Browsing by Author "Rogers, Todd Michael"

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Application of proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry to measure hydrocarbon emissions in engine exhaust
(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2007) Rogers, Todd Michael; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Walter B. Knighton; Patrik Callis (co-chair)
Megacities around the world face air quality problems due to exhaust emissions from large vehicle fleets. Chemical reactions involving volatile organic compounds (VOC) from automobile exhaust are known to produce ground level ozone which poses a threat to human health and plant life. Additionally, some of these organic compounds are known carcinogens. While the dangers of VOC are well known, their production from in use vehicles and aircraft are relatively poorly understood. This dissertation will describe how a Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometer (PTR-MS) was altered to make the first on-road, speciated VOC measurements of its kind and how the response of the instrument in such a complex sample matrix was interpreted. The developed experimental technique was then used to observe aircraft exhaust plumes from in-use commercial aircraft, and to further characterize aircraft exhaust in a ground based experiment. PTR-MS was an appropriate technique for these measurements due to its ability to perform rapid, quantitative measurements. A commercial PTR-MS instrument was modified to operate in a mobile laboratory with capabilities of sampling and analyzing intercepted air in real-time.