ABSTRACT
Antimicrobial air filtration techniques have recently been widely studied to enhance indoor air quality and mitigate hazardous airborne microorganisms. Here, CuNPs were incorporated into a commercial polyester fiber surface and Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer was used to measure the adherence between fibers and nanoparticles. An acid pretreatment previous CuNP incorporation was effective against the particle release and enhanced the adhesion between particle and fiber. CuNP was a mixture of Cu0 and Cu2O with a diameter size of 90 nm (SEM micrographs). The permeability of the filter was low, in order of 10-9 m2. The activity against pathogens was tested in loco in a real environment using a filtration prototype apparatus. It was observed that the presence of CuNP mitigated the fungi and bacteria growth not only on the surface but also reduced microbe concentrations after passing through the filter. These results show that CuNP can be used as an inhibitor of various microorganisms, making them a good alternative for indoor environments to control indoor air quality.
ABSTRACT
Droplet distribution is of fundamental importance to the performance of a Venturi scrubber. Ensuring good liquid distribution can increase performance at minimal liquid usage. In this study, droplet dispersion in a rectangular Pease-Anthony Venturi scrubber, operating horizontally, was examined both theoretically and experimentally. The Venturi throat cross-section was 24 mm x 35 mm, and the throat length varied from 63 to 140 mm. Liquid was injected through a single orifice (1.0 mm diameter) on the throat wall. This arrangement allowed the study of the influence of jet penetration on droplet distribution. Gas velocity at the throat was 58.3 and 74.6 m/s, and the liquid flow rate was 286, 559 and 853 ml/min. A probe with a 2.7 mm internal diameter was used to isokinetically remove liquid from several positions inside the equipment. It was possible to study liquid distribution close to the injection point. A new model for droplet dispersion, which incorporates the new description of the jet atomization process developed by the present authors in the first article of this series, is proposed and evaluated. The model predicted well the experimental data.
