Cambustion introduce portable fast CLD analyzer for NOx

22 March 2021

Cambustion announced the introduction of their CLD50 analyzer—a portable, single channel fast response instrument with T10-90% response times of 15 milliseconds for engine exhaust measurements, but with settings suitable for ambient measurements down to 5 parts-per-billion at 100 milliseconds.

Cambustion Applications Engineer, Jamie Parnell said “The development of the CLD50 was a natural progression from its sister instrument: the FID50, retaining the ability to measure real time exhaust transients associated with cold starts and load/speed changes. This provides engine researchers and calibrators with an accurate measure of the very short-duration “spikes” of emissions which may only last a fraction of a second and which are not fully resolved by slow response analyzers. Correlating these events with other engine parameters provides an opportunity to mitigate them.”

An example of gasoline engine cold start NO and its correlation with the exhaust gas oxygen sensor signal, after 23 s, is shown in Video 1.

Loading in alternative set points and dispensing with the heated sample line allows for air quality measurements down to ppb levels where it has been used for cabin air vent assessment during urban and motorway driving:

… and also roadside measurement at junctions showing the effects of vehicles accelerating away from lights:

“We were surprised by the rapid fluctuations of concentrations detected at our sampling point and the fact that the very short-duration peaks of pollution cannot be resolved by conventional AQ monitors is a clear advantage of this equipment” commented Dr Mark Peckham, Director at Cambustion. “The ability to identify the pollutant plume of individual “gross emitters” and the fact that the cloud residence time is on the same timescale as a single inhalation is of interest to dispersion modellers and researchers in respiratory medicine.”

Source: Cambustion