Air treatment system

1. A method for treating air, the method including the steps of:

moving air through an inlet of a housing and to an air treatment zone downstream of the inlet, the air treatment zone enclosed within a particle matter filter having a tubular shape;

generating ultraviolet light at a wavelength of about 254 nm within the air treatment zone at a location inside of the tubular shape of the particle matter filter;

passing treated air within the air treatment zone through the particle matter filter in a radially outward direction;

forming an oxidizing zone that is physically separate and spaced from the particle matter filter downstream of the air treatment zone;

removing ozone from the air in the oxidizing zone with a catalyst;

cleaning, sanitizing and/or deodorizing the air in the air treatment zone and the oxidizing zone; and

moving the air from the oxidizing zone through an outlet of the housing positioned downstream of the oxidizing zone.

2. A method for treating air, the method including the steps of:

providing a housing with an air inlet, the housing including a tubular particle matter filter enclosing an air treatment zone, and an ultraviolet light source within the air treatment zone;

introducing air through the air inlet into the air treatment zone between the ultraviolet source and the particle matter filter;

generating ultraviolet light at a wavelength of about 254 nm within the air treatment zone at a location inside of the tubular particle matter filter;

flowing treated air from within the air treatment zone radially outward out through and from the particle matter filter;

forming an oxidizing zone downstream of the air treatment zone that is physically separate and spaced from the particle matter filter;

flowing the treated air axially through the oxidizing zone; and

removing ozone in the oxidizing zone with a catalyst.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the particle matter filter surrounds the ultraviolet light source.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the housing has a tubular shape and surrounds the particle matter filter.

5. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising flowing the treated air to the oxidizing zone via a passage between the particle matter filter and an inner surface of the housing.

6. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the ultraviolet light source is centered within a tubular shape of the particle matter filter.

7. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the housing includes a light baffle, the light baffle including or forming the air inlet.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the air inlet opens or extends between the ultraviolet light source and the particle matter filter.

9. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising drawing air flow through the housing with an air mover downstream of the oxidizing zone.

10. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the air inlet extends about a base of the ultraviolet light source.

11. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the catalyst is positioned at a distance and downstream from the particle matter filter.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the catalyst is formed in layers and has a gap between adjacent layers of the catalyst.

13. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising generating ozone within the air treatment zone.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the ultraviolet light source oxidizes and deodorizes organic materials caught on a surface of the particle matter filter.

15. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising operatively controlling a first time that an ozone generator operates and a second time that the ultraviolet light source operates.

16. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising selectively and independently operating an air mover, the ozone generator and the ultraviolet light source in a regular operating mode or a self-cleaning operating mode, operating the air mover, ozone generator and ultraviolet light source in the self-cleaning operating mode including generating ozone at a higher concentration and employing a lower air flow rate than in the regular operating mode.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the self-cleaning operating mode includes maintaining a space velocity flow through the catalyst at less than 100,000 hr−1.

18. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:

cleaning, sanitizing and/or deodorizing the air with the particle matter filter; and

moving the air through the inlet, the air treatment zone, the particle matter filter, the oxidizing zone and an outlet positioned downstream of the oxidizing zone.

19. A method for treating air, the method including the steps of:

providing a housing with a tubular light baffle including an air inlet;

passing the air through the air inlet into an air treatment zone enclosed by a tubular particle matter filter disposed about an ultraviolet light source;

generating ultraviolet light at a wavelength of about 254 nm within the air treatment zone at a location inside of the tubular particle matter filter;

flowing treated air from within the air treatment zone radially outwardly through the particle matter filter;

forming an oxidizing zone downstream of the air treatment zone and physically separate and spaced from the particle matter filter; and

removing ozone in the oxidizing zone with a catalyst.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the treated air flows axially within the housing to the oxidizing zone and/or a housing outlet.

21. The method according to claim 19 , further comprising drawing air flow through the housing with an air mover positioned between the oxidizing zone and a housing outlet through which the air exits the housing.

22. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the housing has a tubular shape and surrounds the particle matter filter, and

further comprising flowing the treated air to the oxidizing zone via a passage between the particle matter filter and an inner surface of the housing.

23. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the catalyst is positioned at a distance and downstream from the particle matter filter, and the catalyst is formed in a plurality of spaced apart layers and includes a gap between adjacent layers of the catalyst.

24. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the ultraviolet light source comprises a germicidal light wavelength and an ozone generation light wavelength.

25. The method according to claim 24 , further comprising operating an air mover and the ultraviolet light source so that an ozone concentration and air flow rate are changed for self-cleaning and normal operating modes.