5-1
CHAPTER 5
Maintaining and
Troubleshooting the
SMPS™ Spectrometer
This chapter gives maintenance recommendations, as well as a
section on troubleshooting the Model 3936 Scanning Mobility
Particle Sizer
™ (SMPS™) Spectrometer.
Maintenance Recommendations
Periodic cleaning of the SMPS™ spectrometer is necessary to ensure
proper performance. These procedures, requiring basic mechanical
skills, should be performed only by a qualified technician.
Table 5-1 contains recommended maintenance for the SMPS
™
spectrometer. The time periods suggested will vary greatly
depending on the concentration of the sampled aerosol. Higher
particle concentrations will require more frequent cleaning. Refer to
the manuals listed in the table below for detailed procedures.
Table 5-1
Maintenance Schedule
Time Period
Maintenance Refer To
5–50 hours of
operation
Clean the impactor nozzle and apply a new thin
layer of vacuum grease to the impaction plate.
The Electrostatic
Classifier instruction
manual.
4000 hours of
operation
Clean the mobility analyzer center rod and outer
electrode in the Electrostatic Classifier.
The Electrostatic
Classifier instruction
manual.
8000 hours of
operation
Replace the filter cartridges in the Electrostatic
Classifier.
The Electrostatic
Classifier instruction
manual.
8000 hours of
operation
Clean the Dacron screen (located at the top of the
center rod) in the Electrostatic Classifier.
The Electrostatic
Classifier instruction
manual.
8000 hours of
operation
Clean the Model 3077A/3077 Neutralizer. The Electrostatic
Classifier instruction
manual.