Determination of the effective density and fractal dimension of PM emissions from an aircraft auxiliary power unit

Gas turbine particulate matter (PM) emissions contribute to air quality degradation and are dangerous to both human health and the environment. Currently, PM mass concentrations determined from gravimetric measurements are the default parameter for gas turbine emissions compliance with PM regulations. The measurement of particle size however, is of significant interest due to its specific effects on health and climate science. The mass concentration can be determined from the number-size distribution measurement but requires the experimental evaluation of effective density of a number of particles to establish the power-law relationship. In this study, the effective density of PM emissions from an aircraft Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) with petroleum diesel, conventional aviation fuel (Jet A-1) and a multicomponent surrogate fuel (Banner NP 1014) as combusting fuels have been compared. An experimental configuration consisting of a Differential Mobility Analyzer, a Centrifugal Particle Mass Analyzer and a Condensation Particle Counter (DMA-CPMA-CPC) was deployed for this purpose. Overall, a decrease in the effective density (220–1900 km − 3 ) with an increase in the particle size was observed and found to depend on the engine operating condition and the type of fuel undergoing combustion. There was a change in the trend of the effective densities between the PM emissions generated from the fuels burnt and the engine operating conditions with increasing particle size.