Air quality enhancement system based on fluid mechanics and integrated UV emission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for inactivating viruses and bacteria in indoor and confined spaces, such as healthcare facilities and transportation systems, are inefficient due to high costs, health risks, and the inability to maintain effective contact times for UV radiation, leading to airborne contamination and increased infection risk.
Innovation Solution
An air quality enhancement system using controlled air and gas flows with integrated UV radiation emission sources and heat sources to create upward air curtains for inactivation, combined with antimicrobial chemical sprays, ensuring sufficient contact time and safety for occupants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional UV technologies are used for disinfection, then inactivation of microorganisms is achieved, but the system is inefficient in confined indoor spaces with airborne transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the confined space into multiple zones with strategically positioned UV-C sources. Each UV-C source targets specific airflow paths and potential contamination zones, ensuring comprehensive coverage while maintaining efficiency in treating airborne microorganisms in segmented regions rather than relying on a single centralized UV system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces forced air convection currents to create three-dimensional airflow patterns that transport microorganisms through UV-C irradiation zones. This adds a spatial dimension to the disinfection process, moving microorganisms through the air stream past UV sources rather than relying solely on direct line-of-sight UV exposure, thereby significantly improving disinfection efficiency in confined spaces.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If social distancing is enforced to prevent airborne transmission, then contamination risk is reduced, but healthcare practitioners cannot perform their work effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary air treatment mechanism where forced convection currents carry microorganisms away from the interaction zone between healthcare practitioners and patients, and UV-C radiation acts as a mediator to inactivate these transported microorganisms. This allows close interpersonal interaction to continue while the intermediary air flow and UV treatment system prevents contamination, eliminating the need for wide social distancing.
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
The system effectively inactivates airborne microorganisms, reducing contamination risk and enhancing indoor air quality by creating laminar air flows that minimize turbulence and ensure thorough disinfection, protecting healthcare practitioners and users.
Implementation Method 1
UV radiation emission sources integrated with controlled air flow systems... utilizing UV radiation between 207 nm to 260 nm... exposure to UV radiation
Implementation Method 2
controlled air flow systems, including lower injection and upper extraction chambers... create an air curtain that directs airborne microorganisms to an inactivation zone
Data Source
AI summary
A system for improving indoor air quality for shared and confined spaces with people. This allows an improvement in surrounding air quality in indoor spaces and interaction situations with (i) groups of people among themselves (inter-person transmission), (ii) between people and the above-mentioned indoor spaces (confined spaces, buildings and/or airborne and/or overland and/or seaborne passenger transportation systems and/or confined patient transportation systems such as pods/incubators and others similar thereto), and also (iii) for interaction between people and invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilation systems. The system proposes the use of a system based on fluid mechanics and UV wavelengths for inactivating viruses and bacteria.