The sensor includes: a collection part 30L, 30M, 30S in which, a plurality of filter members for collecting particulate matter in exhaust gas are arranged in descending order of porosity from an exhaust upstream side to an exhaust downstream side of the exhaust gas; a pair of electrodes 32, 33 which is arranged to each of the plurality of filter members 30L, 30M, 30S and facing each other with the plurality of filter members interposed therebetween; and estimation means 42 to 44 far estimating a particulate matter amount collected on each of the plurality of filter members having different porosities based on a capacitance change amount between the pair of electrodes 32, 33.

A method and system of determining a filter life are disclosed. In examples, a method comprises capturing aerosol particles on a filter and measuring absorbance spectra of the aerosol particles captured on the filter. The method further comprises identifying one or more aerosol particle types based on the measured absorbance spectra and determining a mass accumulation of each of the one or more aerosol particle types based on the measured absorbance spectra and the aerosol particle type. The method further comprises determining a median particle size of each of the one or more aerosol particle types based on the measured absorbance spectra and the aerosol particle type and determining a filter life based on the determined mass accumulation and the determined median particle size of each of the one or more aerosol particle types.

A method and system for diagnosing a condition of an air-breathing aircraft engine are described. The method comprises obtaining a sample of lubricating fluid from the engine, filtering the sample to obtain a plurality of particles from the lubricating fluid, obtaining chemical composition data for the plurality of particles, determining a quantity of volcanic ash in the lubricating fluid by considering each one of the particles as composed partially of volcanic ash and partially of at least one other material and determining a first percentage of surface area of the particles covered by the volcanic ash and a second percentage of the surface area of the particles covered by the at least one other material, the volcanic ash having associated thereto a predetermined chemical composition, and diagnosing a condition of the engine based on the quantity of volcanic ash found in the lubricating fluid.

In at least one illustrative embodiment, an electromagnetic filter may include a transfer pipe and multiple electromagnetic filter elements positioned in an interior volume of the pipe. Each electromagnetic filter element includes a support comb, a solenoid coupled to the support comb, and multiple magnetic members arranged in a planar array positioned within an opening of the support comb. Each magnetic member may rotate about an end that is coupled to the support comb. The magnetic members may be magnetostrictive sensors and may include a biorecognition element to bind with a target microorganism. A method for fluid filtration includes coupling the electromagnetic filter between a fluid source and a fluid destination, energizing the solenoids of each electromagnetic filter elements, and flowing a fluid media through the transfer pipe of the electromagnetic filter. The fluid media may be liquid food such as fruit juice. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

A semi-volatile particulate matter detection device is disclosed for detecting semi-volatile particulate matter in a gas flow. The device has a first filter stage for receiving the gas flow, the first filter stage being configured to capture particulate matter and to be heated to a temperature of at least 150° C. to volatilise semi-volatile particulate matter to produce semi-volatile vapour for passing through the first filter stage with the gas flow. The device also has a conveyance section downstream of the first filter stage to convey the gas flow and the semi-volatile vapour. A second filter stage is configured to receive the flow from the conveyance section. The temperature of the conveyance section and/or of the second filter stage is controllable so as to cause condensation of at least some of the semi-volatile vapour and collect it on the second filter stage. A detector is provided for detecting at least one characteristic of the condensed semi-volatile vapour on the second filter stage.

A collection system for monitoring conditions of a rack of animal cages. An animal caging system including a plurality of animal cages removably connected to an exhaust. A collection media cartridge is slidably received within an opening in a collection media housing dock. The collection media housing dock is positioned between an exhaust plenum of the rack an exhaust air inlet unit. Collection media is removably received in the collection media cartridge. Exhaust air dust clings to the collection media as exhaust from the animal cages flows along the length of the collection media. The collection media cartridge can be removed from the collection media housing dock and the collection media can be removed for sampling the exhaust.

To provide an exhaust gas analysis apparatus that, without the need to greatly change the flow rate of diluted exhaust gas passing through a filter, can change the flow rate of exhaust gas in the diluted exhaust gas passing through the filter with good followability to reflect weighting, and accurately measure PM, the exhaust gas analysis apparatus is adapted to include: a collection part that collects particulate matter in sampling exhaust gas partially splitting from original exhaust gas or in the diluted exhaust gas resulting from diluting the sampling exhaust gas with diluent gas; and a split flow ratio control mechanism configured to, in accordance with a vehicle driving mode set in compliance with predetermined regulations, change a split flow ratio that is the ratio of the split flow rate of the sampling exhaust gas to the total flow rate of the original exhaust gas.

Equipment for the control of the industrial contamination of industrial components comprising at least one base frame; and an extraction unit/device/component of contaminating impurities from at least one industrial component, mounted on the base frame and provided with a washing unit/device/component of the industrial component by way of an operating fluid adapted to remove the contaminating impurities from said industrial component, the operating fluid mixing with the contaminating impurities to obtain an operating mixture following the washing of the industrial component; and a preparation unit/device/component of at least one analysis sample of the contaminating impurities removed from the industrial component starting from the operating mixture, wherein the equipment comprises an analysis unit/device/component of the analysis sample mounted on the base frame and adapted to detect at least one analytical data which is characteristic of the contaminating impurities.

A device collects material from air. The device swirls air within a fluid housing so as to deposit the material, such as viruses, bacteria, fungi and other particles, from the air in a way that the material can later be analyzed. The device can be used to provide for detection of airborne organisms or properties of material in the air.

A method is provided for detecting a composition of airborne particles. The method includes directing, with a pump, gas including particulate matter through a filter including an indicator dye. The method further includes causing a color change in the filter based on the particulate matter binding to the indicator dye. The method further includes transmitting, with an optical source, an optical signal at the filter. The method further includes detecting, with an imaging device, a reflected signal from the filter. The method further includes determining, with a processor, a value of a parameter of the particulate matter based on the color change, wherein the color change is based on the detected reflected signal.