Quartz Crystal Microbalance/Surface Acoustic Wave

QCM/SAW was developed to perform in-situ real time measurements of aerosols and chemical vapors in the stratosphere. The instrument is integrated into a fuselage centerline pod. The instrument is controlled by an embedded micro controller. The preset sampling sequence is triggered by a single command issued by the pilot. Using an air pump, samples are collected and decelerated in two stages to match the velocity requirement at the cascade impactor. Once the sample enters the cascade impactor, aerosols contained in the sample are separated into 8 size bands. The separated particles are collected on the surface of the piezoelectric microbalance crystals. The samples are analyzed post-flight.