A Survey of Jet Aircraft PM by TEM in APEX III

Based upon field testing during the NASA led APEX III campaign conducted in November 2005 at the NASA Glenn Research Center in coordination with Continental Airlines and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. This paper reports observations of particulate emissions collected from a suite of jet engine aircraft to assess differences and similarities in soot macro- micro- and nanostructure using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Aggregates are compact, primary particle sizes varied and nanostructure mixed. Comparisons are made to more familiar laboratory flame-generated soot as a well-studied point of reference. Results are interpreted in terms of turbulence interacting with the different stages of particle formation and growth.