Kaip sukurti oro filtravimo sistemą įvažiuojantiems autobusuose įtraukiantiems potvynio duobę
As students nationwide are back in school, not only are air quality considerations outside of the school bus important but also air quality inside the vehicle. As federal leaders and industry professionals consider the options of electric school bus technology, air purification companies shared that the fuel or energy being consumed doesn’t matter when windows are down and buses are driving along a busy highway. Daniel Hagström, the CEO and co-founder of CabinAir, an in-cabin air purification system for cars, trucks and other vehicles, explained to School Transportation News the awareness that now surrounds clean air.
“Viruses and bacteria; that’s nothing new,” he said. He added that these types of illnesses will continue to be there long after COVID-19 as well. The Swedish-based company has yet to install its product into the U.S segment but has done pilot projects for buses in China. CabinAir’s technology uses a combination of particle charging and mechanical filtration. There are two products for buses already on the road, one that focuses on the driver component and another for the passengers. Hagström explained that the main difference between the two is the driver solution uses the air distribution fans that are already in the vehicle, whereas the system in the cabin has its own integrated fan. The devices for the passenger component can either be mounted to the roof or under a seat. He added that in a 76-passenger bus, a school district would most likely need two to three devices to target the space effectively.
Hagström referred to the school bus as the driver’s office, and drivers spend most of their working time while on the road. He noted that most of the air coming into the vehicle is coming from the outside. But for student passengers, less air comes from the outside, and most of the pollutants are created inside the cabin. Despite the bacteria and viruses that have been present in school buses for years, the adoption of air filtration systems has been slow. In addition, 10 percent of 66 respondents to an April survey stated that they were planning on using federal funds to purchase ventilation systems for their school buses.
In May, United Safety presented a webinar with School Transportation News that discussed its two technology solutions that provide a sterile environment for children riding the school bus. The company’s Active Air Purification system uses PHI-Cell technology, which includes UV light and ions for continual sanitizing of the air and surfaces inside the school bus. Additionally, Jackson Control released its AirKoi Mobile Air ionization technology that claims to reduce airborne pathogens by up to 99.7 percent, with a 90 percent reduction of SARS-CoV-2. The ionization devices are mounted and installed within existing air distribution fans within the school bus. The company stated in a release that ionization allows for easy installation that maintenance personnel can do without assistance.
Dan Fillenwarth, president of Lumin-Air, said the interest in air purification systems has resembled a rollercoaster ride since the onset of COVID-19. The virus was initially believed to be spread on surfaces, and the industry focused on cleaning high-touch areas, which is something many districts are still doing. Fillenwarth explained that Lumin-Air took technologies like Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) and filtration systems that have been used in buildings and started applying that technology to the school bus. The Lumin-Air systems don’t add the harmful chemicals, ions or gases that kill cells into the air people breathe. Instead, they remove and reduce containments in a very contained space. As the air circulates through a MERV-13 equivalent filter and the bus’s HVAC system, particulars are removed. A high-level dose of UV light is introduced to the air, which destroys the DNA and RNA of virus and bacteria cells.
“Many schools are promoting that they’ve changed to MERV-13 filters for their classrooms, as recommended by experts to reduce indoor contaminants. Why wouldn’t this level of filtration also be needed on buses which have a much higher people density and have poorer outside air quality?” he asked. He added that the filters are lasting four times as long as a standard bus filter. Lumin-Air recommends changing them at least once a year. A study published in Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses found that 1,027 children missed 2,295 days from 2012 through 2015 because of medically attended acute respiratory infections. “This is a natural progression of what we should be doing not only in school buses but in every building where there are people congregating,” added Andrew Desmarais, chief operating officer at Lumin-Air. “It goes beyond the flu and beyond COVID-19. Simply reducing particulate and other contaminant concentrations in the air can help positively impact the health of your riders and operators. … You have [a vehicle] that’s physically on the road, taking in exhaust fumes, other pollutants, and crowded with people breathing in and breathing out potentially infectious areoles from others and in some instances our most vulnerable population is riding that bus and breathing those things in. Fillenwarth added that the CDC has released guidelines and documentation that encourage district leaders to increase air filtration in schools and to supplement with UV, especially if outside air cannot be added.
“We just accept that we’re going to have a certain [number] of deaths among the most vulnerable and lots of missed school days during the flu season every year,” Fillenwarth stated. “In the 1800s, it was taken for granted that a certain number of people were going to get sick and die every year from cholera and dysentery. A particularly bad outbreak in the mid-1800s prompted England to clean up its drinking water system, mostly rendering those diseases in England a distant memory. Meanwhile, school bus HVAC manufacturers American Cooling Technology (ACT) and ProAir introduced their own air ventilation solution.
In addition, air technology solutions were also prominent at the STN EXPO Indy Trade Show on Oct. 4. For instance, EXPO first-timer AirLabs showed off its AirBubbl, a cylinder-shaped, in-vehicle air purifier that can be installed in multiple places on the bus ceiling. He noted it’s not just about attacking viruses but improving the overall air quality of the vehicle. The Webasto HFT 300 and 600, he said, are capable of removing 99.995 percent of airborne particulates. “In regards to the disposing of the expired filter, you also need to consider the process of extracting the filter from the unit,” he explained. The Webasto replacement filter is equipped with a hardware kit, which Baczewski said allows the user to cap both ends of the filter and remove it without any physical contact.
Meanwhile, Trans/Air has invested in a variety of technologies and options that will give the industry a choice of what best suits its needs. “Important in the process is to do no harm. You do not want to race to install or use something that is not proven or carefully evaluated for safety,” he discussed of all the available options. “And because of the huge backlog of products lining up at the Environmental Protection Agency to get approved this has created a bottleneck. Trans/Air offers three products, one of which being a HEPA-type pleated filter, the second an ION generator, and the third focuses on the use of ultraviolet light. The HEPA-type pleated filter produces a filter with a proprietary citrus paste, Lenert explained, that is proven to deactivate viruses, including COVID-19, bacteria, molds, and other harmful particulates. Additionally, Trans/Air offers the installation of an ION generator into the evaporator or any other air-handling device. It will circulate positive ions that actively attach to viruses, bacteria, or molds to deactivate them and significantly reduce the risk of transmission. The third option being designed into its systems shines Ultra Violet light onto a proprietary coating, which then produces a safe level of Ionized Hydroperoxides.
Air quality is always an issue for woodworkers, especially if we are working in a basement or when we don’t want to give up the heat in the shop to an open window during those cold winter months. There are plenty of 'store bought' systems out there to filter the air, but they can be pricey. Build a box, cut a big hole in the bottom and install an exhaust fan in it (Photo 2). Now would be a good time to discuss a little air flow math: My fan is rated at 1000 CFM in 1600 sq ft of attic space, (cubic feet per minute) - that is how much air the fan will move in a minute. My shop/garage is 22' x 22' x 10' = 4,840 cubic feet, 484 sq ft. So if my math is right, my fan should exchange the air in my shop in about 4 to 5 minutes. I installed mine between the trusses in the attic, (Photos 4a and 4b) only the filters and vent deflectors protrude into the room (Photo 5). My garage trusses are 24" on center, so I was able to use a 15". fan. The box measures 31". x 22". x 12". high, (Photo 6a and 6b), and the base that mounts to the ceiling measures 32". x 27". I used 2 filters to get better filtration, (Photo 7). Notice the low profile of the finished air filter in my garage. Jake is a registered member of WWGOA.
Bet kuriuo atveju svarbu apžvelgti skirtingus technologinius sprendimus. Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) yra pažangi technologija, naudojanti UV šviesą ir fotokatalizatorių, kad suyra teršalus ore. PCO gali būti taikoma autobusuose, įdiegiant PCO sistemą į oro kondicionieriaus ir ventiliacijos sistemą. UV šviesa aktyvuoja fotokatalizatorių, kuris skaidrina bakterijas, virusus, mold ir kitus kenkėjiškus dalykus. Taip pat galima taikyti LED UV-C žibintus ir fotokatalizatorių ant evaporatoriaus ritės ar oro filtro paviršiaus. PCO nauda - pagerėjusi sveikata ir komfortas keleiviams ir vairuotojams, sumažintas aplinkos poveikis ir didesnė klientų pasitenkinimo lygis. Tačiau įgyvendinimo iššūkiai apima įrangos įsigijimo ir priežiūros kaštus bei poreikį periodiškai keisti fotokatalizatorių.
Joje taip pat išryškėja saugumo svarba: “Svarbu nedaryti žalos. Nereikia skubėti diegti ar naudoti ką nors, kas nėra patikrinta ar saugumo reikalavimus atitinkanti,” kalbėjo Trans/Air atstovas. EPA ir kitos institucijos teikia nurodymus dėl DIY (pasidaryk pats) oro filtravimo įrenginių, kai kuriais atvejais siūlomos pigesnės alternatyvos naudoti box fan ir namų filtrą. Tačiau šių sprendimų saugumas ir efektyvumas vis dar tiriami, o ekspertai sako, kad naujausi tyrimai gali padėti įvertinti jų veiksmingumą.
Taip pat svarbu įvertinti, kaip veikia DIY sprendimai, jų saugumas ir efektyvumas. EPA tyrimai rodo, kad kai kurie DIY sprendimai gali būti tokie pat veiksmingi kaip komerciniai įrenginiai, bet skiriasi triukšmo lygis ir energijos suvartojimas. Be to, naudinga kalbėti apie patogius sprendimus, tokius kaip oras, kuris prateka į saloną, ir kaip sumažinti riziką užterštinti patalpas. Apsvarstykite PCO ir UV technologijų naudą biologiniuose skrydžiuose ir transporto sektoriuje, kai tikslas - užtikrinti švarų orą, ypač kai kambario dydis didelis arba kai žmonės prisišlieja glaudžiai vienas prie kito.
Apžvalga rodo, kad reikia subalansuoti technologijų pasirinkimą, atsižvelgti į pačių autobusų įrangą, saugumą ir priežiūrą, taip pat į biudžetą. Tarp jų yra keli dažniausiai paminėjami sprendimai: HEPA filtruojančios sistemos, jonizatoriai, UV šviesos pagrindu veikiantys sprendimai bei PCO technologija. Pasirodymai rodo, kad kilus augančiam susidomėjimui, įmonės stengiasi sukurti lengvai įdiegiamus ir efektyvius sprendimus, todėl prioritetas tebėra saugumas ir įrodyta veiksmingumas.
Galiausiai svarbu, kad įstaigos ir operatoriai rūpintųsi ne tik užtikrinimu gryno oro autobusuose, bet ir bendru viešosios sveikatos kontekstu - nuo mokyklų iki viešųjų transporto linijų. Tai apima nuoseklų filtrų keitimą, higienos praktikas ir veiksmingų ventiliacijos sprendimų diegimą. Tokiu būdu keleiviai gaus švarią, saugią ir komfortišką oro aplinką kelionėse.
tags: #patalpose #bus #irengtas #oro #filtravimo #sistema
