Adsorption filter, ventilation system and HVAC system having the same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current air circulation systems in commercial airlines, cruise ships, and metros facilitate the spread of infectious diseases and poor indoor air quality due to the recirculation of air, which allows harmful microbes and high CO2 concentrations, leading to health issues like sick building syndrome and cross-contamination.
Innovation Solution
An HVAC system incorporating a UV light source to disinfect air and an adsorption filter to capture CO2, with a ventilation system that supplies disinfected air from the bottom or sides of a cabin and extracts it from the top, utilizing UV light between the air intake and plenum to deactivate microbes and nanomaterials for efficient CO2 absorption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If air is supplied from the top and extracted from the bottom in a mixed air ventilation system, then cooling efficiency is improved, but spread of infectious diseases and harmful microbes is facilitated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional top-to-bottom air flow direction by supplying air from the bottom and extracting it from the top. This reversal prevents contaminated warm air from escaping at passenger level and spreading to other areas, while still achieving effective cooling through the same thermal principles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts harmful microbes and contaminants from the air stream using filtration systems positioned in the return air path. By removing these harmful factors before air is recirculated, the system maintains cooling efficiency while eliminating the disease transmission risk.
2Loss of energy
If air is recirculated through the HVAC system, then energy efficiency is improved, but concentration of CO2 and harmful microbes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs porous filtration materials with specific pore structures that can selectively capture CO2 molecules and other contaminants while allowing breathable air to pass through. This enables continuous air recirculation for energy efficiency while actively removing harmful substances through the porous filter media.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite filtration materials combining multiple functional layers - including activated carbon for CO2 adsorption, HEPA filters for particulate removal, and antimicrobial coatings. This multi-layer composite approach addresses multiple harmful factors simultaneously while maintaining energy-efficient air recirculation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If UV light source is added to disinfect air, then deactivation of biological agents is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the UV disinfection function with the existing HVAC air handling units by integrating UV lamps into the air intake or return air paths. This combination approach adds biological agent deactivation capability while utilizing the existing air circulation infrastructure, thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The UV light source operates autonomously within the HVAC system, requiring no additional control systems or manual intervention. The UV lamps are positioned to automatically disinfect air as it passes through designated zones, providing self-service pathogen deactivation without adding complex control mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively reduces the spread of infectious diseases, improves indoor air quality by deactivating biological and chemical agents, and decreases CO2 concentrations, thereby mitigating health issues associated with air circulation systems.
Implementation Method 1
a UV light source configured to disinfect air
Implementation Method 2
an adsorption filter configured to capture carbon dioxide from air
Data Source
AI summary
An HVAC system is provided. The HVAC system includes a UV light source configured to disinfect air, a ventilation system, and an adsorption filter. The adsorption filter is configured to capture carbon dioxide from air.