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Team 7 is performing a feasibility study and prototype construction of an ultra-violet air purification system that can be used to remove 100% of airborne atomic, biological, and chemical (ABC) weapons before air enters a closed "safe" system. The significance of the prototype is to prove the principle that all three weapon types can be addressed by utilizing high efficiency particle absorption (HEPA) filters and UV-C light. The project will also include a scalability table of part and size suggestions based on the air flows of various size systems, from vehicles to large scale office buildings. Although there are other air filters on the market that utilize either HEPA filters or UV light, they usually address allergens in homes rather than airborne weapons. Commercialization Strategies include marketing to the private and corporate sectors in large population centers that might be vulnerable to terrorist attacks with ABC weapons.
The design includes a series of components to remove contaminants. The air will be drawn into a duct and pass through a prefilter to remove larger particulate then through a HEPA filter which can remove irradiated particles as small as 0.3 microns. Next the air passes the fan and evaporator coils of an AC system with a remote condenser outside of the ductwork. This fan pulls the air through the filters and then drives the air past the UV light bulbs. The UV bulbs, which follow the fan and coils, shine on condensation on the evaporator coils and form free radicals that will neutralize any chemical agents in the coils. The air will then flow by a number of high intensity cold cathode UV-C light bulbs which will kill any biological pathogen in the air before the air enters the "safe" system.
Team 7 includes Jawad Ali, Samantha Glenn, Mallori Martin, and Cordelia Nwankwo, Biomedical Engineering students at Texas A&M University. The team will complete this task in eight months under the direction and support of Dr. Charles Lessard and Dr. Nolan Shipman.
