Inventor(s): German Drazer; Hao Lin; Edward DeMauro; Jonathan Singer
Awarded: September 2020
Summary: Imagine if we could obtain clean air using simply water to clean it. This is the motivation behind the proposed technology: using small liquid droplets to capture and remove all harmful aerosols suspended in air. The concept is to use liquid membranes, that is arrays of liquid-droplets deposited on a flexible substrate. Contaminated air is forced to move around these liquid-droplets but particles are not able to negotiate their way around (due to their higher inertia) and end up impinging on the liquid. In this way, they are removed from the air stream. As the contaminated stream of air passes through a large number of carefully arranged small droplets, more and more contaminant particles are removed, and clean air comes out of the filtration system.
This novel concept eliminates the use of fiber-based filters, reducing waste resulting from their disposal, and uses easily renewable liquid media. Moreover, germs or other harmful aerosols would be permanently removed through the renovation of the liquid membranes, thus avoiding accumulation and re-entrainment of the capture airborne pollutants. The flow renewal of the liquid droplets results in continuously run filtration with higher efficiency and reduced maintenance.
Market Applications:
- Air Filtration in Public Venues (Health Care Facilities, Nursing Homes)
- Air Filtration in Public Buildings (Schools, Town Halls)
- Air Filtration in Transportation (Subway; Trains; Airplanes; Buses)
- Air Filtration in Hospitality Sector (Hotels; Restaurants;)
- Air Filtration in Private Venues (Household; Factories;)