Mobile Air Quality Monitoring
Track air pollution where and when it matters with PTR-TOF
IONICON real-time VOC monitors are frequently operated in mobile measurement labs, contributing to local air quality networks and public safety.
Introduction:
PTR-MS is the benchmark method for fast, quantitative and ultra-sensitive monitoring of volatile organic compounds. IONICON’s robust PTR-MS technology easily withstands the harsh conditions of vibrations and shocks aboard mobile platforms. Therefore, IONICON instruments are frequently operated aboard aircrafts, measurement vans and ships for environmental monitoring applications.
With the recent introduction of IONICON’s compact and modular PTR-TOF QB series, PTR-MS can now be operated on even smaller mobile platforms like passenger cars. With sensitivities beyond 30.000 cps/ppbV and limits of detection of single-digit pptV levels and below, the PTR-TOF QB monitors VOCs at highest spatio-temporal resolutions and best precision.
Application Example:
Supported by IONICON, researchers of the University of Oslo (UiO) installed a PTR-TOF 1000 QB together with additional analytical instrumentation into a compact SUV sized plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. All instrumentation was powered by the plug-in hybrid’s internal 230 V power supply that can support up to 1500 W. This is more than sufficient to support the 500 to 800 W of power needed to operate the PTR-TOF 1000 QB. With the analyzers compact volume of only 0.22 m³, UiO researchers had two options to install the modular PTR-TOF 1000 QB into the compact SUV: sideways next to each other only using the trunk area or behind each other utilizing the full possible cargo area. They decided to choose the second option to maintain highest flexibility and space for additional instrumentation and pumps. UiO installed a compact VOC inlet on top of the vehicle to measure the air quality outside the boundary layer of the moving car and still matching all European legal requirements. With a battery capacity of around 14 kWh, the plug-in hybrid can support measurements for an extended period without polluting the local sample air.
UiO researchers have applied this compact mobile lab for two applications:
- Monitoring and mapping of hazardous air pollutants in smoke plumes
- Real-life emission studies of vehicles in urban environments
