R.V.

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, Bengaluru-

560059
(Autonomous Institution Affiliated to VTU, Belgaum)

SMART AIR FILTER

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING REPORT
Submitted By

NAME ROLL NO.

AHAN TEJASWI (1RV21EC010)

AKASH DEBNATH (1RV21EC013)

AISHWARIYA H (1RV21EC011)

Submitted To
Dr. Praveen Kumar
 R.V. COLLEGE OF ENGINNERING, BENGALURU -560059

R.V. COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, Bengaluru-

560059
(Autonomous Institution Affiliated to VTU, Belgaum)

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

CERTIFICATE
It is certified that the Experiential learning titled "SMART AIR
FILTER” is carried out By Ahan (010), Akash (013), and
Aishwariya H (011) who are bonafide students of R.V College
of Engineering, during the third semester, in the year 2021-
2022. It is also certified that all corrections/suggestions
indicated for the Internal Assessment have been incorporated in
the report. The report has been approved as it satisfies the
academic requirements in respect of Experiential leaming .

Marks Awarded: /40

Signature of Staff in Charge

Signature of Head of the Department

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CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION----------------------------------------------4,5,6
2. PROBLEM: INDOOR AIR POLLUTION----------------------7
3. SOLUTION: MQ-135 SENSOR -------------------------------8,9
4. PRINCIPAL OF AIR FILTER: HEPA FILTER-------10,11,12
5. CHEMISTRY PART: PHASE INVERSION--------------13,14
6. DESIGN AND FILTRATION------------------------15,16,17,18
7. MANUFACTURING PROCESS----------------------------19,20
8. CODE and FLOWCHART-----------------------------21,22,23,24

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Let’s understand what the word “smart” really means within

the world of air cleaning devices, it’s worth understanding the
features and benefits of normal air purifiers. These appliances
use filters to get rid of airborne toxins from the air,
specifically those that are known to cause health issues.
They soak up air, strain harmful contaminants, and pump out
clean, particle-free air.
Air purifiers use two different systems: either an endless air
filtering system that doesn’t detect or monitor air quality, or a
more efficient automated filtering method that uses sensors to
detect particles and adjust its operation accordingly. Smart air
purifiers, provide you with the ability of knowledge to stay track
of and control your space’s air quality.
They’re typically Wi-Fi enabled (sometimes marketed as
Bluetooth-enabled)

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It Can be installed in any area so that it can detect the air quality using
the gas sensor MQ-135 which provides the system with data that
are calculated to seek out the concentration of gases like CO, CO2, NH4,
Acetone, Toulene, and Ethanol the ultimate output is to send a message
to the admin via SIM 900 and used LED & Buzzer alarm just in
case there's a pollutant within the indoor environment as shown within
the diagram

The main objective of this project was to Monitor the surrounding Air
Quality

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1. Arduino UNO x1.

2. MQ-135 - Gas Sensor x1.
3. Buzzer 5volte x1.
4. LEDs x 4.
5. Battery lithium 3.7 v 750mAh x 4.
6. Wire Jumpers.
7. NO\OFF bottom x1.
8. Charging port x1.
9. Potentiometer.
10. Resistors x 1.
11. DC FAN X 1
12. Membrane X 1

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Although official efforts to manage pollution have traditionally focused

on outdoor air, it's now apparent that elevated contaminant
concentrations are common inside some private and public buildings.
Concerns about potential public health problems because
of indoor pollution are supported by evidence that urban residents
typically spend over 90 percent of their time indoors, concentrations of
some contaminants are higher indoors than outdoors, and for a
few pollutants, personal exposures don't seem to be characterized
adequately by outdoor measurements. Among the more important
indoor contaminants related to health or irritation effects are passive
tobacco smoke, radon decay products, CO, gas, formaldehyde, asbestos
fibers, microorganisms, and aeroallergens. Efforts to assess health
risks related to indoor pollution are limited by insufficient information
about the number of individuals exposed, the pattern and severity of
exposures, and also the health consequences of exposures. An overall
strategy should be developed to analyze indoor exposures, health
effects, control options, and public policy alternatives.
The continuance and growth of the International
Conferences on Indoor Air Quality and Climate reflect the emergence of
public health concerns about indoor pollution. These and similar
conferences have facilitated interactions among the varied disciplines
involved in indoor air quality issues: engineers, architects, clinically-
oriented physicians, epidemiologists, persons like an expert in exposure
assessment and risk assessment, and persons from
regulatory and public health agencies and from the
many industries with an interest in indoor air quality

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To measure or detect the gases, use analog pins or digital pins. Just
apply 5V to the module and you'll observe that the module’s power
LED activates (glows) and also the output LED turns OFF when no gas is
detected by the module. this implies that the output of the digital pin is
0V. Note that the sensor must be kept for preheating time of 20 seconds
(as mentioned within the specifications) before the particular operation.
Once the MQ135 sensor is operated to detect, the LED output goes
high together with the digital output pin. Otherwise, use the
potentiometer until the output increases. Whenever the sensor
detects a specific gas concentration, the digital pin goes high (5V),
otherwise it stays low(0V).
We can also use analog pins to induce identical results. The output
analog values (0-5V) are read from the microcontroller. This value is
directly proportional to the gas concentration detected by the sensor. By
the experimental values, we will observe the working and reaction of the
MQ135 sensor with different gas concentrations and also
the programming developed accordingly.

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According to Sensitivity Characteristics (MQ-135) figure 4 the

resistance ratio is RS/R0. Resistances may be identified within
the resistance sensor changes in line with gas concentration, &
(RO) resistance sensor presence concentration is
understood within the fresh air.
Sensitivity Characteristics MQ-135
1. Graph scale is a log during a linear scale. The concentration of
gas behavior is relative to the exponential resistance.
2. Concentration of gas data ranges only between (10 ppm to 200
ppm).
3. the connection between the ratio of resistance and also
the concentration of gas seems linear

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There are two basic types of air filters:  

Filters for solids and filters for gaseous particles. Both types have
the same objective, to reduce the concentration of airborne
particles. Gaseous particles can be filtered out using adsorption.
Adsorption is brought about by London dispersion forces, or Van
der Waal’s forces, which act between the molecules. These forces
have similar properties to the forces of gravity acting between
planets in the solar system. The activated carbon in these filters is
capable of removing particles from the air using adsorption.
Different types of carbon may be used, depending on the
particular field of application. 
There are four ways of capturing particles. The filter class, the
particle size, and the filter construction jointly determine the
magnitude of the effects. 
Air filters may apply: 
– the sieve effects 
– the inertial mass effects 
– the interception effects 
– the diffusion effects 

1)The sieve effect 

 
The sieve effect is one most commonly applied in air filters. The
principle of the sieve effect is very simple: The particle is larger
than the gap between the media fibers and therefore gets trapped. 
 
2)The inertial mass effect 
 
This filter principle is applied if the particles have substantial
mass. The particle arrives at high velocity. Due to its mass, the
particle collides with the media fiber, instead of being deflected
with the airflow. 
 

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3)The interception effect 

 
The fact that particles exert forces of attraction on one another is
crucial to this filter principle. The larger media fibers attract
relatively small dust particles. Once the particles have been
intercepted, they remain stuck between the media fibers. 
 
4)The diffusion effect 
 
Particularly small particles often pursue an irregular path. This
phenomenon is referred to as Brownian motion. The path that the
particles follow may digress from that of the airflow. Brownian
motion increases the chances of the particle colliding with the
media fibers. The various filter effects can be plotted on a graph,
which indicates the particle size on which each of the filtration
principles has the greatest effect. 

1)HEPA filters are made out of very fine glass threads with a
diameter of but 1 micron (a micron is 0.00004 in, 0.001 mm). By
comparison, somebody's hair incorporates a diameter of about 75
microns (0.003 in, 0.07 mm). The fine glass threads are tangled
together and compressed to make a filter mat. Because the
individual threads are so microscopic, most of the mat consists of
air. The openings within the mat are very small, generally but 0.5
microns (0.00002 in, 0.0005 mm). HEPA filters will collect
particles right down to 0.3 microns (0.00001 in, 0.0003 mm) in
diameter. while the filter may only be 0.10 in (2.5 mm) wide, it
might comprise 2,500 layers of glass threads.

2)-Electrostatic precipitators depend upon electrostatic forces to

get rid of particles from the air. They work by creating a cloud of
free electrons through which dust particles are forced to

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pass. because the dust particles submit to the plasma, they

become charged, making them easy to gather. Electrostatic
precipitators can collect particles right down to a diameter of 0.01
microns (0.00001 mm).
Neither HEPA filters nor electrostatic precipitators can remove
volatile organic compounds from the air, therefore do nothing to
cut back Odor. For this reason, most air purifiers are equipped
with a pre-or post-filter composed of carbon. activated charcoal is
produced by heating a carbon source (coconut shells, old tires,
bones, etc.) at very high temperatures within the absence of
oxygen, a process also called pyrolysis or fractional process.
Pyrolysis separates the pure carbon from the opposite materials
contained within the stuff. The pure carbon is then exposed to
steam at 1,500°F(800°C). The heating steam activates the carbon.
The activation process forms countless cracks within the carbon
grains. These cracks have diameters of about 0.002 microns
(0.000002 mm). Because there are such a large amount of cracks,
the activation process provides the carbon with an
infinite extent per weight—about 6.5 acres/oz (1,000 m 2 /g).
The innumerable cracks provide locations where organic
compounds may be adsorbed. additionally, the surface of the
carbon carries a residual electrical charge that draws non-polar
chemicals (chemicals that don't have separated positive and
negative charges) to that. carbon is extremely effective at
adsorbing odor-producing compounds.

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Phase inversion is a process of controlled polymer transformation

from a liquid phase to a solid phase. There are four basic
techniques used to create phase inversion membranes:
precipitation from the vapor phase, precipitation by controlled
evaporation, thermally induced phase separation, and immersion
precipitation. Out of the four, immersion precipitation is the most
widely-used technique for preparing polymeric membranes.
Precipitation from the Vapor Phase
Once a solvent-polymer mixture is cast on the film, it is placed in
a vapor atmosphere that contains a nonsolvent saturated with the
same solvent. Due to the high concentration of solvent in the
vapor atmosphere, the solvent from the cast film stays instead of
evaporates into the atmosphere. Membrane forms by diffusion of
nonsolvent into the cast film. This process results in a porous
membrane.
Precipitation by Controlled Evaporation
The polymer in this case is dissolved in a solvent and nonsolvent
mixture. The evaporation of the solvent due to high volatility
occurs, causing the composition to have a higher nonsolvent and
polymer content. The polymer eventually precipitates and forms a
skinned membrane.

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TIPS is the abbreviation for Thermally Induced Phase

Separation within which the membrane formation is induced by
cooling the polymer solution. particularly, the ideas process is
applied to polymers that are inaccessible to the SIPS
process, thanks to their poor solubility, and to very
polar likewise as non-polar polymers.

Manufacturing Process Using TIPS

In the first stage, the polymer of choice is molten and fed into an
extruder. The molten polymer is conveyed to a special
mixer along with a solvent/non-solvent mixture. This
solvent/non-solvent mixture must be selected so that the polymer
is dissolved only above a particular temperature, but
that there's no solubility of the polymer at lower temperatures. By
intensive mixing of the molten polymer and therefore
the solvent/non-solvent mixture at an elevated temperature a
standardized solution is created.

TIPS Process for Capillary Membranes

This hot solution is then extruded through a slit die (to form a flat
sheet) or a spinneret (to form hollow fiber). After the forming
step, the extruded melt-blend passes through an air gap and is
cooled, either in a very quenching bath or on a chill roll. during
this step, the answer is cooled down below the dissolving
temperature, which results in a thermally induced phase
separation and thus the formation of polymer-rich and solvent-
rich phases, which finally enables the solidification of the
polymer-rich phase.

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The Raw materials Which Are Used to Make the HEPA Filters
are :

1)A case made out of plastic, an electric fan to induce airflow

through the filter, the filter itself, and control switches to control
the speed of the fan and turn the air purifier on and off. 
 
2)The HEPA filters are made of borosilicate glass fibers or plastic
fibers (e.g., polypropylene) bound together with up to 5% acrylic
binder (the same compound that binds latex paint to a house). 
 
3)Electrostatic precipitators generate ions by running extremely
high positive direct current voltages through steel wires set
between grounded steel charging plates. Cases are almost
universally made from plastic, usually high-impact polystyrene,
polyvinyl chloride, high-density polyethylene, or polypropylene. 

4)Most air purifiers are also usually equipped with a post-filter

composed of activated carbon. 

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HEPA filters are designed to support the scale of particles to be

removed and also the required air rate. The finer the pores within
the HEPA material, the finer the particles far from the air.
However, collecting finer particles means the filter material will
clog sooner and wish to be replaced on a more frequent basis. The
designer will specify the diameter of the glass fibers and also
the mat density of the filter fabric that fixes the filter pore size.
HEPA filters can contain binders that provide additional strength,
but this also produces a filter that clogs sooner.

There are four basic ways media captures particles: 

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1)INERTIAL IMPACTION 

Inertia works on large, heavy particles suspended within the flow

stream. These particles are heavier than the fluid surrounding
them. because the fluid changes direction to enter the fiber space,
the particle continues during a line and collides with the media
fibers where it's trapped and held.

2)INTERCEPTION

Direct interception works on particles within the mid-range size

that don't seem to be quite large enough to own inertia and
not sufficiently small to diffuse within the flow stream. These
mid-sized particles follow the flow stream because it bends
through the fiber spaces. Particles are intercepted or captured after
they touch a fiber.

3)DIFFUSION

Diffusion works on the tiniest particles. Small

particles aren't held in situ by the viscous fluid (air) and diffuse
within the flow stream. this suggests that the smaller a particle is,
the more likely it's to traverse the flow stream, making it more
likely to touch the fiber and be collected.

4)SIEVING

Sieving, the foremost common mechanism infiltration, occurs

when the particle is just too large to suit  the fiber spaces

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The design of an electrostatic precipitator is considerably more

complex. Home electrostatic precipitators usually are
designed to possess two components, an ionizing component
(where the electron cloud is created) and a collecting
component (where the charged dust particles are pulled out of
the air). The collecting component consists of a series of
parallel steel plates—half are grounded and half carry a
positive electricity voltage—thus alternate plates are either
positively or charged. The ionizing unit consists of thin wires
strung between a separate set of grounded steel ionizing plates
parallel to but set before the collector plates. the skinny wires
carry high positive voltage electricity (up to 25,000
volts during a home air purifier). The positive charges within
the wires induce a flow of electrons between the wires and
therefore the adjacent ionizing plates. Because there's a high
voltage on the wire, electrons are pushed toward it by an
acceleration of around 1,000 times the acceleration of gravity,
which accelerates the electrons to very high velocities. as an
example, as a particle of dust mite excrement floats past the
wire, the high-speed electrons strike the electrons within
the molecules of the particle, knocking a number of them free.
As these molecules lose electrons, they tackle a charge and are
thus drawn to the negatively-charged collector plate. The
designer must select a voltage high enough to
provide sufficient numbers of electrons to ionize the particles
passing through the precipitator, and space the collector plates
close enough together so that the ionized dust
particles are captured on the plates before the precipitator fan
can pull them completely through the air purifier.

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THE CASE

1. Pelletof the material (high-impact polystyrene, vinyl

polymer, high-density polyethylene, or polypropylene) is fed
into a hopper and heated to the freezing point, 300-590°F (150-
310°C).

2 The molten plastic is injected high into a mold of the case.

The mold is typically made of alloy steel by a highly skilled
mold maker. Vents within the mold allow the entrained air to
flee because the plastic enters. The mold designer must assure
that the mold fills evenly with plastic and that all of the
entrained air is allowed to flee, otherwise, the ultimate part
might contain small air bubbles or maybe voids
3 Water is forced through channels built into the mold to
transfer heat from the molten plastic into the environment.
Once the part is sufficiently cool, which may take up to
2 minutes, the mold opens. Hydraulically-operated pins push
the part out of the open mold into a receiving bin.

4 . Electrical fan
  The fan is employed to tug air through the air purifier. The fan is
typically purchased from a small-parts supplier. The fan consists
of a tiny low motor with metal fan blades attached to the motor's
power take-off. The fan blades are usually spot welded to a collar,
which is slipped onto the facility take-off and bolted inside.

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HEPA filters 
1. The glass fibers that make up a HEPA filter are created
by passing molten glass or plastic through very fine pores in a
spinning nozzle. The resulting glass fibers cool and harden almost
instantly because of their tiny diameters. 
2. The spinning nozzle moves back and forth (causing
the glass fibers to form a web) above a moving conveyor
belt onto which the fibers are collected. The speed of the
conveyor belt determines the thickness of the filter
material—a slow conveyor belt allows more glass fibers
to build up on the belt. 
3. The melting and cooling of the fiber produce some
bonding of the fibers. As the conveyor progresses, a latex
binder is sprayed onto the fabric to provide additional
strength. The fabric can be any width up to the practical
size of the machinery and can be cut down to the size
specified by the customer before the fabric is taken up on
rollers. 
4. Once the HEPA mats are formed, they are folded into
an accordion pattern in an automatic folder. The
accordion pattern allows up to 50 ft 2 (5 m 2 ) of filter
material to be enclosed in a small space. 
5. The accordion-shaped filter is then enclosed in a filter
case, usually consisting of an open wire grid. The
purpose of the filter case is to support the filter. 

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The Future 
As scientists learn more about environmental pollutants and their
impact on human health, the need to provide cleaner air in homes
and offices will only grow. The current generation of HEPA
filters can only remove particles down to 0.3 microns (0.00001 in,
0.0003 mm) in diameter while it is believed that particles down to
0.1 microns (0.0001 mm) in diameter can cause mechanical
damage to lung tissue. Viruses can be as small as 0.02 microns
(0.00002 mm) in diameter. There is still progress that can be
made in controlling indoor air pollution. The current direction of
technology is toward ever finer filter materials. The new standard
in filtration is the ULPA filter, which stands for Ultra Low
Penetrating Air. A ULPA filter is required to be able to remove
particles down to 0.12 microns (0.00012 mm) in diameter, about
one-third of the diameter of the smallest particle a HEPA filter
can remove. 

We have generated a code on Arduino software lde by connecting

the gas sensor to the breadboard  
The sensor we used is used to sense the air around it the sensor
first sense the air and according to the code which is written
above if the air quality sensed by the sensor is greater than the
threshold value this condition is checked first if the condition is
true the code will run further and we connected an LCD to the
breadboard to see what is the quality of the air if the condition is
true it will show the air quality is poor and if the value of the
quality of air is less than the threshold value it will show the air
quality is good. 
If the LCD shows that the quality of air is poor then the led will
light up and a buzzer will sound accordingly all this (buzzer, led,
LCD) is connected to the breadboard through which Arduinord is
connected which will perform all these functions.   

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 sgs

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- 

FLOW CHART OF THE FOLLOWING CODE:

  

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REFERENCES
 http://www.hwsensor.com.
 Sensor for air monitoring/Rishi Kant and Shantanu Bhattacharya / Microsystems
Fabrication Laboratory, Mechanical Engineering Department, Indian Institute of
Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016, Uttar Pradesh, India doi. j
 http://letsmakerobot.com
 http://www.instructables.com
 http://www.arduino.cc
 https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/membrana-us/resources/technologies/
manufacturing/sips/#:~:text=SIPS%20is%20the%20abbreviation%20for,between
%20solvent%20and%20non%2Dsolvent.
 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Membrane_technology
 Air Filter - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics
 https://components101.com/articles/introduction-to-gas-sensors-types-working-and-
applications

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