Portable air sampler
An air sampling device and method of sampling air. The device has a housing body and a retaining assembly for a sampling device. A plenum has a top end coupled to the housing body about an opening such that the plenum is in flow communication with the opening and receives air flow generally from the top end to the bottom end generally along the longitudinal length thereof. A flow connection is coupled to the bottom end of the plenum. A mass flow meter has an input coupled to the flow connection and is in flow communication with the plenum via the flow connection. A blower is configured to draw air past the sampling device, through the opening, and through the plenum, such that a measuring portion of the air flows through the flow connection and through the mass flow meter, which measured the flow rate of the measuring portion.
1. An air sampling device for sampling air in a controlled environment, comprising:
a housing body having a top with an opening and a side, said housing body being configured to retain a sampling device at the top of said housing body about said opening;
a plenum having a longitudinal housing with an open top end and an open bottom end, said open top end being coupled to the top of the housing body about said opening such that said longitudinal axis of said plenum is substantially coaxial with said opening whereby said plenum is in flow communication with said opening;
a mass flow meter having an input and an output, said input coupled to the open bottom end of said longitudinal housing of said plenum such that the mass flow meter is in direct flow communication with said plenum; and
a blower disposed inside of said longitudinal housing of said plenum and configured to draw air past the sampling device, through the opening, through the plenum, and through the mass flow meter, thereby allowing the air to move down longitudinally in the plenum.
2. The air sampling device of claim 1 , wherein said housing body has a vent to exhaust air from the output of said mass flow meter.
3. The air sampling device of claim 2 , further comprising a vent adapter configured to removably couple with said vent, said vent adapter having a nozzle configured to couple with a tubing to exhaust air from the output of said mass flow meter into the tubing to a remote location.
4. The air sampling device of claim 1 , further comprising a processing device that receives a detected flow rate from said mass flow meter and controls a speed of said blower in response to the detected flow rate.
5. The air sampling device of claim 1 , further comprising an atrium coupled to said housing body to enclose the sampling device.
6. The air sampling device of claim 1 , wherein said housing body has one or more adjustable clips to engage the sampling device.
7. The air sampling device of claim 1 , wherein said housing body and said longitudinal housing of said plenum are cylindrical and said opening is circular.
8. An air sampling device for sampling air in a controlled environment, comprising:
a housing body having an upper chamber and a lower chamber;
a partition in the housing body, wherein said partition divides the upper chamber and the lower chamber to prevent air flow between the upper chamber and the lower chamber;
an opening at a top of said upper chamber of said housing body;
a retaining member configured to retain a sampling device, said retaining member being located at the top of said upper chamber of said housing body about said opening;
a mass flow meter located inside said upper chamber;
a blower located inside of said upper chamber and configured to draw air past the sampling device, through the opening, and through the mass flow meter; and
a processing device located inside the lower chamber of the housing body, the processing device configured to receive a detected flow rate from said mass flow meter and control a speed of the blower in response to the detected flow rate.
9. The air sampling device of claim 8 , wherein said processing device is configured to log sampling events, calibration events, and/or administrative events.
10. The air sampling device of claim 9 , said processing device is in communication with a remote network and communicating the sampling events, calibration events, and administrative events to the remote network.
11. The air sampling device of claim 8 , wherein said housing body has a vent in said upper chamber to exhaust air from said mass flow meter.
12. The air sampling device of claim 11 , further comprising a tube coupled to the vent to transport the air to a location outside of a clean room.
13. The air sampling device of claim 12 , wherein the vent is an elongated ventilation slot located at or near a bottom of the upper chamber of the housing body.
14. The air sampling device of claim 8 , wherein the housing body includes a handle.
15. The air sampling device of claim 8 , wherein said housing body has a side wall and said partition extends between the side wall to form a closed bottom for said upper chamber.