An air contaminant collector device for use in an aircraft air contaminant analyzer, and a method for its use, are disclosed.

A sensor for the continuous in-situ analysis of an aerosol flow for measuring the mass of the micron/submicron particles suspended in the air flow, including an aeraulic sorter allowing the particles to be sorted according to their size with an impactor body with a cascade of one or more stages; at least one MEMS microbalance per stage, with an oscillating silicon membrane located on the impaction zone of the particles; processor connected to each MEMS microbalance to determine the mass of all the particles on the impaction zone; a system for cleaning the MEMS microbalances allowing the evacuation of the particles from the MEMS microbalances; means for driving the aerosol flow.

A sensor for the continuous in-situ analysis of an aerosol flow for measuring the mass of the micron/submicron particles suspended in the air flow, including an aeraulic sorter allowing the particles to be sorted according to their size with an impactor body with a cascade of one or more stages; at least one MEMS microbalance per stage, with an oscillating silicon membrane located on the impaction zone of the particles; processor connected to each MEMS microbalance to determine the mass of all the particles on the impaction zone; a system for cleaning the MEMS microbalances allowing the evacuation of the particles from the MEMS microbalances; means for driving the aerosol flow.

A sensor for the continuous in-situ analysis of an aerosol flow for measuring the mass of the micron/submicron particles suspended in the air flow, including an aeraulic sorter allowing the particles to be sorted according to their size with an impactor body with a cascade of one or more stages; at least one MEMS microbalance per stage, with an oscillating silicon membrane located on the impaction zone of the particles; processor connected to each MEMS microbalance to determine the mass of all the particles on the impaction zone; a system for cleaning the MEMS microbalances allowing the evacuation of the particles from the MEMS microbalances; means for driving the aerosol flow.

A sensor for the continuous in-situ analysis of an aerosol flow for measuring the mass of the micron/submicron particles suspended in the air flow, including an aeraulic sorter allowing the particles to be sorted according to their size with an impactor body with a cascade of one or more stages; at least one MEMS microbalance per stage, with an oscillating silicon membrane located on the impaction zone of the particles; processor connected to each MEMS microbalance to determine the mass of all the particles on the impaction zone; a system for cleaning the MEMS microbalances allowing the evacuation of the particles from the MEMS microbalances; means for driving the aerosol flow.

Methods for determining and classifying by type aircraft air contaminants, and aircraft air contaminant analyzers, are disclosed.

An apparatus and method is provided for coating a surface of a material with a film of porous coordination polymer. A first substrate having a first surface to be coated is positioned in a processing chamber such that the first surface is placed in a substantially opposing relationship to a second surface. In some embodiments, the second surface is provided by a wall of the processing chamber, and in other embodiments the second surface is provided by a second substrate to be coated. The first substrate is held such that a gap exists between the first and second surfaces, and the gap is filled with at least one reaction mixture comprising reagents sufficient to form the crystalline film on at least the first surface. A thin gap (e.g., having a thickness less than 2 mm) between the first and second surfaces is effective for producing a high quality film having a thickness less than 100 μm. Confining the volume of the reaction mixture to a thin layer adjacent the substrate surface significantly reduces problems with sedimentation and concentration control. In some embodiments, the size, shape, or average thickness of the gap is adjusted during formation of the film in response to feedback from at least one film growth monitor.

Methods and apparatus to measure mass in low gravity environments are disclosed. A disclosed example low-gravity mass-measuring apparatus includes a coupler to couple a coupling portion to an object, the coupling portion including a first inertial measurement unit (IMU), a force device to provide a force to cause a movement of a dock relative to the coupling portion, where the dock is releasably couplable to the coupling portion and includes a second IMU, and a processor to calculate a mass of the object based on movement data from the first and second IMUs and the force.

Disclosed are methods for determining and classifying aircraft air contaminants using contaminant analyzers comprising a contaminant collector comprising a membrane and a heater vaporizing captured contaminants; a gravimetric sensor generating a proportionate response when contaminant mass is added to or removed from the sensor, the sensor arranged to receive contaminants desorbed from the membrane when the membrane is heated; a frequency measurement device, measuring the response generated by the sensor as the contaminant is added to and removed from the sensor; a computer readable medium bearing a contaminant recognition program and calibration data; a processor executing the recognition program, the program including a module classifying contaminants by type, and a module using the calibration data for comparison with magnitude of the response generated by the sensor to calculate contaminant concentration; and, a pump, generating flow of aircraft air through the contaminant collector before and after the membrane is heated.

Apparatus and related methods are provided in a surface acoustic wave (SAW) scale for measuring weight of a load. A processor reads a first frequency of a SAW delay line operating in a first mode. A push oscillator injects a frequency similar to but different than the first frequency in order to cause the SAW delay line to operate in a second mode, and the processor reads a second frequency of the SAW delay line operating in the second mode. A difference between the frequencies is calculated and compared to values in a stored table to determine the first mode at which the SAW delay line was operating. Based on a determination of the first mode and the first frequency, the weight of the load is determined. This determined weight can be used to recalibrate an auxiliary weight sensor.