GB2341094A - Treatment of cabin air - Google Patents
Treatment of cabin air Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2341094A GB2341094A GB9918840A GB9918840A GB2341094A GB 2341094 A GB2341094 A GB 2341094A GB 9918840 A GB9918840 A GB 9918840A GB 9918840 A GB9918840 A GB 9918840A GB 2341094 A GB2341094 A GB 2341094A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- air
- aircraft
- cabin
- thermal plasma
- plasma device
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 7
- 239000000356 contaminant Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- 241000894006 Bacteria Species 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000003989 dielectric material Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000002245 particle Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 244000005700 microbiome Species 0.000 abstract description 7
- 239000008188 pellet Substances 0.000 abstract description 2
- 208000035473 Communicable disease Diseases 0.000 abstract 1
- 210000002381 plasma Anatomy 0.000 description 12
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 description 3
- CURLTUGMZLYLDI-UHFFFAOYSA-N Carbon dioxide Chemical compound O=C=O CURLTUGMZLYLDI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 230000004888 barrier function Effects 0.000 description 2
- 208000015181 infectious disease Diseases 0.000 description 2
- 241000233866 Fungi Species 0.000 description 1
- YGYAWVDWMABLBF-UHFFFAOYSA-N Phosgene Chemical compound ClC(Cl)=O YGYAWVDWMABLBF-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000000443 aerosol Substances 0.000 description 1
- PNEYBMLMFCGWSK-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium oxide Inorganic materials [O-2].[O-2].[O-2].[Al+3].[Al+3] PNEYBMLMFCGWSK-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- JRPBQTZRNDNNOP-UHFFFAOYSA-N barium titanate Chemical compound [Ba+2].[Ba+2].[O-][Ti]([O-])([O-])[O-] JRPBQTZRNDNNOP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910002113 barium titanate Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229910002092 carbon dioxide Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000001569 carbon dioxide Substances 0.000 description 1
- 231100000481 chemical toxicant Toxicity 0.000 description 1
- 150000002013 dioxins Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 239000003574 free electron Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000446 fuel Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000002906 microbiologic effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000003134 recirculating effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000000717 retained effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000002341 toxic gas Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000003440 toxic substance Substances 0.000 description 1
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
- B64D—EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
- B64D13/00—Arrangements or adaptations of air-treatment apparatus for aircraft crew or passengers, or freight space, or structural parts of the aircraft
- B64D13/06—Arrangements or adaptations of air-treatment apparatus for aircraft crew or passengers, or freight space, or structural parts of the aircraft the air being conditioned
- B64D13/08—Arrangements or adaptations of air-treatment apparatus for aircraft crew or passengers, or freight space, or structural parts of the aircraft the air being conditioned the air being heated or cooled
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61L—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES
- A61L9/00—Disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air
- A61L9/16—Disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air using physical phenomena
- A61L9/22—Ionisation
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
- B64G—COSMONAUTICS; VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
- B64G1/00—Cosmonautic vehicles
- B64G1/22—Parts of, or equipment specially adapted for fitting in or to, cosmonautic vehicles
- B64G1/46—Arrangements or adaptations of devices for control of environment or living conditions
- B64G1/48—Arrangements or adaptations of devices for control of environment or living conditions for treatment of the atmosphere
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
- B64D—EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
- B64D13/00—Arrangements or adaptations of air-treatment apparatus for aircraft crew or passengers, or freight space, or structural parts of the aircraft
- B64D13/06—Arrangements or adaptations of air-treatment apparatus for aircraft crew or passengers, or freight space, or structural parts of the aircraft the air being conditioned
- B64D2013/0603—Environmental Control Systems
- B64D2013/0651—Environmental Control Systems comprising filters, e.g. dust filters
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
- B64D—EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
- B64D13/00—Arrangements or adaptations of air-treatment apparatus for aircraft crew or passengers, or freight space, or structural parts of the aircraft
- B64D13/06—Arrangements or adaptations of air-treatment apparatus for aircraft crew or passengers, or freight space, or structural parts of the aircraft the air being conditioned
- B64D2013/0603—Environmental Control Systems
- B64D2013/0688—Environmental Control Systems with means for recirculating cabin air
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y02T50/00—Aeronautics or air transport
- Y02T50/50—On board measures aiming to increase energy efficiency
Landscapes
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
- Remote Sensing (AREA)
- Toxicology (AREA)
- Environmental Sciences (AREA)
- Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
- Biodiversity & Conservation Biology (AREA)
- Pulmonology (AREA)
- Epidemiology (AREA)
- Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
- Public Health (AREA)
- Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
- Plasma Technology (AREA)
- Physical Or Chemical Processes And Apparatus (AREA)
- Apparatus For Disinfection Or Sterilisation (AREA)
Abstract
Commercial aircraft usually re-circulate at least part of the air in the aircraft cabin, replacing a proportion of the air with air from outside the aircraft. The cabin pressure during high altitude flight is maintained at a value above the external pressure though below normal atmospheric pressure. At least the re-circulated air is treated by passing it through a non-thermal plasma device, the device being energised continuously whilst the aircraft is in use. This ensures that any micro-organisms are killed, so insuring that infectious diseases are not transmitted with the re-circulated air. The non-thermal plasma device might be a packed pellet bed, or a silent corona discharge, or a microwave reactor.
Description
2341094 Treatment of Cabin Air This invention relates to a method for
treating air in an aircraft or spacecraft cabin to remove 5 contaminants.
Commercial aircraft usually re-circulate at least part of the air in the aircraft cabin, replacing a proportion of the air with air from outside the aircraft.
or from compressed air cylinders. There is consequently a concern that micro-organisms might be passed from onepers6h to another via the air recirculation system. This potential problem could be avoided by not recirculating the air, and using fresh air from outside the aircraft instead; however, this would increase the fuel consumption of the aircraft. An alternative solution would be to filter the re- circulated air, but energy is wasted in overcoming the pressure drop through the filter, and if the filter were to rupture a concentrated aerosol of micro-organisms would be carried into the passenger cabin. Similar problems may arise in spacecraft.
The use of plasmas to treat gas streams has been suggested for a variety of purposes, and several different types of plasma generating apparatus have been designed. For example GB 2 282 738 describes a flowthrough plasma generator in which a silent discharge is established between two electrodes, and GB 2 273 027 describes a microwave plasma generator. US 5 711 147 describes apparatus for treating exhaust gases using pulsed corona discharge, or dielectric barrier discharge, as one stage. US 4 954 320 describes the use of particulate dielectric material to pack a bed in which a plasma is generated and through which a gas stream is passed; this device may be used for decomposing toxic gases such as phosgene, and to deactivate microbiological spores, and is said to be usable at atmospheric and higher pressures.
According to the present invention there is provided a method of treating air supplied to a cabin of an aircraft or spacecraft to destroy contaminants such as bacteria, the pressure within the cabin being at or below normal atmospheric pressure, and the supplied air being at least partly recirculated air from the cabin, wherein the recirculated air is passed through a non-thermal plasma device, the device being energised continuously whilst air is being recirculated.
The non-thermal plasma device might be a packed pellet bed, or a silent corona discharge, or a microwave reactor. The temperature in such a non-thermal device is typically less than 2000C and may be no higher than 1000C. At such low temperatures the risk of formation of toxic chemicals such as dioxins is negligible, but nevertheless organic molecules are thoroughly oxidised typically forming water and carbon dioxide. within the device the contaminants are subjected to ultraviolet irradiation and to bombardment by free electrons, so that any micro-organisms are killed.
The invention will now be further and more particularly described, by way of example only. The air inside the cabin of a passenger aircraft is pressurised when the aircraft is at altitude, so that the air pressure does not drop below that characteristic of an altitude of for example 3000 m; fresh air is obtained from outside the aircraft and is compressed to cabin pressure, heated to cabin temperature and mixed with re- circulated air from within the cabin. For example the air supplied to the cabin might be half fresh air and half re-circulated air. In this example all the recirculated air is passed through a non-thermal plasma device including a packed bed of particles of high dielectric material (for example barium titanate mixed with some alumina). In such a reactor the particles are desirably of a material of dielectric constant in the range 100 to 1000, or even higher. This plasma device is activated continuously while the air is being recirculated (both on the ground and when in the air). Any micro-organisms such as bacteria or fungi are consequently killed during their passage through the plasma device, so that if one passenger is suffering from an infection there is no risk of transmission of the infection via the air re-circulation system.
It will be appreciated that this technique provides several benefits, in comparison to the use of conventional filters, in that the microorganisms are killed rather than being retained (and hence concentrated); the power required to recirculate the air is reduced in that the pressure drop across the plasma device is much less than that across a filter; the risk of rupture of a filter leading to release of microorganisms is avoided; and operating costs are reduced in that filters do not need to be changed, and used (contaminated) filters do not need to be disposed of.
Other types of non-thermal plasma device, such as a dielectric barrier (or silent discharge) reactor may be used in place of the packed bed reactor.
Claims (4)
1. A method of treating air supplied to the cabin of an aircraft or spacecraft to destroy contaminants such as bacteria, the pressure within the cabin being at or below normal atmospheric pressure, and the supplied air being at least partly recirculated air from cabin, wherein the recirculated air is passed through a non-thermal plasma device, the device being energised continuously whilst air is being recirculated.-
2. k method of treating air as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supplied air is partly fresh air.
3. A method of treating air as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the non-thermal plasma device includes a packed bed of particles of a dielectric material.
4. A method of treating air supplied to the cabin of an aircraft or spacecraft to destroy contaminants such as bacteria, substantially as hereinbefore cleGc.,elf'. tnzw 15357 MdCm
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GBGB9819416.0A GB9819416D0 (en) | 1998-09-07 | 1998-09-07 | Treatment of aircraft cabin air |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
GB9918840D0 GB9918840D0 (en) | 1999-10-13 |
GB2341094A true GB2341094A (en) | 2000-03-08 |
GB2341094B GB2341094B (en) | 2003-01-15 |
Family
ID=10838420
Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
GBGB9819416.0A Ceased GB9819416D0 (en) | 1998-09-07 | 1998-09-07 | Treatment of aircraft cabin air |
GB9918840A Expired - Fee Related GB2341094B (en) | 1998-09-07 | 1999-08-11 | Treatment of cabin air |
Family Applications Before (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
GBGB9819416.0A Ceased GB9819416D0 (en) | 1998-09-07 | 1998-09-07 | Treatment of aircraft cabin air |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
GB (2) | GB9819416D0 (en) |
Cited By (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6623706B2 (en) | 2000-06-20 | 2003-09-23 | Advanced Electron Beams, Inc. | Air sterilizing system |
FR2852248A1 (en) * | 2003-03-11 | 2004-09-17 | Air Liquide | Gas disinfecting method for e.g. meeting room, involves creating plasma column outside local thermodynamic balance by exciting and ionizing molecules of gas using electric field of progressive electromagnetic surface waves |
WO2004108174A1 (en) * | 2003-06-06 | 2004-12-16 | Dwje Limited | Aircraft air disinfection system |
US7189978B2 (en) | 2000-06-20 | 2007-03-13 | Advanced Electron Beams, Inc. | Air sterilizing system |
WO2008104508A1 (en) * | 2007-02-27 | 2008-09-04 | Unilever N.V. | Method and system for in-flight catering of soup |
EP3854689A4 (en) * | 2020-02-28 | 2022-01-12 | Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics | High-temperature sterilization air conditioning system for airplane and sterilization method |
Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO1989000355A1 (en) * | 1987-07-03 | 1989-01-12 | Astra-Vent Ab | An arrangement for transporting air |
GB2287630A (en) * | 1994-03-14 | 1995-09-20 | Advanced Energy Systems | Apparatus and method for treatment of gas by ionization |
EP0744802A2 (en) * | 1995-05-25 | 1996-11-27 | HE HOLDINGS, INC. dba HUGHES ELECTRONICS | Gaseous pollutant destruction apparatus and method using self-resonant corona discharge |
GB2304576A (en) * | 1995-09-07 | 1997-03-26 | George Richardson | Reduction of airborne contaminants |
Family Cites Families (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4954320A (en) * | 1988-04-22 | 1990-09-04 | The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army | Reactive bed plasma air purification |
GB9224745D0 (en) * | 1992-11-26 | 1993-01-13 | Atomic Energy Authority Uk | Microwave plasma generator |
GB9320662D0 (en) * | 1993-10-07 | 1993-11-24 | Atomic Energy Authority Uk | Corona discharge reactor |
-
1998
- 1998-09-07 GB GBGB9819416.0A patent/GB9819416D0/en not_active Ceased
-
1999
- 1999-08-11 GB GB9918840A patent/GB2341094B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO1989000355A1 (en) * | 1987-07-03 | 1989-01-12 | Astra-Vent Ab | An arrangement for transporting air |
GB2287630A (en) * | 1994-03-14 | 1995-09-20 | Advanced Energy Systems | Apparatus and method for treatment of gas by ionization |
EP0744802A2 (en) * | 1995-05-25 | 1996-11-27 | HE HOLDINGS, INC. dba HUGHES ELECTRONICS | Gaseous pollutant destruction apparatus and method using self-resonant corona discharge |
GB2304576A (en) * | 1995-09-07 | 1997-03-26 | George Richardson | Reduction of airborne contaminants |
Cited By (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6623706B2 (en) | 2000-06-20 | 2003-09-23 | Advanced Electron Beams, Inc. | Air sterilizing system |
US7189978B2 (en) | 2000-06-20 | 2007-03-13 | Advanced Electron Beams, Inc. | Air sterilizing system |
US7323137B2 (en) | 2000-06-20 | 2008-01-29 | Advanced Electron Beams, Inc. | Air sterilizing system |
US7547892B2 (en) | 2000-06-20 | 2009-06-16 | Advanced Electron Beams, Inc. | Air sterilizing system |
FR2852248A1 (en) * | 2003-03-11 | 2004-09-17 | Air Liquide | Gas disinfecting method for e.g. meeting room, involves creating plasma column outside local thermodynamic balance by exciting and ionizing molecules of gas using electric field of progressive electromagnetic surface waves |
WO2004108174A1 (en) * | 2003-06-06 | 2004-12-16 | Dwje Limited | Aircraft air disinfection system |
WO2008104508A1 (en) * | 2007-02-27 | 2008-09-04 | Unilever N.V. | Method and system for in-flight catering of soup |
EP3854689A4 (en) * | 2020-02-28 | 2022-01-12 | Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics | High-temperature sterilization air conditioning system for airplane and sterilization method |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB9918840D0 (en) | 1999-10-13 |
GB2341094B (en) | 2003-01-15 |
GB9819416D0 (en) | 1998-10-28 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US7361303B2 (en) | Medical waste treatment unit | |
Roth et al. | The one atmosphere uniform glow discharge plasma (OAUGDP)—A platform technology for the 21st century | |
CA2126935C (en) | Method and apparatus for water decontamination using electrical discharge | |
AU2005259000B2 (en) | Air decontamination device and method | |
Laroussi et al. | Biological decontamination by nonthermal plasmas | |
Yu et al. | Bacterial inactivation using a low‐temperature atmospheric plasma brush sustained with argon gas | |
US4780277A (en) | Method and apparatus for subjecting gases to discharge treatment | |
JPH06511424A (en) | Electrodeless plasma torch device and method for decomposition of hazardous waste | |
JP2003501147A (en) | Atmospheric pressure plasma purification / disinfection chamber | |
US20080035472A1 (en) | System for Treating Contaminated Gas | |
US20080247904A1 (en) | RF plasma system for medical waste treatment | |
US6576573B2 (en) | Atmospheric pressure plasma enhanced abatement of semiconductor process effluent species | |
GB2341094A (en) | Treatment of cabin air | |
US20230173133A1 (en) | Atmospheric plasma filter | |
WO2012028187A1 (en) | Device and method for the treatment of a gaseous medium and use of the device for the treatment of a gaseous medium, liquid, solid, surface or any combination thereof | |
CN113577338A (en) | Sterilization device | |
KR101444290B1 (en) | Wastewater purification apparatus using the magnetic resonance device | |
San-Xi et al. | The interaction of an atmospheric pressure plasma jet using argon or argon plus hydrogen peroxide vapour addition with bacillus subtilis | |
CN215372850U (en) | Plasma infrared sterilizing device for air inlet pipeline of air conditioner | |
CN205550039U (en) | Compound plasma light oxygen catalysis organic waste gas purifying equipment | |
CN210752007U (en) | Injection type low-temperature plasma integrated system | |
CN111976943B (en) | Simple negative pressure disinfection device for ship cabin air conditioning system | |
US20180110891A1 (en) | Arrangement for Performing a Decontamination Process by Means of a Decontamination Agent Introduced Into a Containment | |
CN109260943B (en) | Waste plastic processing waste gas treatment process and complete equipment | |
CN111895546A (en) | Virus killing type elevator fresh air purification system |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
732E | Amendments to the register in respect of changes of name or changes affecting rights (sect. 32/1977) | ||
PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |
Effective date: 20050811 |