System Integration of an Optimally Designed Virtual Impactor with a QCM Sensor as a One-Stop PM2.5 Classification and Detection Platform

Yong Wang; Xuze Mei; Zhonggui Xu; Jingui Qian

doi:10.1021/acsomega.3c08402

System Integration of an Optimally Designed Virtual Impactor with a QCM Sensor as a One-Stop PM_2.5 Classification and Detection Platform

ACS Omega. 2024 Jan 26;9(5):5751-5760. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.3c08402. eCollection 2024 Feb 6.

Authors

Yong Wang¹, Xuze Mei¹, Zhonggui Xu², Jingui Qian³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou 310015, China.
² School of Advanced Materials and Mechatronic Engineering, Hubei Minzu University, Enshi 445000, China.
³ Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Measuring Theory and Precision Instrument, School of Instrument Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China.

Abstract

Excessive exposure to airborne particulate matter (PM), especially PM_2.5 particles, adversely affects human health. Conventional PM_2.5 detection instruments based on light scattering are generally bulky, expensive, and easily affected by particle size and composition. Here, we report a low-cost and compact one-stop PM_2.5 detection platform by integrating a three-dimensional (3D) printed virtual impactor with a QCM sensor. To reduce eddy and airflow impact on the side wall and improve the VI lifetime, a computational fluid dynamics simulation is used to optimize the VI structure. Results show that when the included angle between the minor flow channel and the inner side of the major flow channel is 40-45° and the included angle between the inlet channel and the outside wall of the major flow channel is 125°, the VI has a relatively small particle loss, eddy, and good collection efficiency. Finally, the system detection performance is experimentally evaluated with a sensitivity of 0.08 Hz/min per μg/m³, showing a comparable performance with the commercial instrument.