Measuring Nicotine Emissions from Electronic Cigarettes

Measuring Nicotine Emissions from Electronic Cigarettes

Measuring Nicotine Emissions
from Electronic Cigarettes
Erin Crossen,
Mechanical Engineering
Adviser: Dr. Risa Robinson, Assoc.
Professor Mechanical Engineering
Background - What are Electronic
Cigarettes?
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Act and look just like conventional cigarettes
No harmful carcinogens
Users inhale nicotine vapor that satisfies craving
Widely unregulated and untested
Health effects unknown
Source: http://www.gadgetrivia.com/
smoke_eliminator_smokeless_ashtray
_for_car_&_home
Source: http://www.bluelectro.info/
Components of an Electronic Cigarette
1. Battery
•  powers the atomizer
2. Atomizer
•  vaporizes the nicotine
3. Cartridge
•  holds the nicotine
Source: http://www.e-cigarettepedia.com/wp-content/
uploads/2009/02/e-cigarette-mechanicscopy-1024x627.jpg
Source: http://www.ecigarettes365.com/forum/
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=69
•  Different brands have different
looking components
Aims
•  Aim 1: Enhance and characterize an existing system and
improve testing methods
•  Aim 2: Use system and new methods to quantify nicotine
emissions from electronic cigarettes
The E-cigarette Puffing System
Electronic
Cigarette
Power
Sources
Puffing Valve
LabView
Program
Flow Rate Monitor
Pump
“Box”
Pressure
Monitor
Relief
Valve
Aim 1: Enhance and Characterize the
System to Improve Test Methods
Purpose:
•  Experimental set-up must maintain chamber pressure
in between puffs.
•  This will insure a consistent puff flow rate over multiple
puffs.
Procedure:
•  Fix leaks, install pressure relief valve, write LabView code,
install flow rate monitor
Analysis:
•  System was characterized by quantifying the variation in
chamber pressure and puff flow rate for typical smoking
events.
Fix Significant System Leaks
 
Improvements
o  Seams not properly sealed
o  Leaky Fittings
o  Leaky Tubes
Chamber leaks were 2.2
inH2O over 60 seconds
at the -25 inH2O target
pressure)
 
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Results:
Improvements deceased pressure loss to acceptable levels.
Lose 2.2 inH20 over 60 seconds.
Typical pause time is 10 second pause
Install Pressure Relief Valve
•  Write LabView program to
control valve
•  Run two trials
o  5 puffs
o  2 second puff duration
o  10 second pause between
puff
o  How well is pressure
maintained between puffs?
How well is flow rate
maintained during puffs?
Ability to Maintain Pressure
Results:
•  System is able to maintain pressure within acceptable ranges.
•  Average pressure: -10.96 ± 0.25 (std dev) inH2O
Ability to Maintain Flow Rate
Results:
•  Average flow rate to 27.28 ± 0.62 (std dev) mL/s
•  System is able to maintain flow rate within acceptable ranges
Effect of Chamber Pressure on Puff
Flow Rate
Results:
•  Trendlines were found for each case. To estimate our flow rates, use
trends based on set back pressure.
•  For a desired flow rate of 28.98mL/s, a pressure of -11inH2O is
needed.
Aim 2: Quantify Nicotine Emissions
Purpose:
Determine if there is a variation in emissions with puff number.
 
Procedure:
•  Use new LabView program and
experimental set up
•  Electronic cigarette brand: Blu Cherry
Crush
•  -11 inH2O, 30 mL/s
•  2 sec puff, 10 sec pause
•  Total puffs: 50
•  Weigh the cartridge and atomizer
•  ~3g, estimated weight differences of
0.001g
Max: 5.100000 g
Precision: ±0.000427g
Courtesy of Todd Pagano
Analysis:
Nicotine vapor emissions were evaluated as a function of puff
number. System parameters were assessed to insure the test was
run under specified conditions.
Nicotine Vapor Emissions
Results:
•  No trend in the first 50 puffs, need to run the cartridge dry to find a
real trend.
•  Flow rate maintained to 26.62 ± 0.74 ml/s (red data), no trend not
because not able to maintain pressure
•  Nicotine vapor emissions per puff: .001175 ± .000427 g (blue data)
Conclusions
Aim 1:
We now have a working, fully characterized system ready for
testing.
Aim 2:
•  Electronic cigarettes yield .001175g of nicotine vapor
•  This is 19 µg nicotine per puff for a 16 mg strength cartridge,
while conventional cigarettes yield 200µg of nicotine per puff.
•  This is 90.5% less for electronic cigarettes.
•  This could potentially mean that switching to electronic
cigarettes would be better for users’ health, if smoking
habits remain the same (same total number of puffs per
cigarette per day).
Acknowledgments
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Risa Robinson
Dave Hathaway
Rob Kraynik
Amit Chainani
Todd Pagano
Phil Amsler
Martha Vargas