Novel Air Filtration Device for Building Air Handling Unit

Particulate matter (PM) is one of the major indoor air pollutants in the subway-underground stations in Korea. Various kinds of PM removal methods such as a roll-filter, auto-washable air filter, demister, and electrostatic precipitator are applied in the air handling unit (AHU) of subway station. However, those systems are faced with operation and maintenance problems since the filter-regeneration achieved by air or water jet is often malfunctioned due to the high load of particulates. The filter material also needs periodic replacement. In this study, we designed a novel particle removal system with minimized maintenance requirement compared to above mentioned filter systems. The new system named as panel-type cyclone system was suggested and the key part of the system was developed based on the axial-flow cyclone where the air flow pattern lies on the same axis with air stream through passing the AHU. The shape of axial-flow cyclone was optimized to remove 50% of 2.5 μm-sized particulate matters with minimal pressure drop by using the tool of computational fluid dynamics. We believe that the novel axial-flow cyclone system is cost-effective and efficient way of removing particulate matters in the size range of 1-10 μm in the AHU of subway station or buildings.

[1]  F. Boysan,et al.  Advances in Cyclone Modelling Using Unstructured Grids , 2000 .

[2]  Lennart Möller,et al.  Subway particles are more genotoxic than street particles and induce oxidative stress in cultured human lung cells. , 2005, Chemical research in toxicology.

[3]  J. Heyder,et al.  Deposition of inhaled particles in the human respiratory tract and consequences for regional targeting in respiratory drug delivery. , 2004, Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society.

[4]  Kenneth W. Street,et al.  Effect of geometric configuration on the collection efficiency of axial flow cyclones , 2011 .

[5]  Andrew D. Maynard,et al.  A simple model of axial flow cyclone performance under laminar flow conditions , 2000 .

[6]  Dong-Uk Park,et al.  Characteristics of PM10, PM2.5, CO2 and CO monitored in interiors and platforms of subway train in Seoul, Korea. , 2008, Environment international.

[7]  Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen,et al.  Commuters’ exposure to PM2.5, CO, and benzene in public transport in the metropolitan area of Mexico City , 2004 .

[8]  Frans T. M. Nieuwstadt,et al.  A fluid mechanics model for an axial cyclone separator , 1995 .

[9]  Chuen-Jinn Tsai,et al.  Axial flow cyclone for segregation and collection of ultrafine particles: theoretical and experimental study. , 2005, Environmental science & technology.

[10]  Soon-Bark Kwon,et al.  Numerical Analysis of Axial-Flow Cyclone Separator for Subway Station HVAC System Pre-Filter , 2009 .

[11]  Theodore C. Carney,et al.  A 10-.mu.m cutpoint inlet for the dichotomous sampler. , 1982, Environmental science & technology.

[12]  N. P. Vaughan,et al.  Construction and testing of an axial flow cyclone preseparator , 1988 .

[13]  Alessandro Paglianti,et al.  Simplified design of axial‐flow cyclone mist eliminators , 2003 .

[14]  R. Colvile,et al.  Fine particle (PM2.5) personal exposure levels in transport microenvironments, London, UK. , 2001, The Science of the total environment.

[15]  F. Menter.  Two-equation eddy-viscosity turbulence models for engineering applications , 1994 .

[16]  Duckshin Park,et al.  Study on the Indoor Air Quality of Seoul Metropolitan Subway during the Rush Hour , 2008 .

[17]  Lin Li,et al.  Development of a Multi-Stage Axial Flow Cyclone , 2010 .

[18]  W. H. Engelmann,et al.  The National Human Activity Pattern Survey (NHAPS): a resource for assessing exposure to environmental pollutants , 2001, Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology.

[19]  Pratim Biswas,et al.  Theoretical and experimental study of an axial flow cyclone for fine particle removal in vacuum conditions , 2004 .