Grantee Research Project Results

Final Report: Low-Cost, Regenerable Air Filter for Efficient Gaseous Pollutants Removal

EPA Contract Number: EPD14017
Title: Low-Cost, Regenerable Air Filter for Efficient Gaseous Pollutants Removal
Investigators: Junaedi, Christian
Small Business: Precision Combustion, Inc.
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: May 1, 2014 through April 30, 2015
Project Amount: $99,897
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (2014) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: SBIR - Air Pollution Monitoring and Control , Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) , Air Quality and Air Toxics

Description:

Precision Combustion, Inc. (PCI) developed a regenerable, low-cost, high- efficiency pollution control technology for removal of gaseous pollutants from contaminated air streams. This innovative air filter technology combines the company’s novel proprietary Microlith^®support elements with sorbent nanomaterials that can be tailored to capture a variety of targeted gaseous pollutants. Originally developed for spacecraft and space station cabin atmosphere revitalization systems, Microlith^®-based adsorbers have been demonstrated to be superior (i.e., lower power consumption, lighter, and smaller size) to existing technologies, such as pellets and monoliths. Additionally, this technology offers the benefits of low pressure drop, rapid in-situ regeneration, high adsorbent utilization, longer adsorbent life, design modularity and adsorbent flexibility, as well as tunability and control of desorption rate and adsorbent bed temperature. These features support a system offering reliably high air quality at a lower lifecycle cost than is achieved with disposable filter-based systems and in a form factor that is suitable for retrofit installation within building HVAC systems.

Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):

A bench-scale, proof-of-concept adsorbent air filter was developed and examined. The operating conditions were developed and optimized. The ability of the air filter technology to effectively remove a wide spectrum of gaseous pollutants and chemical contaminants—including typical indoor VOC’s, CO₂ and ammonia—was demonstrated. The air filter also showed thermal stability and ability to maintain greater than 90 percent adsorption activity following exposures to chemical contaminants in ambient air for multiple adsorption-desorption cycles. The air filter can be regenerated using a direct resistive approach by applying electric current directly on the Microlith^® metal mesh filter supports. The regeneration process was quick and required very low power per CFM of air treated. A low pressure drop across the air filter was demonstrated. The prototype’s ability to capture and release the VOCs with tunable adsorption and regeneration kinetics also was demonstrated.

Conclusions:

PCI’s regenerable air filter, when integrated into a building HVAC system, will effectively remove a broad spectrum of VOCs, CO₂ and other gaseous pollutants from contaminated air stream to improve indoor air quality and will save energy by lowering the building’s make-up air requirement. The air filter design is compact in size, is flexible in configuration and potentially allows for high removal rates at low additional pressure, using relatively little energy for regeneration.

Commercialization:

Current commercial and residential buildings rely solely upon ventilation and make-up air to maintain the concentrations of gaseous pollutants at acceptable levels, which wastes energy without ensuring clean air. VOC removal from indoor air could provide clean air, but current filters’ effectiveness varies by VOC; also they saturate quickly, require expensive maintenance and replacement and create disposal waste streams. Other technologies have yet to be proven economical. ASHRAE Standard 62 gives building designers the flexibility to use ventilation air of a specific quality and quantity to the space (Ventilation Rate Procedure) or to control specific contaminant levels in the space (Indoor Air Quality Procedure). The lack of effective and economical indoor air cleaning equipment to remove fugitive emissions and gaseous pollutants has made the Ventilation Rate Procedure the design default in the U.S., resulting in a tremendous waste of energy without ensuring clean indoor air. PCI’s air filter technology, developed in this Phase I effort, demonstrates the capability for effectively removing the indoor air pollutants with an added feature of in-situ low-power filter regeneration. Target early-entry markets include buildings and facilities where air quality is a concern, filter replacements create a maintenance burden and large volumes of makeup-air result in energy inefficiency. The approach offers a cost-saving route to improved indoor air quality in industrial and commercial buildings, and potentially in homes.

Supplemental Keywords:

gas pollutants, air stream, adsorber, filter, air quality

SBIR Phase II:

Low-Cost, Regenerable Air Filter for Efficient Gaseous Pollutants Removal | Final Report

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The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.