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February 27, 2020

TOTAL CARBON ANALYZER, MODEL TCA08

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Home » TOTAL CARBON ANALYZER, MODEL TCA08

TOTAL CARBON ANALYZER MODEL TCA08

The Magee Scientific Total Carbon Analyzer, Model TCA08, is a revolutionary new instrument that measures the Total Carbon (TC) content of suspended aerosol particles in real-time for laboratory research, field work, and routine air-quality monitoring applications.

NO special GAS and NO special quartz GLASS required

CONTINUOUS OPERATION and ANALYSIS of TOTAL CARBON content

RUGGED and RELIABLE

Please use our online form to request price quotes, answers to specific product questions, or to request Call Back Service to discuss our products.

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INFO
SPECIFICATIONS
DOCUMENTS
PUBLICATIONS
VIDEO
ACCESSORIES
FAQ

PRODUCT INFO

The analytical system of the Magee Scientific Total Carbon Analyzer is constructed entirely from stainless steel, making the instrument rugged, simple, and reliable.  The analysis uses ambient air as the carrier gas.  This eliminates the need for specialty gas supplies and greatly simplifies the installation, use, and maintenance of the instrument.

In contrast to existing methods, the TCA offers greater reliability, greater flexibility, and substantial operational cost savings for aerosol analysis.

The TCA08 can be used in online mode for continuous, real-time analysis: and offline mode to analyze previously collected samples.

ADVANTAGES AND BENEFITS

CONTINUOUS OPERATION
The time base for sampling and analysis is adjustable from 20 minutes to 24 hours.

NO GAS, NO GLASS
Ambient air is used as the analytical carrier gas at a very low flow rate.  This eliminates the need for specialized gas supplies.

The analytical chambers are made of stainless steel: the instrument contains no fragile glass components.

OC/EC DETERMINATION
The Total Carbon Analyzer provides the result for TC.

Since {TC = OC + EC}, it follows that {OC = TC – EC}.

The Total Carbon Analyzer may be connected to a Model AE33 Aethalometer, which provides real-time data for BC, closely related to ‘EC’.  The Aethalometer data is automatically combined with the TCA data to provide a full characterization of the carbonaceous component of the aerosol in near-real-time:  TC, OC, BC (or ‘EC’).

CONTINUOUS OPERATION
One channel collects the sample, while the second parallel channel is being analyzed.  Ball valves automatically switch between the two, every time base period, to provide continuous operation.

QUICK INSTALLATION, AUTOMATIC OPERATION
The instrument can be installed quickly with no specialized resources required.  It operates automatically and recovers from power interruptions.

OC/EC DETERMINATION

Carbonaceous matter {TC = OC + EC} is often the largest contributor to PM2.5 mass.  The Total Carbon Analyzer provides the result for TC.

Since {TC = OC + EC}, it follows that {OC = TC – EC}.

The Magee Scientific Total Carbon Analyzer may be connected to a Model AE33 Aethalometer, which provides real-time data for BC, closely related to ‘EC.’  The Aethalometer data is automatically combined with the TCA data to provide a full characterization of the carbonaceous component of the aerosol in near-real-time:  TC, OC, BC (or ‘EC’).

This is accomplished in a rugged, reliable instrument package suitable for laboratory, fieldwork, and routine Air Quality monitoring applications.

RUGGED INSTRUMENT

The Magee Scientific Total Carbon Analyzer Model TCA08 is constructed in a rugged instrument package suitable for laboratory, field-work, and routine Air Quality monitoring applications.

MEASUREMENT PRINCIPLE

  • The Magee Scientific Total Carbon Analyzer collects a sample of atmospheric aerosols on a quartz fiber filter enclosed in a small stainless-steel chamber at a controlled sampling flow rate of 16.7 LPM. The default sampling time is 60 minutes but can be set from 20 minutes to 24 hours, depending on the ambient aerosol concentrations.
  • The instrument has two identical parallel channels, with the air flows being controlled by ball valves and solenoids. While one channel is collecting its sample, the other channel analyzes the sample collected during the previous period.  At the end of the period, the valves switch over to provide continuous operation and continuous data.
  • After collecting the filter, two flash-heating elements combust the sample instantaneously in a small ‘analytic’ flow of filtered ambient air. This converts all the carbonaceous compounds into CO2 and creates a short, but large-amplitude pulse of CO2 in the analytic flow passed to the NDIR CO2 detector. The background level of CO2 in ambient air during the heating cycle is determined before, and after the heating cycle, the provide the baselines against which the combustion pulse is measured. The CO2 concentration over the baseline is integrated to give the Total Carbon content of the sample.
  • The chamber and combustion elements are cooled after analysis. At the end of the timebase period, the flow system of ball valves and solenoids switches over.  The first channel collects the next period’s sample, while the second channel analyzes the previously collected sample.

SPECIFICATIONS

OPERATION

  • Supply voltage: 100-240 V~, 50/60 Hz
  • Max power consumption: 600 W (Heaters 400 W, Sample pump 100 W, Analytic flow pump 25 W)
  • Airflow: Sample Airflow 16.7 LPM, Analytic Airflow 0.5 LPM
  • Time resolution: 60 min (default); user-selectable 20 min to 24 hours

ENVIRONMENTAL OPERATING CONDITIONS

  • Indoor use, rack, or benchtop (instrument)
  • Altitude: up to 3000 m
  • Temperature range: 10 – 35 degrees Celsius (instrument)
  • Relative humidity range: non-condensing

MECHANICAL SPECIFICATION

  • Chassis: standard 19’’/9U, rack mount, constructed of sheet metal
  • Inlet plumbing requirement: the minimum overall height of the Total Carbon Analyzer (TCA) chassis and inlet tubing is 1.20 m.  See Figure 1. 
  • Weight: 35 kg

Figure 1. (left) Denuder efficiency test setup, and (right) sampling setup. The overall height of such a setup is 1.20 m.

CONNECTORS

Sampling airstream:

  • inlet: inner diameter 14 mm, outer diameter 18 mm, custom connectors. See Figure 2.
  • outlet: .1/4” NTPF

Analytic airstream:

  • inlet: 1/8’’’ NTPF
  • outlet: (internal, not brought to panel connector)

Communications:

  • 6x COM, 4x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0, 3x power USB, Ethernet

Figure 2. (left) Sampling line is divided into two channels and connected to the TCA inlet with a custom connector. (right) The outer diameter of the sampling line is 18 mm; the inner diameter is 14 mm. The sampling channels inside the TCA narrow to 12.7 mm, which is ½’’. 

USER INTERFACE

  • 8.4” SVGA display with LED backlight
  • Basic control: touch-screen
  • Optional control: standard PC keyboard and mouse
  • Red, Yellow, Green status LEDs

Figure 3. (left) Front view of Total Carbon Analyzer with 8.4’’ SVGA touch display with LED backlight, 1x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0, and red, yellow, and green status LEDs. (right) Back view of TCA: 6x COM, 3x USB 2.0, 3x power USB, ethernet, sample outlet, and analytic inlet. 

DOCUMENTS

TitleTypeDownload
Total Carbon Analyzer TCA08 spec sheetBROCHURE SHEETDownload
Magee_Scientific_Total_Carbon_Analyzer_model_TCA08_WPWHITE PAPERDownload
Rigler (2017) Offline validation of the New Total Carbon AnalyzerPOSTERDownload

PUBLICATIONS

TitleAuthorPublicationYearLink
Real-time source apportionment of fine particle inorganic and organic constituents at an urban site in Delhi city: An IoT-based approachJ. Prakash et.al.Atmospheric Pollution Research, Volume 12, Issue 11, November 2021, 1012062021Link
An overview of optical and thermal methods for the
characterization of carbonaceous aerosol
D. Massabo et.al.La Rivista del Nuovo Cimento (2021) https://doi.org/10.1007/s40766-021-00017-82021Link
The new TC-BC method and online instrument for the measurement of carbonaceous aerosolsRigler, MAtmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-4333-20202020Link
Comparative analysis of new observation methods for carbonaceous aerosol (OC/EC)Deng-feng,NI, et. al.China Environmental Science, 2020, 40 (12): 5191-51972020Download

VIDEO

Magee Scientific Total Carbon Analyzer Model TCA08

ACCESSORIES

Magee Scientific offers accessories and routine supplies.  Please contact our sales team to discuss your specific needs.

tetraCal-New-medium-207×300

BGI TETRACAL® AIR FLOW CALIBRATOR

The BGI ‘TetraCal’® is a simple-to-use, NIST-traceable Standard for volumetric airflow, barometric pressure, and ambient temperature.  The TetraCal is a venturi-based system with built-in compensation for changes in ambient temperature and pressure.  The TetraCal® may be directly connected to the Model TCA08 Total Carbon Analyzer for airflow calibration of the instrument.

Specification sheet

SCC-A

PM2.5 SHARP CUT CYCLONE (SCC)

The Sharp Cut Cyclone (SCC) is designed to replace the US EPA WINS Impactor for PM2.5 sampling.  It has proven advantages over the WINS because it is a dry system and does not require cleaning at frequent intervals.  Since speciation sampling for particulates is not governed by an EPA FRM, the SCC may be freely utilized.

  • Particle Size Cut PM2.5 at 16.67 LPM
  • Ambient PM2.5 sampling
  • Indoor Air Quality sampling
  • Speciation sampling

Whitepaper

Weather station sensors GIll

WEATHER STATION SENSORS

Our new family of Weather station sensors for measurements of Air temperature, Pressure, Relative/Absolute humidity, Wind speed, and Wind direction consists of:

1. The GMX300 Ambient Meteorological Sensor is a combined instrument mounted inside three doubled louvered, naturally aspirated radiation shields with no moving parts. It measures air temperature, humidity, and pressure.

2.The GMX200 is a Wind speed and direction ultrasonic sensor, and with an addition of an electronic compass, it provides apparent wind measurements.

3.The GMX500 is a compact weather station (with temperature, pressure, humidity, wind speed, and wind direction sensors).

For more information please refer to below brochure:

  • Magee_Scientific_Weather_station_sensor_brochure_sheet_A4_v1

GENERAL QUESTIONS ON TOTAL CARBON ANALYZER

WHY IS OFFLINE VALIDATION IMPORTANT?

Offline validation is important (1) to confirm the simplified Total Carbon Analyzer 08 method and (2) to compare offline analysis of ambient samples with standardized OC/EC method. The new instrument does not use glass chamber, high purity gases and catalyst oxidation via MnO2. Experiments with series of different sucrose solutions and ambient filter punches showed that we have nearly 100% efficient combustion without glass, gas and catalyst.

DID YOU ALSO PERFORM AN “ONLINE VALIDATION”?

Yes, we did. In Ljubljana, urban background location, we showed that online TC-BC method is equivalent to the standardized OC/EC method.

HOW DO YOU HEAT UP THE SAMPLE?

We are using two heating modules with heating wires in each chamber. In this way, we can rapidly heat up the filter up to 900 oC.

WHY TWO HEATING MODULES?

To get the combustion process as efficient as possible we developed a two-stage heating thermal protocol. Firstly, the lower heater is turned on (analytic flow stream goes in up-down direction, see Figure 3) which is rapidly heated up to 900 oC. In that way, we are sure that all the OC vapors passing the lower heater are converted to CO2. After lower heater reaches the temperature of 900 oC the upper heater is turned on so everything on the filter is really combusted.

WHY TWO IDENTICAL CHAMBERS?

These are used when instrument is measuring online. When for example CH1 is sampling PM on filter, CH2 is preforming analysis of previously collected PM. After the end of sampling timebase the flows are switched. Now CH1 is analyzing previously collected PM, CH2 is sampling new material. With that we achieve almost zero “dead time” in measuring.

More Questions and Answers
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