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    23 views2 pages

    H&V News Article

    Uploaded by

    irfan

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    of 2
    Bipolar ionisation: could it be an energ, ¥= efficient IAQ alternative? Air cleaning performed with Plasma Bipolar ionisation could reduce an anticipated energy-heavy l need to ensure ventilation systems are running on full external air in light of Covid-19, says Adam Taylor rying to save energy hy demand controlling ventilation rates purely ‘on CO, concentration is not an appropriate solution for much of the built environment, CO, is not dangerous until levels exceed around 30,000ppm, and yeti is regarded as the primary indoor air contaminant by many in the HVAC industry. Tis is because it is not widely understood that CO, is primarily a proxy for acceptable indoor air quality. Providing good IAQ by ventilating buildings with large quantities of outdoor air results in significant energy being used. In addition, the quality of outdoor air is decreasing to the point where it can seldom be called “fresh”. ASHRAE defines acceptable indoor air quality as: “Air in which there are na known contaminants atharmful concentrations as determined by cogniscent authorities and with which a substantial majority (80 per cent or more) of the people exposed do not express dissatisfaction”. During the 1979 oil crisis, ASHRAE developed the 62.1 standard. The standard defines two ‘methods for determining the outdoor air rate required in order to provide acceptable indoor air quality. Option one is the ventilation rate procedure (VRP). This calculates the amount of outdoor air required to dilute the contaminants to acceptable | Bipolar ionisation levels. ‘The second option is based around using air cleaning systems and is called the TAQ procedure, The [AQ procedure allows engineers to model the concentration of indoor pollutants once the airs cleaned by an air purification technology. Ifthe calculations show that the Jevel of contaminants of concern are lower when using the IAQ procedure when compared with the VRP, then the lower outdoor air flow rates from the IAQ procedure may be used. ‘The selection of lower outdoor air flow rates at design stage reduces plant size and the reduction in heating, cooling and dehumidification will result in significant energy savings, technologies can be retrofitted onto existing systems If ar cleaning is utilised as alternative to opting fo fl ong supply during peak emperte it may be possible to design ‘cooled building when using the procedure, compared to having in utilise mechanical coting wh wg the VRP. Heating requirement yt also be drastically reduced, The Plasma Air approach Plasma is the fourth sute ofmaner — the most prevalent state in the universe. There area variety of ‘ways to employ it when looking to improve IAQ. For example, technology from Novaers pases contaminated air directly thous plasma field, giving incredibly igh destruction rates for pathogens, virtually nothing survives the poss ‘As you can imagine, tis iil ie hhigh-risk areas such as ospts. Tis impractical to coverlarge spaces with any kind of standalone pass-through air cleaners as the Clee Air Delivery Rate (CADR) from ist types of system are too low ineasst 4 good air exchange. Integrating improvement systems into the HV system is thus more appropriate ‘most types of building. Bipolar plasma generating release a stream of positively amt negatively charged ionsint building. Those ions then GS room pollutants, including the 7a being generated in the rane a ions collide with particles they pass over thei SEER 28 | JULY 2020 / hvnplus.co.uk ‘AUK case study ‘4 £350m-tumover FM contractor based in Kent was looking to improve the ualltyof the airin ts head office longbefore the spread of Covid19, AQ Consulting was commissioned tocarry out an HVAC and air quality survey ofthe building. The top three floors of the building are heated and cooled by fancollunits and on the ground floor by ceiling cassettes. Natural ventilation is provided via ‘opening windows. Unfortunately, ‘onthe top three floors, the opening height ofthe windows at 950 mm {AFFL means thatif they were used to provide ventilation, they might immediately cause uncomfortable draughts. The air quality measurements showed peaks ‘of CO, ‘of up to2500 ppm with high levels of VOCs. Poor indoor air quality has been highlighted as a risk factor for airborne Covid-19 transmission. Increasing ventilation rates to dilute viruses shed by occupants has been recommended by the likes of CIBSE, REHVA and ASHRAE. In some buildings this may be a simple strategy to implement and may work outside of peak heating and cooling periods. This building is thus an example ‘of where an alternative strategy is ‘appropriate, particularly outside ‘of mid-season, Bipolar ionisers are being fited to all the fan coisin the 1g to reduce odours, VOCs and Particulates - and to give protection against Covid-19, 0 you end up with all the particles being arracted to each other. This ‘in turn causes them to form larger clusters those clusters then fall out of the breathing zone, ‘The results a reduction in Particles normally missed by filters, (PMI and PM2.5) as well asa drop in TVOC concentration (due to oxidation) and a reduction in the ‘eral bioburden (mould spores, bacteria and viruses etc), Ifyou have high levels of VOC, and ultrafine particulates, this is a cost-effective way of dramatic improving the TAQ in whole buildings, ‘This consideration is of heightened importance as buildings are now ‘being prepared to once again house workers in line with new operational and space requirements of Covid-19, The Covid-19 challenge One of the most debated aspects. of Covid-19 is whether the virus is airborne or not According to the WHO, whether a ‘Virus is defined as airborne is related to the size of particles typically emitted by an infected person that contain the virus and therefore how long that sized particle is able to be suspended in the air for. Low humidity has been identified as causing increased airborne transmission of Covid-19, as large infection droplets (>5micron) quickly dry out in buildings to become infectious droplet nuclei (

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