Characteristic Analyses of Plasma Air Cleaning Systems for the Removal of Indoor Air Pollutants

Tobacco smoke is one of the most common manmade aerosols. Yellow sand dust and pollen are the particular and regional pollutants generated by natural phenomena. These pollutants have different removal characteristics, respectively, when the air cleaning system is operated. It is well known that tobacco smoke particles are removed effectively with electrostatic precipitators. But it is necessary to evaluate whether the plasma air cleaning system has good performance of removing Yellow sand dusts and pollens simultaneously and also to establish the operation modes for efficient removal of those particular air pollutants by controlling the air flow rates passing the electrostatic precipitator and operating times of air cleaning system. In this study, the performance evaluation of plasma air cleaning systems is investigated with tobacco smoke particles, Yellow sand dusts, and pollens. For the multi-pass test in occupied spaces of 150 m³, the operation time required to reduce dust concentration from the initial concentration of 300 µg/m³ to 150 µg/m³, the criteria of indoor air quality in Korea, are 40 min for tobacco smoke, 28 min for Yellow sand dust, and 5 min for pollen when the flow rate is 17 m³/min. Also, the optimal operation modes for each pollutant are suggested for the efficient removal of indoor air pollutants. At first, most particles are removed by maximum flow operation. Second, the rest of the particles are removed by medium flow operation. Next, the plasma air cleaning systems are maintained by minimum flow for tobacco smoke mode and by repeating minimum flow and medium flow for Yellow sand and pollen modes. Edit to “Because the Yellow sand dust and the pollen flow into the room continuously and settle down … noise reduction.” Because the Yellow sand dust and the pollen flow into the room continuously and settle down. The plasma air cleaning system is suitable for the removal of the tobacco smoke, the Yellow sand dust, and the pollen for maintaining suitable indoor air quality, and, if it is operated through the suitable operation mode, energy efficiency will improve noise reduction.