Performance evaluation of the low-cost layout for analyzing the particulate matter concentration from vehicle exhaust using an optical particle counter

In order to address the increasing demand for real-time controlling of the emission, a regular test of the particulate matter exhaust emission should be performed. A wide range of mobile and accurate monitoring instruments is now available for real-time detection of different properties of particulate matter. Among various portable novel sensor technologies, optical particle counters (OPCs) are extensively used in the particulate matter mass monitoring. This paper aims to present the design of a low-weight and low-cost layout for using an OPC device as an optical monitoring system after the vehicle exhaust. It is shown that the proposed layout fulfils all the working requirements of the OPC devices in terms of temperature and humidity.