The Aerosol Technology Laboratory is an independent University research laboratory at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University that was established under the direction of Dr. Andrew R. McFarland, Wyatt Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and has been serving for over thirty-five years as a center for aerosol research for both private and public sector interests.
- A robust engineering and research environment, 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 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; fluorometric 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. - 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 of a Continuous PM10 Particulate Monitor for real-time measurement of dust emissions from a corrosive stack environment.
- Design (patented) of a Circumferential Slot Virtual Impactor for low power concentration of aerosols.
- Design (patented) of the Wetted Wall Cyclone (WWC) for low power collection and concentration of bioaerosols and nanoaerosols.