Pressure-flow reducer for aerosol focusing devices

Patent · Tue Apr 22 00:00:00 EDT 2008

OSTI ID:985548

Gard, Eric ^[1]; Riot, Vincent ^[2]; Coffee, Keith ^[3]; Woods, Bruce ^[4]; Tobias, Herbert ^[5]; Birch, Jim ^[6]; Weisgraber, Todd ^[7]

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1. San Francisco, CA
2. Oakland, CA
3. Diablo Grande, CA
4. Livermore, CA
5. Kensington, CA
6. Albany, CA
7. Brentwood, CA

A pressure-flow reducer, and an aerosol focusing system incorporating such a pressure-flow reducer, for performing high-flow, atmosphere-pressure sampling while delivering a tightly focused particle beam in vacuum via an aerodynamic focusing lens stack. The pressure-flow reducer has an inlet nozzle for adjusting the sampling flow rate, a pressure-flow reduction region with a skimmer and pumping ports for reducing the pressure and flow to enable interfacing with low pressure, low flow aerosol focusing devices, and a relaxation chamber for slowing or stopping aerosol particles. In this manner, the pressure-flow reducer decouples pressure from flow, and enables aerosol sampling at atmospheric pressure and at rates greater than 1 liter per minute.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (Livermore, CA)
• Patent Number(s): 7,361,891
• Application Number: 11/471,093
• OSTI ID: 985548
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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