Mobile Purification Device Having Heated Filter for Killing Biological Species, Including COVID-19
An apparatus is used with supplied power for treating air in an environment. A housing is mobile in the environment and has an intake and an exhaust. At least one prime mover disposed in the housing between the intake and the exhaust is operable to move the air in the environment through the housing from the intake to the exhaust. At least one ultraviolet light source disposed in the housing is connected in electrical communication with the supplied power and is configured to generate ultraviolet radiation in at least one a portion of the housing through which the moved air passes from the intake to the exhaust. At least one permeable barrier disposed in the housing is configured to impede the moved air flow therethrough up to an impedance threshold. The at least one permeable barrier is connected in electrical communication to the supplied power and being heated to a surface temperature.
1 . An apparatus used with supplied power for treating air in an environment for a pathogen, the apparatus comprising:
a housing being mobile in the environment and having an intake and an exhaust;
at least one prime mover disposed in the housing between the intake and the exhaust and being operable to move the air in the environment through the housing from the intake to the exhaust; and
at least one heater disposed in the housing and comprising a permeable barrier having a metal material, the permeable barrier of the at least one heater being configured to allow the moved air flow therethrough up to a porosity threshold, the metal material of the permeable barrier of the at least one heater connected in electrical communication to the supplied power, the permeable barrier having an active surface area being configured to interact with the pathogen and being heated by the supplied power to a surface temperature directed to at least damage the pathogen.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least one filter disposed in the housing and comprising a first material, the filter configured to filter the moved air therethrough up to a filtration threshold.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first material of the filter comprises a metal material.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least one cartridge being replaceable at the intake of the housing, the at least one cartridge having a plenum with an inlet and an outlet, the at least one cartridge having the at least one permeable barrier.
5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the at least one cartridge further comprises at least one filter disposed across the plenum and comprising a first material, the filter being configured to filter the moved air therethrough up to a filtration threshold.
6 - 7 . (canceled)
8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least one ultraviolet light source disposed in the housing, the ultraviolet light source connected in electrical communication with the supplied power and being configured to generate an active field of ultraviolet radiation in at least one a portion of the housing through which the moved air passes from the intake to the exhaust.
9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one cartridge being replaceable at the intake of the housing, the at least one cartridge having a plenum with an inlet and an outlet, the at least one cartridge having the at least one ultraviolet light source and the permeable barrier.
10 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the ultraviolet light source comprises one or more UV-C lamps or a plurality of UV-C light emitting diodes disposed in the plenum.
11 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the at least one cartridge comprises a plurality of sidewalls enclosing the plenum between an open side for the inlet and an opposing open side for the outlet.
12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising electrical insulation disposed between an edge of the permeable barrier and the sidewalls of the at least one cartridge.
13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the prime mover comprises one or more blowers or fans.
14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a power supply disposed on the housing and supplying the supplied power.
15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the permeable barrier of the at least one heater comprises a mesh, a foam, a screen, or a tortuous media.
16 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the metal material of the permeable barrier comprises nickel, nickel-based alloy, iron-based alloy, titanium, or steel alloy.
17 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein to allow the air flow up to the porosity threshold, the permeable barrier of the at least one heater is configured to impede the air flow therethrough up to an impedance threshold of 20 percent, giving the permeable barrier the porosity threshold of at least 80%.
18 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the permeable barrier of the at least one heater is heated to the surface temperature of at least greater than about 56° C. (133° F.).
19 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a controller disposed in electrical communication with the permeable barrier of the at least one heater and the at least one prime mover and being configured to control (i) the heating of the permeable barrier of the at least one heater by the supplied power, and (ii) the air flow through the housing from the intake to the exhaust generated by the at least one prime mover powered by the supplied power.
20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the controller is disposed in electrical communication with heater circuitry connected to the permeable barrier, the controller configured to control the heating of the permeable barrier with the heater circuitry powered by the supplied power.
21 . The apparatus of claim 20 , further comprising a temperature sensor disposed adjacent the permeable barrier and disposed in electrical communication with the controller, the temperature sensor being configured to measure a temperature associated with the heating of the permeable barrier.
22 . The apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising an ultraviolet light source disposed in the housing, the ultraviolet light source connected in electrical communication with the supplied power and being configured to generate an active field of ultraviolet radiation in at least one a portion of the housing through which the moved air passes from the intake to the exhaust, wherein the controller is disposed in electrical communication with drive circuitry connected to the ultraviolet light source, the controller configured to control the ultraviolet radiation of the ultraviolet light source with the drive circuitry powered by the supplied power.
23 . The apparatus of claim 22 , further comprising a light sensor disposed adjacent the ultraviolet light source and disposed in electrical communication with the controller, the light sensor being configured to measure the ultraviolet radiation associated with the ultraviolet light source.
24 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the controller is disposed in electrical communication with motor drive circuitry connected to the prime mover, the controller being configured to control the prime mover with the motor drive circuitry powered by the supplied power.
25 . The apparatus of claim 24 , further comprising a flow sensor disposed in the housing and disposed in electrical communication with the controller, the flow sensor being configured to measure the air flow passing through the housing, the controller configuring the control based on the measured air flow.
26 . An apparatus used with supplied power for treating air in an environment for a pathogen, the apparatus comprising:
a housing being mobile in the environment and having an intake and an exhaust;
at least one prime mover disposed in the housing between the intake and the exhaust and being operable to move the air in the environment through the housing from the intake to the exhaust; and
at least one permeable barrier disposed in the housing, the at least one permeable barrier being configured to allow the air flow therethrough up to a porosity threshold,
a metal material of the at least one permeable barrier connected in electrical communication to the supplied power, and
an active surface area of the at least one permeable barrier being configured to interact with the pathogen and being heated by the supplied power to a surface temperature directed to at least damage the pathogen.
27 . The apparatus of claim 26 , further comprising at least one ultraviolet light source disposed in the housing, the ultraviolet light source connected in electrical communication with the supplied power and being configured to generate an active field of ultraviolet radiation in at least one a portion of the housing through which the moved air passes from the intake to the exhaust.
28 . The apparatus of claim 26 , the pathogen being a virus, wherein the active surface area of the permeable barrier is heated to the surface temperature of at least up to 200° C. directed to at least damage the virus.
29 . A method for treating air in an environment for a pathogen, the method comprising:
moving air flow through a plenum in a mobile housing from an intake to an exhaust by powering a prime mover disposed in the plenum;
filtering the air flow up to a filtration threshold through a filter disposed across the plenum;
allowing the air flow up to a porosity threshold through a permeable barrier of a heater disposed across the plenum, the permeable barrier having a metal material and an active surface area, the active surface area being configured to interact with the pathogen; and
heating the active surface area of the permeable barrier of the heater to a surface temperature directed to at least damage the pathogen by supplying a voltage potential across the permeable barrier.
30 . The method of claim 29 , further comprising producing an active field of ultraviolet radiation in the housing by powering an ultraviolet light source disposed in the plenum.
31 . The method of claim 29 , wherein allowing the air flow up to the porosity threshold through the permeable barrier comprises impeding the air flow up to an impedance threshold of 20 percent, giving the permeable barrier the porosity threshold of at least 80%.
32 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising carbon media disposed in the plenum.
33 . The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the at least one permeable barrier comprises one or more layers of porous foam having a thickness, the active surface area comprising a latticework of tortuous channels defined through the thickness of the porous foam.
34 . The apparatus of claim 33 , wherein the one or more layers are corrugated.
35 . The apparatus of claim 26 , further comprising a controller being configured to control heating of the active surface area of the at least one permeable barrier intermittently, when the air flow is passing through the at least one permeable barrier, and/or when the air flow is not passing through the at least one permeable barrier.
36 . The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the active surface area heated to the surface temperature and the porosity threshold of the at least one permeable barrier are configured to produce heating that is localized and is dissipated in the air flow downstream thereof.
37 . The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein to allow the air flow therethrough up to the porosity threshold, the permeable barrier of the heater is configured to impede the air flow therethrough up to an impedance threshold of 20 percent, giving the permeable barrier the porosity threshold of at least 80%.