SAE AIR6037

This report provides current practice measurement methods for quantifying nonvolatile particle matter at the exit plane of aircraft gas turbine engines. This document contains detailed information for many instruments and techniques, described in AIR5892A, that have been applied in aircraft engine field tests since AIR5892A was first issued in April 2003. There are four sections, identified as Technical Appendices (TA), presenting measurement techniques, sampling, and quantification of nonvolatile particles. The sections are written in the format of Aerospace Recommended Practice (ARP) documents and intended to progress to recommended practices upon overcoming existing technical challenges. Many important technical advances have been accomplished that comprise the Aircraft Engine Exhaust Nonvolatile Particle Matter Measurement Method Development techniques described in TA A: Particle Mass,TA B: particle Number and Size,TA C: Particle Sampling, and TA D: Calculation of Particle Number and particle Mass Emission Indices. Various measurement methodologies and operability and compatibility issues are described within the TAs. The TAs briefly discuss degrees of sensitivity, accuracy, repeatability, and test operations acceptability for each measurement discipline. They reflect that many important technical advances have been accomplished for measurement techniques of nonvolatile particles. Additional research is required to transition the TAs to Aerospace Recommended Practices. This Aerospace Information Report consists of methodologies for nonvolatile exhaust particle measurements at the exit plane of aircraft gas turbine engines. Multiple methods are described in each of the four technical appendices to this report, to determine particle mass, particle number and size, sampling, and quantification. Each method for particle mass, particle number, and size measurement technique is introduced and organized by common sections: equipment, analyzer routines, calibration standards, system layout, test procedure, data flow, and calculation of results. The sections describing sampling and quantification methods are applicable to any of the measurement methods. This common approach is used because the methods are intended for review and evaluation in testing environments, which provides a path to further develop some, or all, methods into recommended practices. Additional research is needed on calibration sources and standards, probe design, sample collection, representative sampling, and inter-instrument characterization and comparison.