Advances in air filter sterilization using a one atmosphere uniform glow discharge plasma (the OAUGDP Volfilter)

Author

Sherman, D.M. ; Chen, Zhe ; Karakaya, Fuat ; Roth ; Kelly-Wintenberg, K. ; Montie, T.C. ; Tsai, P.P.-Y. ; Helfritch, D.J. ; Feldman, P.L.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. Eng., Tennessee Univ., Knoxville, TN, USA

fYear

2000

fDate

4-7 June 2000

Firstpage

251

Abstract

Summary form only given. The "Volfilter" is an in situ OAUGDP sterilizable air filter for HVAC air ducts that has been loaded (via a nebulizer) with microorganisms in a test assembly. Previous exploratory research showed that the numbers of both S. aureus and bacterial virus Phi X174 on an air filter could be reduced by several decades (/spl sim/99.99%) by 10 minutes of exposure to a OAUGDP surface plasma. Results from Phase II of an EPA subcontract with EEC are presented. Further data have been gathered for additional microorganisms and more time points along the survival curve, after improvements were made to the electrode geometry of the filter, the power supply impedance matching, and the atomization of the microbes. Lastly, we have measured the effects of repeated plasma exposure on the air filter fabric strength.

Keywords

air pollution control; biological techniques; filtration; glow discharges; microorganisms; plasma applications; Phi X174; S. aureus; Volfilter; air filter fabric strength; air filter sterilization; atomization; bacterial virus; electrode geometry; microorganisms; nebulizer; one atmosphere uniform glow discharge plasma; power supply impedance matching; repeated plasma exposure; surface plasma exposure; survival curve; Air cleaners; Assembly; Atmosphere; Ducts; Electrodes; Geometry; Microorganisms; Plasma measurements; Subcontracting; Testing;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Plasma Science, 2000. ICOPS 2000. IEEE Conference Record - Abstracts. The 27th IEEE International Conference on

Conference_Location

New Orleans, LA, USA

ISSN

0730-9244

Print_ISBN

0-7803-5982-8

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/PLASMA.2000.855100

Filename

855100