About us
The Aerosol Technology Laboratory is an independent University research laboratory at Texas A&M University under the direction of Dr. Andrew R. McFarland, Wyatt Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and has served for over twenty-five years as a center for aerosol research for both private and public sector interests. A partial list of past sponsors of Aerosol Technology Laboratory research includes the U.S. Army, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site, Savannah River National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the Department of Energy Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, Siemens-Dematic, Kennecott Utah Copper, Canberra Industries Inc., and Andersen Instruments.
A robust engineering and research environment at Texas A&M University allows the Aerosol Technology Laboratory to draw upon a vast pool of talented graduate students and professional staff to support research efforts within the lab. The Aerosol Technology Laboratory employs approximately 25 interdisciplinary students, staff, and faculty representing several departments within Texas A&M University. The Aerosol Technology Laboratory has produced dozens of M.S. and Ph.D. graduates at Texas A&M University, many of whom have gone on to lead research efforts at prestigious research facilities such as Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and Ohio State University.
The Aerosol Technology Laboratory operates from laboratory facilities
within the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University,
as well as a large-scale wind tunnel facility located off the main campus.
Capabilities of the Aerosol Technology Laboratory include:
static bench-top testing of aerosol devices with inert monodisperse aerosol (liquid or solid particles with imbedded fluorescent tracer) as well as with non-pathogenic bacteria spores; fluormetric analysis, and imaging of test aerosol particles; culturing of bacteria spores for quantitative analysis; and wind-tunnel testing of aerosol sampling equipment with either inert aerosol particles or non-pathogenic bacteria spores.
Aerosol Technology Laboratory personnel have produced dozens of technical
papers contributing to the scientific understanding of aerosols and the
performance of aerosol equipment, and have obtained substantial experience
in the development of high-efficiency aerosol sampling, transport, and
measurement devices. Aerosol Technology Laboratory research has led to
patents as well as helped shape standards used in particulate measurement.
Specific accomplishments of past Aerosol Technology Laboratory research
include:
• The design and patenting of a Shrouded Probe for representative sampling
of aerosols at a constant flow rate and high wind speeds.
• Development of American National Standards Institute Standard 13.1-1999
describing the method and application of single-point representative sampling
from stacks and ducts.
• Design of the Generic Mixing Plenum for low power mixing of duct effluent
to satisfy single-point representative sampling criteria.
• Design of a Continuous Air Monitor for detection of airborne alpha-emitting
particles (Alpha Sentry System, Canberra Industries Inc., Meriden, CT).
• Design (patent pending) of a Circumferential Slot Virtual Impactor for
low power concentration of aerosols.
• Design of a Continuous PM10 Particulate Monitor for real-time measurement
of dust emissions from a corrosive stack environment.