7 wavelengths from the near-infrared (950 nm) to the near-ultraviolet (370 nm), yielding optical absorption characteristics of collected aerosols on a Teflon-coated glass fiber filter tape. Tape advances automatically when a user-selectable loading threshold is reached, typically once every few hours, depending on aerosol concentration and airflow rate. RUGGED INSTRUMENT FOR LONGER AUTHONOMOUS OPERATION The Magee Scientific Carbonaceous Aerosol Speciation System CASS is constructed in a rugged and compact design to fit AE33 and TCA08 into a 19” rack type CASS housing package suitable for field-work laboratory and routine Air Quality monitoring applications with limited space. CASS can operate for a longer period of time (from weeks to months) without the operator´s attention. Only a roll of filter tape on AE33 and quartz fiber filter or denuder on TCA08 must be replaced from time to time. Embedded video for Carbonaceous Aerosol Speciation System Model CASS