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www.atmos-meas-tech-discuss.net/3/637/2010/
doi:10.5194/amtd-3-637-2010
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Results and recommendations from an intercomparison of six Hygroscopicity-TDMA systems
1Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany
2Aarhus University, National Environmental Research Institute, Department of Atmospheric Environment, Roskilde, Denmark
3Stockholm University, Department of Applied Environmental Science, Stockholm, Sweden
4Lund University, Department of Physics, Lund, Sweden
5University of Helsinki, Department of Physics, Helsinki, Finland
6Université Blaise Pascal, Laboratoire de Météorologie Physique, Clermont Ferrand, France
7University of Manchester, Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, Manchester, UK
Abstract. The performance of six custom-built Hygrocopicity-Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzers (H-TDMA) systems was investigated in the frame of an international calibration and intercomparison workshop held in Leipzig, February 2006. The goal of the workshop was to harmonize H-TDMA measurements and develop recommendations for atmospheric measurements and their data evaluation. The H-TDMA systems were compared in terms of the sizing of dry particles, relative humidity (RH) uncertainty and consistency in determination of number fractions of different hygroscopic particle groups. The experiments were performed in an air-conditioned laboratory using ammonium sulfate particles or an external mixture of ammonium sulfate and soot particles.
The sizing of dry particles of the six H-TDMA systems was within 0.2 to 4.2% of the selected particle diameter depending on investigated size and individual system.
With regard to RH uncertainties, the H-TDMA systems showed deviations up to 4.5% RH from the set point at RH=90% investigating the hygroscopic growth of ammonium sulfate particles and comparing the results with theory.
The evaluation of number fractions investigating an externally mixed aerosol delivered differences up to +/−8% in calculated number fraction for one and the same aerosol type.
We analysed the datasets of the different H-TDMAs with one fitting routine to investigate differences caused by the different data evaluation procedures. The results showed that the differences were reduced from +12/−13% to +8/−6%. We can conclude here that a common data evaluation procedure to determine the number fraction of externally mixed aerosols will improve the comparability of H-TDMA measurements.
We finally recommend, to ensure a good calibration of all flow, temperature and RH sensors in the systems. It is most important to thermally insulate the RH control unit and the second DMA and to monitor those temperatures as accurately as 0.2 °C. For a correct determination of external mixtures, it is necessary to take into account size-dependent losses due to the diffusion in the pluming between the DMAs and in the aerosol humidification unit.
Discussion Paper (PDF, 728 KB) Interactive Discussion (Final Response, 4 Comments) Manuscript under review for AMT
Citation: Massling, A., Niedermaier, N., Hennig, T., Fors, E., Swietlicki, E., Ehn, M., Hämeri, K., Villani, P., Laj, P., Good, N., McFiggans, G., and Wiedensohler, A.: Results and recommendations from an intercomparison of six Hygroscopicity-TDMA systems, Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., 3, 637-674, doi:10.5194/amtd-3-637-2010, 2010. Bibtex EndNote Reference Manager XML
