Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Low-Cost, Regenerable Air Filter for Efficient Gaseous Pollutants Removal
EPA Contract Number: EPD16006Title: Low-Cost, Regenerable Air Filter for Efficient Gaseous Pollutants Removal
Investigators: Junaedi, Christian
Small Business: Precision Combustion, Inc.
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: II
Project Period: February 1, 2016 through January 31, 2018 (Extended to January 31, 2019)
Project Amount: $299,972
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase II (2015) Recipients Lists
Research Category: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) , Air Quality and Air Toxics , SBIR - Air Pollution Monitoring and Control
Description:
When designing ventilation (HVAC) systems in buildings, designers are required to meet ASHRAE Standard 62 which permits two different methods for managing indoor air quality (IAQ). The first option involves providing enough external makeup air to ensure a sufficient volume of the building is purged a certain number of times to maintain the acceptable IAQ (Ventilation Rate Procedure). This option, while effective and relatively simple, requires large air handling equipment to provide the necessary air flow and conditioning resulting in significant energy costs during building operation. The second option involves controlling the level of indoor air contaminants by directly removing them from the air rather than just diluting them via makeup air (i.e., Indoor Air Quality Procedure). This option offers potential to reduce the size of the required air handling equipment and reduce the amount of makeup air, resulting in energy savings associated with the lower air conditioning requirement. However, this second option is less commonly implemented due to the lack of effective and economical indoor air cleaning equipment that can remove fugitive emissions and gaseous pollutants.
The primary goal of this research effort was to develop and demonstrate pilot-scale Regenerable Microlith Air Filter (RMAF) prototype systems for CO2 and VOCs removal capable of field operation and evaluation with building HVAC system. The target process air flow rates for the pilot scale prototype were established based on trade-off study between available HVAC system and resources. The pilot-scale RMAF prototype system was successfully characterized, and its performance was evaluated under real building conditions, including the pollutants introduction and the environmental humidity level. The prototype was integrated with an HVAC system, and its performance, durability, cycle-to-cycle variation, and power requirements were characterized and optimized. Successful development and demonstration of an air filter system would enable more widespread implementation of the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Procedure and significantly reduce unnecessary energy consumption.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
With RMAF prototype in operation, the building return air was flowed through the RMAF filter unit where CO2 and VOCs was removed. This treated air stream was then returned to the HVAC air handler system, and was mixed with the remaining return air and additional outside make up air. Thus, the resulting CO2 and VOCs concentrations in the building supply air were determined to be the volume average of: (i) the concentrations in the building return air; (ii) the concentrations in the outside make up air set based on the damper opening; and (iii) the concentrations in the treated air stream. We were able to demonstrate a significant reduction in the outside make-up air by implementing the RMAF prototype in the building HVAC system, leading to energy savings, while maintaining the concentrations to safe levels. In our study, CO2 was determined as the preferred indicator in the building IAQ as it can be easily monitored and the level can be controlled by simulated the number of occupants in a closed, isolated building space.
Conclusions:
Using a combination of our novel Microlith® support technology and sorbent nanomaterials, derived from NASA cabin air cleaning applications, we successfully developed an air filter system for controlling a broad spectrum of gaseous pollutants, including CO2 and VOCs to improve building IAQ while minimizing outside make-up air, thus reducing the overall energy consumptions associated with maintaining acceptable IAQ. The use of Microlith® support elements permits low-power, in-situ, and rapid air filter 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. 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. Our air filter technology, developed in this research effort, demonstrates the capability for effectively removing the indoor air pollutants with an added feature of in-situ low power filter regeneration. Target entry markets include buildings and facilities where air quality is a concern (i.e., "sick" buildings), filter replacements create a maintenance burden, and large volumes of makeup-air results in energy inefficiency.
SBIR Phase I:
Low-Cost, Regenerable Air Filter for Efficient Gaseous Pollutants Removal | Final ReportThe 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.