Additive Manufacturing-Enabled Low-Cost Particle Detector

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science and Engineering
• Sensor Technology
• Public Health

Background:

• Particles ≤ 1 µm pose significant health risks, necessitating effective detection and regulation.
• The transport sector is a major contributor to particulate emissions.
• Existing particle detectors are often expensive, bulky, and require auxiliary equipment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a protocol for building a small, cost-efficient, standalone particle detector.
• To provide a detailed construction manual and sensor evaluation procedure.

Main Methods:

• Development of a detailed construction manual, including 3D printing instructions.
• Inclusion of computer-aided design (CAD) models in supplemental material.
• Sensor evaluation procedure for performance testing.

Main Results:

• Successful construction of a fully operational, standalone particle detector.
• The detector is capable of detecting charged particles.
• The design emphasizes small size and cost-efficiency.

Conclusions:

• The developed protocol enables the creation of an accessible particle detection system.
• The detector is suitable for various applications, including soot detection from diverse sources.
• This technology can aid in monitoring and regulating harmful particle emissions.