AIR PURIFICATION


“Much depends on the country and local regulations,” says Phil Radford, senior vice president at equipment manufacturer Welbilt. “Germany changed rules quickly to require fresh air to be brought in from outside and it opened up a new market for us. We partnered with Trotec to create AeroTherm, a mobile air purification system for restaurants.” Designed to remove virus-carrying particles and bacteria from indoor spaces, AeroTherm uses HEPA 14 filtration, thermal decontamination, and a seven-speed fan to capture 99.995% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria and aerosol particles from medium to large-sized rooms.


While the actions of German authorities opened up this market, other countries were more circumspect about air purification systems. Norway, for example, did not recommend the use of air purifiers on the basis that they could create air currents that might actually carry the disease to more people. Furthermore, Belgium noted that there was – at least in the early days – little clinical evidence for the benefit of portable air purifiers. Since then, however, the perceived value of air purification systems has grown, though not necessarily due to any major technological advances. “HEPA filtration has been common


as an option for AC systems, as have UV lamps that kill all the bacteria,” says Radford. “That is what is being used now. UV and filtration systems clean the air and blow it back into the environment, as has been done for years, though mobile systems and even wearables, like breathing apparatus, have become more commonplace.”


Familiar tech


Though the fundamental principles on which air purification technologies are based may not have changed, the configuration of filtration and UV devices has evolved since the start of the pandemic.


“There are only a few methods for purifying air,” says Radford. “HEPA filtration is very effective, but it involves large fans and the noise they produce can be intrusive. UV light and ozone, which kills practically everything, are becoming more common, but these solutions were well known before the pandemic.” “UV and filtration are technologies that have been around for a while but are now being used more,” agrees Bender. “If you are creating a new-build then you can design that into the layout of the building, but for existing operations you need a different solution.”


“NOW, WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT IN A DIFFERENT WAY BECAUSE OF COVID AND OTHER CONTAMINANTS – INCLUDING FUMES AND OTHER BACTERIA – SO WE HAVE TO HAVE THE RIGHT SYSTEM DESIGNED FOR THE SPACE AND THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT FOR THE INCOMING AIR”


WORLDWIDE


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14