Cyclone air sampler XLC.xlsx

Small (less than 150 mm ID) air sampling cyclone samplers are typically used to remove a defined size range of aerosol particles from an air flow.  Particulate mass measurements of PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 are typically performed at aerosol cutoff sizes of 1, 2.5 or 10 microns, respectively.  This spreadsheet uses a published design correlation to calculate the inside diamter of a sampling cyclone, given an assumed air flowrate and aerosol particle cutoff diameter.

A cyclone air sampler is a type of air sampler used to collect and analyze airborne particles. It uses a cyclonic action to separate particles from the air stream and deposit them onto a collection substrate, such as a filter or a slide.

The cyclone air sampler consists of a cylindrical body with a tangential inlet and an axial outlet. The inlet directs the air stream tangentially into the body, creating a vortex or cyclone that causes the larger and heavier particles to move outward and settle on the walls of the body, while the smaller and lighter particles continue to flow towards the outlet.

The separation efficiency of the cyclone air sampler depends on several factors, including the inlet velocity, the diameter of the cyclone body, the particle size and density, and the shape of the inlet and outlet. The cut-off diameter of the cyclone, which is the particle size below which the separation efficiency decreases significantly, is determined by these factors.

Cyclone air samplers are commonly used for environmental monitoring, occupational hygiene, and health studies, among other applications. They can be used to collect particles of various sizes and types, including dust, pollen, spores, and fibers, depending on the design of the cyclone and the collection substrate. The collected samples can be analyzed by various methods, such as microscopy, gravimetry, or chemical analysis, to determine the concentration and composition of the particles.