Influence of fins on formaldehyde removal in annular photocatalytic reactors

The influence of fins on formaldehyde removal in annular photocatalytic reactors was theoretically, numerically and experimentally studied. The simulated and experimental results agreed well. It was found that mass transfer tends to be the bottleneck of formaldehyde removal in conventional annular photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) reactors. When using fins coated with titania in a PCO reactor, the reaction area is greatly increased and the convective mass transfer is, therefore, obviously enhanced. The reaction coefficient may, however, be reduced. On the whole, the formaldehyde removal performance in an annular PCO reactor can be obviously improved by adding fins to the reactor. This analysis is helpful for annular PCO reactor design, and for performance optimization.     

正交试验法在袋式高效空气过滤器设计中的应用

在一种低阻高效过滤器的试验研究中，根据技术指标提出了几种规格：利用正交试验方法设计了试验，以提高试验效率，保证试验结果的合理性。     

The effect of activated carbon adsorption on the photocatalytic removal of formaldehyde

Photocatalysis is an emerging and promising technology for indoor air purification. This photocatalytic method is effective in the case of a higher pollutant concentration, but its wide application in indoor air purification is limited due to the low level of indoor air contaminants. In order to improve the removal of pollutants in indoor air, we evaluated the photocatalytic performance over the nanosized TiO₂ particles immobilized on the surface of activated carbon (AC) filter for the removal of formaldehyde (HCHO). It is shown that the photocatalytic reaction rate increased because the AC could adsorb the pollutants from the diluted air stream to generate a high concentration of the pollutants on the catalyst surfaces. The photocatalytic reaction took place from the diffusion control process to the photocatalytic reaction control process with the rise in flow velocity. In the former process, the photocatalytic reaction rate increased, whereas in the later process photocatalytic reaction rate changed little with increasing flow velocity. The flow velocity was lower over the TiO₂/AC catalyst than over the TiO₂/glass catalyst when the photocatalytic reaction was switched from the diffusion control process to the photocatalytic reaction control process. It is also observed that the indoor low-concentration HCHO could be photocatalytically degraded over TiO₂/AC, with the HCHO concentration in the product mixture falling into the standard range that is specified by the indoor air quality standard of China.     

Microanalysis of indoor aerosols and the impact of a compact high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter system

Aerosol particles in municipal atmospheres are of increasing public health concern; however, since most of our time is spent indoors, indoor aerosols must be researched in counterpart. Compact High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter systems are commonly employed in residences to alleviate airborne dust concentrations. In this study, a detailed and original methodology was used to determine concentrations and types of submicrometer aerosols, as well as of large (> 4 microns) dust particles. Scanning electron microscopy was used to quantify and characterize ambient aerosols collected from filtered and non-filtered rooms. Particle concentrations were significantly lower in samples collected in the presence of the filter system (mean 23 to 8 coarse particles liter-1, 63% reduction; 13 to 3 inorganic submicron particles cm-3, 76% reduction; 85 to 33 total submicron particles cm-3, 62% reduction; all P < 0.05). This study provides a new methodology for analysis of indoor aerosols and new data on their physico-chemical characteristics. Since the filter systems are effective at reducing submicron aerosol concentrations, they may improve the health of individuals such as asthmatics, who experience health problems caused by anthropogenic fine particles.     

高效过滤器导流板对内部流场优化的数值模拟

本文用计算流体力学方法对侧出风过滤器内部进行了流场模拟,气流在静压箱内部及出风口处的分布很不均匀,通过在静压箱内增加导流板可以很好地优化流场分布。对加装的不同半径和数量的导流板工况分别进行了模拟分析,得出了最佳导流效果的导流板形式。     

生物安全实验室排风高效过滤器检漏方法探讨

介绍了生物安全实验室的安全防护及排风系统的重要性。对《生物安全实验室建筑技术规范》GB50346-2004中有关排风高效过滤器检漏试验的可行性进行了分析讨论,提出在实验室适当位置设置排风高效过滤装置专用检漏接口的建议。强调对厂检合格的排风高效过滤装置在安装前也应在现场进行再检漏,以防止由于装御、运输造成的泄漏。     

Novel insight into VOC removal performance of photocatalytic oxidation reactors

A general model has been developed for analyzing the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) reactors, taking into consideration of the photocatalytic (surface) reaction and the convective mass transfer coefficients including allowance for their spatial dependence. On this basis, a novel insight into VOC removal performance of PCO reactors is presented. The key parameter for evaluating PCO reactor VOC removal performance is the number of the mass transfer unit (NTU(m)), which is shown to be a simple linear product of three dimensionless parameters: the ratio of the reaction area to the cross-sectional area of the flow channel (A*), the Stanton number of mass transfer (St(m)), and the reaction effectiveness (eta). The A* represents the geometric and structural characteristic of a PCO reactor. The St(m) shows the synergistic degree of alignment between the fluid and mass flow fields, and reflects the convective mass transfer rate of the reactor. The eta, describes the relative intensity between the PCO reaction rate and the mass transfer rate. By using the relationship and the parameters, the influence of various factors on the VOC removal performance, the bottleneck for improving the performance and design of a PCO reactor can be determined. Three examples are used to illustrate the application of our proposed model. It is found that the VOC removal bottleneck is the reaction rate for honeycomb type reactor, while mass transfer rate for light-in-tube type reactor. With six fins the fractional conversion of a light-in-tube reactor increases about 70% relative to the one without any fins. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Indoor air quality problem caused by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have annoyed people for many years. Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) appears to be a promising technique for destroying VOCs in indoor air. With the model and the novel insight presented in this paper, the influence of various factors on the VOC removal performance can be determined. And the bottleneck for improving the performance of a PCO reactor can be easily identified. These are helpful for designing high performance PCO reactors and optimizing their operative performance.     

Development of a new photocatalytic oxidation air filter for aircraft cabin

A new photocatalytic oxidation air filter (PCO unit) has been designed for aircraft cabin applications. The PCO unit is designed as a regenerable VOC removal system in order to improve the quality of the recirculated air entering the aircraft cabin. The PCO was designed to be a modular unit, with four UV lamps sandwiched between two interchangeable titanium dioxide coated panels. Performances of the PCO unit has been measured in a single pass mode test rig in order to show the ability of the unit to decrease the amount of VOCs (toluene, ethanol, and acetone) entering it (VOCs are fed separately), and in a multipass mode test rig in order to measure the ability of the unit to clean the air of an experimental room polluted with the same VOCs (fed separately). Triangular cell panels have been chosen instead of the wire mesh panels because they have higher efficiency. The efficiency of the PCO unit depends on the type of VOCs that challenges it, toluene being the most difficult one to oxidise. The efficiency of the PCO unit decreases when the air flow rate increases. The multipass mode test results show that the VOCs are oxidized but additional testing time would be necessary in order to show if they can be fully oxidized. The intermediate reaction products are mainly acetaldehyde and formaldehyde whose amount depends on the challenge VOC. The intermediate reaction products are also oxidized and additional testing time would be necessary in order to show if they can be fully oxidized. The development of this new photocatalytic air filter is still going on. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The VOC/odor removing adsorbers are available for only a small proportion of aircraft currently in service. The photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) technique has appeared to be a promising solution to odors problems met in aircraft. This article reports the test results of a new photocatalytic oxidation air filter (PCO unit) designed for aircraft cabin applications. The overall efficiency of the PCO unit is function of the compound (toluene, ethanol, and acetone) that challenges the unit and toluene appears to be the most difficult compound to oxidize. Test results have shown the influence of the design of the PCO unit, the air flow rate and the type of UV on the efficiency of the PCO unit. The results obtained in this study represent a first attempt on the way to design a filter for VOC removal in cabin aircraft applications. The PCO technique used by the tested prototype unit is able to partially oxidized the challenge VOCs but one has to be aware that some harmful intermediate reaction products (mainly formaldehyde and acetaldehyde) are produced during the oxidation process before being partially oxidized too.     

两种高效空气过滤器送风口特性分析比较

为了研究高效空气过滤器送风口对非单向流洁净室气流组织的影响及其特性,本文用模型试验的方法,对两种高效空气过滤器送风口性能进行了研究.获得了工作区的悬浮粒子浓度数据,将实验数据进行了分析对比.结果表明:带扩散孔板的高效空气过滤器送风口性能比带新型扩散孔板的高效空气过滤器送风口性能好得多,并对此结果进行了分析.最后给出这两种高效空气过滤器送风口的适用条件,并提出其选型的建议.     

Ozone and photocatalytic processes to remove the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole from water

In this study, water containing the pharmaceutical compound sulfamethoxazole (SMT) was subjected to the various treatments of different oxidation processes involving ozonation, and photolysis and catalysis under different experimental conditions. Removal rates of SMT and total organic carbon (TOC), from experiments of simple UVA radiation, ozonation (O(3)), catalytic ozonation (O(3)/TiO(2)), ozone photolysis (O(3)/UVA), photocatalytic oxidation (O(2)/TiO(2)/UVA) and photocatalytic ozonation (O(3)/UVA/TiO(2)), have been compared. Photocatalytic ozonation leads to the highest SMT removal rate (pH 7 in buffered systems, complete removal is achieved in less than 5min) and total organic carbon (in unbuffered systems, with initial pH=4, 93% TOC removal is reached). Also, lowest ozone consumption per TOC removed and toxicity was achieved with the O(3)/UVA/TiO(2) process. Direct ozone and free radical reactions were found to be the principal mechanisms for SMT and TOC removal, respectively. In photocatalytic ozonation, with buffered (pH 7) aqueous solutions phosphates (buffering salts) and accumulation of bicarbonate scavengers inhibit the reactions completely on the TiO(2) surface. As a consequence, TOC removal diminishes. In all cases, hydrogen peroxide plays a key role in TOC mineralization. According to the results obtained in this work the use of photocatalytic ozonation is recommended to achieve a high mineralization degree of water containing SMT type compounds.     

Photocatalytic cement-based materials: Comparison of nitrogen oxides and toluene removal potentials and evaluation of self-cleaning performance

Using cement-based building materials as a matrix for nano-photocatalysts is an important development for the large scale application of photocatalytic technologies. Air pollution mitigation and self-cleaning surface are two major applications of photocatalytic building materials. In this study, a comparison was made to evaluate the performance of TiO₂ modified concrete surface layers for NO_x and VOC degradation. The self-cleaning performance of TiO₂ modified self-compacting mortars (SCM) developed for decorative applications was also evaluated. The results show that the photocatalytic conversion of toluene by the TiO₂ modified surface layer was not detected, although NO_x could be effectively removed under the same conditions. The presence of toluene did not influence the NO_x removal process. TiO₂ modified SCM were found to be effective in the discoloration of rhodamine B under UV and strong halogen light irradiation. The level of adsorption of the air contaminants onto the active sites of the cement-TiO₂ composite was identified to be the key factor determining the subsequent photocatalytic efficiency.     

UV-PCO device for indoor VOCs removal: Investigation on multiple compounds effect

Current design models for ultraviolet photocatalytic oxidation (UV-PCO) devices often assume that the air contains only one volatile organic compound (VOC) species or all the VOCs in the air can be treated on a non-interacting basis. However, trace-level multiple VOCs co-exist in most indoor environments. This paper assesses the significance of interference effects among different VOCs for indoor applications by full-scale “pull-down” experiments assisted with model simulations. Multiple versus single VOC tests were performed on selected groups of compounds under low concentration levels. Removal efficiency for each compound was calculated. It was found that the interference effect among test VOCs were generally small in the 2-VOC and 3-VOC mixture tests performed on toluene, ethylbenzene, octane, decane and dodecane with initial concentration of approximate 1 mg/m³ for each compound. However, in the 16 VOC mixture test, the interference effect among different VOCs became quite obvious, and compounds with lower removal efficiency in the single compound test appeared to also have relatively lower efficiency and more obvious delay period in the initial reaction. The L–H model appears to be able to account for this effect if reaction rate constants can be accurately estimated. Results, although limited, indicate that interference between multiple VOCs may not be neglected for the PCO reactor for indoor applications where the number of VOCs species is large and the TVOC concentration is high.     

Evaluation of an air-cleaning unit having photocatalytic sheets to remove acetaldehyde from indoor air

A photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) reactor to which newly developed photocatalytic sheets were applied to decontaminate indoor air was considered in this study. Firstly, the PCO reactor was designed to achieve efficient ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Then the rate at which acetaldehyde, as a representative indoor air contaminant, was removed by the PCO reactor was calculated using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. In this process, some alternatives that achieved higher removal performance using obstacles at the inlet and outlet openings were introduced. The results of the CFD simulation showed that the obstacles installed in the middle of the inlet and outlet openings helped to improve the removal performance of the PCO reactor as the degree of contact by the acetaldehyde on the PCO sheets was increased. Furthermore, the results of these experiments also showed some improvement in removal performance when obstacles were installed. However, the overall experimental performances were far lower than as had been suggested by the CFD simulation, which inferred that the oxidation rate on the surface of the PCO sheets was not 100%, as had been assumed in the CFD simulation. Nevertheless, CFD simulations are assumed to be a good method for selecting the optimal option from many alternative PCO reactors.     

管状光催化反应器甲醛降解强化研究

通过对管状光催化反应器甲醛降解性能的瓶颈分析,指出制约管状反应器性能的主要因素是传质能力弱和反应面积小。在管状光催化反应器内增加肋片,既增强了管内对流传质能力,又增大了反应面积。实验结果表明,该方法可显著强化管状光催化反应器的降解性能。     

Experimental research on photocatalytic oxidation air purification technology applied to aircraft cabins

The experiment presented in this report was performed in a simulated aircraft cabin to evaluate the air cleaning effects of two air purification devices that used photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) technology. Objective physical, chemical and physiological measurements and subjective human assessments were used for the evaluation. Comparisons were made between conditions with and without the PCO units installed in the re-circulated air system. Four groups of 17 subjects were exposed for 7 h to each test condition. Chemical analysis indicates that ethanol, isoprene and toluene were decomposed by oxidation in the PCO units tested. However, some intermediate products, such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, were detected. Physiological measurements did not show any significant effects of the two PCO units except that skin dryness was reduced by operating PCO unit 2. Both positive and negative effects of using PCO units on subjective assessments were observed after the first 3 1/4 hours of exposure. After 6 h of exposure, a positive effect of using either PCO unit on symptoms of dizziness and claustrophobia was observed.     

Effectiveness of heating, ventilation and air conditioning system with HEPA filter unit on indoor air quality and asthmatic children's health

Poor indoor air quality has been linked to the exacerbation of asthma symptoms in children. Because people spend most of their time indoors, improving indoor air quality may provide some relief to asthma sufferers. A study was conducted to assess whether operating an air cleaning/ventilating unit (HEPAiRx^®) in a child's bedroom can improve his/her respiratory health. Thirty children diagnosed with asthma were randomly split into two groups. For the first six weeks, group A had the air cleaning/ventilating unit (HEPAiRx^®) running in the bedrooms of the participants and group B did not; for the second six weeks, both groups had the cleaners running in the bedrooms; and, for the final six weeks, group A turned the cleaners off and group B kept theirs running. Indoor air quality parameters, including temperature, relative humidity, particulate matter (PM 0.5–10 μm), carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and total volatile organic compound (TVOC) concentrations, were monitored in each bedroom using an AirAdvice indoor air quality multi-meter. As a measure of pulmonary inflammation, exhaled breath condensate (EBC) was collected every sixth day and analyzed for nitrate and pH. Peak expiratory flow (PEF) was also measured. PM and TVOC concentrations decreased with operation of the HEPAiRx an average of 72% and 59%, respectively. The EBC nitrate concentrations decreased significantly and the EBC pH and PEF values increased significantly with operation of the unit (p < 0.001 when comparing on/off sample means). These results indicate that air cleaning in combination with ventilation can effectively reduce symptoms for asthma sufferers.     

The photocatalytic degradation of reactive black 5 using TiO2/UV in an annular photoreactor

The textile effluent is a major industrial polluter because it is highly colored, containing about 15% unfixed dyes as well as high levels of salts that can potentially be discharged into the environment. Photocatalytic oxidation using an thin gap annular UV reactor with TiO2 was used to break down the colour of a synthetic effluent ranging up to 400 ppm in dye concentration of Reactive Black 5 and up to 80 g/L in NaCl. Results show that the reaction kinetics was dominated by the TiO2 loading, the initial dye concentration, and the dissolved oxygen concentration; with the other parameters showing less significant effects. High rates of decolorization were found, with a linear fit to the Langmuir-Hinshelwood equation yielding a reaction rate constant (k) of 2.45 ppm/min, and an adsorption equilibrium constant (K) of 0.048 ppm(-1) based on color removal. The presence of the combination of high dissolved oxygen (15 ppm) and sodium chloride (up to 80 g/L) was found to enhance the decolorization and mineralization rates of the reactive dye. However, pH was found to not significantly affect the degradation rate. Since textile effluent is strongly alkaline, this result is significant, as no solution neutralisation is required and direct treatment of the effluent is possible.     

Combination of one-dimensional TiO2 nanowire photocatalytic oxidation with microfiltration for water treatment

This paper proposed the fabrication of two different diameter one-dimensional TiO₂ nanowires, 10 nm TNW₁₀ and 20-100 nm TNW₂₀, via hydrothermal process using different alkaline sources. TNW₁₀ and TNW₂₀ were used as photocatalysts for the degradation of humic acid (HA), the major natural organic matters (NOMs) in surface and ground water, followed by microfiltration. The evaluation of photocatalytic activities of them showed that TNW₁₀ was superior to the commercial P25 TiO₂ while TNW₂₀ was as good as P25. The membrane filtration verified that the two types of nanowires could be completely reclaimed. The membrane fouling caused by TNW₁₀ and TNW₂₀ was much less than that of P25 due to more porous cake and less pore plugging. No apparent decrease on their photocatalytic activity was observed in repeated reuse experiments. These one-dimensional TiO₂ nanowires would provide a new route for the combination of photocatalytic oxidation and membrane filtration for water treatment.     

负锰滤料去除地下水中锰的影响因素研究

通过锥形瓶静态实验,研究不同参数下负锰滤料对水中锰（Mn2＋）的去除效果.实验表明：滤料粒径为2mm时,Mn2＋的去除率及实际应用效果最佳;随着负锰滤料投加量的增加,Mn2＋的去除率也随之增加;随着溶液pH值的升高,滤料对水中的Mn2＋的去除率也随之增加;若体系中有Fe2＋存在,不利于负锰滤料对Mn2＋的吸附;负锰滤料对Mn2＋吸附等温线更符合Langmuir吸附模型,属于单分子层吸附.     

Effectiveness of portable HEPA air cleaners on reducing indoor endotoxin,PM10, and coarse particulate matter in an agricultural cohort of children with asthma: A randomized intervention trial

We conducted a randomized trial of portable HEPA air cleaners in the homes of children age 6–12 years with asthma in the Yakima Valley, Washington. All families received asthma education while intervention families also received two HEPA cleaners (child's bedroom, living room). We collected 14-day integrated samples of endotoxin in settled dust and PM₁₀ and PM_10-2.5 in the air of the children's bedrooms at baseline and one-year follow-up, and used linear regression to compare follow-up levels, adjusting for baseline. Seventy-one families (36 HEPA, 35 control) completed the study. Baseline geometric mean (GSD) endotoxin loadings were 1565 (6.3) EU/m² and 2110 (4.9) EU/m², respectively, in HEPA vs. control homes while PM₁₀ and PM_10-2.5 were 22.5 (1.9) μg/m³ and 9.5 (2.9) μg/m³, respectively, in HEPA homes, and 19.8 (1.8) μg/m³ and 7.7 (2.0) μg/m³, respectively, in control homes. At follow-up, HEPA families had 46% lower (95% CI, 31%–57%) PM₁₀ on average than control families, consistent with prior studies. In the best-fit heterogeneous slopes model, HEPA families had 49% (95% CI, 6%–110%) and 89% lower (95% CI, 28%–177%) PM_10-2.5 at follow-up, respectively, at 50th and 75th percentile baseline concentrations. Endotoxin loadings did not differ significantly at follow-up (4% lower, HEPA homes; 95% CI, −87% to 50%).