LAQS

Indoor chamber: 10³ Teflon reactor in 30m³ temperature controlled UV-equipped room. plus two 2m³ Teflon reactors inside UV-equipped enclosure.
Outdoor mobile chamber system: Two 2m³ Teflon reactors inside UV-equipped enclosure. The system can be used either outdoors in Patras or can be moved with the help of the FORTH mobile laboratory to the desired location.
Instrumentation includes: HR-AMS, PTR-MS, SMPS, ultrafine-SMPS, APS, thermodenuder, SO₂, NOx, CO, CO₂, O3, NH₃ monitors, MAAP, TEOM, nephelometer, Dry-Ambient Aerosol Size Spectrometer (DAASS).
Unique features: source characterization (wood burning, open burning, gasoline and diesel engines, scooters, food cooking, etc.)
The chamber can operate with natural sunlight, artificial UV, or in the dark. Instrumentation can be housed inside the FORTH mobile laboratory.
Unique abilities to perform ambient air perturbation experiments (starting with ambient air) changing the conditions in the first chamber and keeping the second as baseline. Can be moved to field sites.

– Testing/intercomparisons of new instruments.
– Studies of specific organic aerosol systems.
– Atmospheric “perturbation” experiments.
– Characterization of sources.
– Chemical aging experiments for primary and secondary organic aerosol.
– Ambient nucleation experiments.

Between 2 and 4 weeks. A typical campaign includes 2-3 days of preparing the chamber for the experiments (e.g. connection of external instruments, testing), then 10-15 days of experiments (one experiment per day) and finally 2-3 days of data sharing and preliminary analysis and planning of the rest of the analysis and synthesis.

The FORTH chamber has been used until now mainly by the academic sector. However, it is available for both the private sector and government.

The main FORTH-ASC chamber is a 10 m³ Teflon reactor inside a 30 m³ temperature-controlled UV-equipped room. The dimensions of the reactor are approximately 2.2 x 2.2 x 2 m. The reactor operates at a little above atmospheric pressure.

10-20 hr for 0.1-2 μm particles (defined as in 1/k, where k is the particle wall loss rate constant to the walls)

Information about the chamber can be found in the following publications:

– Kostenidou E., C. Kaltsonoudis, M. Tsiflikiotou, E. Louvaris, L. M. Russell, and S. N. Pandis (2013) Burning of olive trees : a major organic aerosol source in the Mediterranean, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 8797-8811.

– Kaltsonoudis, C., E. Kostenidou, E. Louvaris, M. Psichoudaki, E. Tsiligiannis, K. Florou, A. Liangou, and S. N. Pandis (2017) Characterization of fresh and aged organic aerosol emissions from meat charbroiling, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 7143-7155.

– Louvaris, E. E., E. Karnezi, E. Kostenidou, C. Kaltsonoudis, and S. N. Pandis (2017) Estimation of the volatility distribution of organic aerosol combining thermodenuder and isothermal dilution measurements, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 3909-3918.

General information

Access mode

Physical access

Infrastructure name and acronym

FORTH Mobile Atmospheric Simulation Chamber (FORTH-MSC)

Website

http://laqs2.iceht.forth.gr/research-facilities/experimental-facilities/laboratories

Legal name of organization operating the infrastructure

Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences (FORTH/ICEHT)

Description of the infrastructure

Brief general description of the infrastructure to which access is offered

The portable dual-smog-chamber system uses two identical pillow-shaped smog chambers (1.5 m³ each). The two chambers are surrounded by sixty UV light lamps (Osram, L36W/73) in a hexagonal arrangement. The lamps are mounted on five metal frames (12 per frame) creating five substructures. The sixth side does not include lights and is used as an entrance for chamber maintenance. The lights can be remotely operated at 20 %, 40 %, 60 %, 80 %, and 100 % levels. The light fixtures include aluminum mirrors in order to direct the light towards the center of the dome, thus maximizing the light intensity delivered to the chambers. When all lights are on, the corresponding J_NO2 is 0.1 min⁻¹. The spectrum of the lights peaks in the 350–400 nm region. Flexible tent poles were used to create a dome that can be partially or fully covered protecting the chambers from the weather elements. Once the dome is removed, it can also be used with natural sunlight.

The relatively small volume of the chambers along with the fixed frame enables their easy and safe transport without having to disassemble them or to remove the sampling ports. Relative humidity (RH) and temperature sensors are also fixed on the chambers. The frame dimensions are 1.7m×0.5m×1.7 m. Two sampling ports (one per chamber) with multiple lines and a temperature and RH sensor were installed on the reactors.

Sampling is alternated between the two chambers every 3 min by an automated three-way valve synchronized with the operation of the corresponding instrumentation. This allows a total duration of the experiments of more than 4 h without the addition of makeup air.

This design also allows the use of a single 10 m³ chamber if so desired.

Services currently offered by the infrastructure and its research environment

– Atmospheric “perturbation” experiments.
– Chemical aging experiments for primary and secondary organic aerosol.
– Ambient nucleation experiments.

Typical duration of work

Between 2 and 4 weeks. A typical campaign includes 2-3 days of preparing the chambers for the experiments (e.g. connection of external instruments, testing), then 10-15 days of experiments (one experiment per day) and finally 5-6 days of data sharing and preliminary analysis  and planning of the rest of the analysis and synthesis.

Community/user type served

The FORTH-MSC has been used until now mainly by the academic sector. However, it is available for both the private sector and government.

Logistic and administrative support offered

Assistance with transport and installation of additional instrumentation to the site is offered. Troubleshooting and repairs can be provided. The institute offers assistance by providing local accommodations.

Physical description

The frame dimensions are 1.7m×0.5m×1.7 m.

Once assembled the UV light support structure had a footprint of 4.5 m×4.5 m and a height of 2.5 m

Each chamber has a nominal volume of 1.5 m³.

The lights can be remotely operated at 20 %, 40 %, 60 %, 80 %, and 100 % levels.

When all lights are on, the corresponding J_NO2 is 0.1 min⁻¹.

The spectrum of the lights peaks in the 350–400 nm region.

UV lights heat to approximately 50 ∘C.

A dual-head metal bellows pump (model MB-602) is used to fill the chambers with ambient air delivering 80 L min⁻¹ per pump head.

Person in charge of access provision at the infrastructure

Dr. Spyros Pandis, spyros@chemeng.upatras.gr

Description papers 

Information about the FORTH-MSC can be found in the following publications:

–         Kaltsonoudis, C., Jorga, S. D., Louvaris, E., Florou, K., and Pandis, S. N.: A portable dual-smog-chamber system for atmospheric aerosol field studies, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 2733–2743, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-2733-2019, 2019.

–         Jorga, S. D., Kaltsonoudis, C., Liangou, A., and Pandis, S. N.: Measurement of formation rates of secondary aerosol in the ambient urban atmosphere using a dual smog chamber system, Environ. Sci. Technol. 54, 1336–1343, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b03479, 2020.