Indoor Air Quality
The MERV-13 filtration challenge
The MERV rating system extends from 1 to 16, with the highest (16) being the rating used for filters in places such as hospitals where it is critical to efficiently capture very small particles. A filter receives a specific MERV rating based on a 1999 specification brought forth by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, …
IAQ – from panic to awareness to understanding to herding cats
The story of indoor air quality through the COVID-19 pandemic and the road ahead The importance of indoor air quality is among the key lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. Pre-pandemic, much of the focus in the area of air quality was on the outdoor environment, but as COVID took hold and it became clear …
New metrics for filter selection and ‘true cost’ determination
There are new measurement tools to select filters, as well as new holistic concepts which obsolesce traditional individual selection methods. There are also new measurement needs. Measurement Tools: The COVID-19 pandemic has created a major controversy over life quantity vs life quality. It is likely that filtration selection will be permanently impacted by the efforts …
Clean Air Curtain uses high-velocity air & UVGI technology to protect against pathogen spread
The Clean Air Curtain is an air cleaning device that utilizes both a true HEPA filter and a UVGI light to institute a “trap and kill” strategy for the elimination of airborne pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2. But what is unique about the solution is the incorporation of an “air curtain” that allows for the separation …
Modeling airflow and filtration reveals truths and misconceptions on commonly held beliefs about virus spread
The interior of an airplane is perhaps one of the safest places to be when it comes to avoiding contamination from a virus like COVID-19. This is one of the surprising findings arising from detailed studies of recent so-called “super spreader” events in combination with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling. Together, they highlight the need …