Elevate Your Indoor Air: The Benefits of Air Conditioning Purification Systems

Fon Zhou | Business Development Director?at AirQuality Technology

In the modern world, maintaining clean indoor air is essential for health and comfort. Air conditioning purification systems represent an advanced solution for improving air quality within homes and buildings. Unlike stand-alone air purifiers, air conditioning system purifiers are installed in the air conditioning system and rely on the circulating air from the air conditioning system to provide efficient and comprehensive air purification of the indoor space.

Key Benefits of Air Conditioning Purification

Integrated Filtration:

These systems incorporate high-efficiency air cleaning equipments to capture dust, pollen, smoke, odor and other airborne contaminants. Clean air reduces the risk of respiratory issues, allergies, and other health problems. Air conditioning purification systems create a healthier living environment by continuously removing pollutants and allergens.

Efficient Air Circulation:

Air conditioning systems themselves can achieve 6-8 air changes per hour. Relying on existing air changes for air purification is very efficient. For example, suppose the air purifier has a single-pass purification efficiency of 80%. What would the purification efficiency be after 6 air changes?

If One-time Purification Efficiency is η and Air Changes is n, then?

Some examples are provided to illustrate the concept.

If air filtration system has a single-pass purification efficiency of 80%, and we assume the airtightness is 100%(no any air leakage), then after 6 air changes, the overall purification efficiency would be approximately 99.99%.

If air filtration system has a single-pass purification efficiency of 80%, and we assume the airtightness is 95% (5% of air leakage, more realistic), then after 6 air changes, the overall purification efficiency would be approximately 95%.

In fact, in regular indoor environments we don't need very efficient filters because the high air resistance that comes with it will load the whole air conditioning and ventilation system, thus reducing the airflow or even preventing the system from working properly. The efficiency of a single purification is of little significance; ultimately air quality improves because more clean air stays in the room, so the volume of clean air delivered (CADR is a useful metric) is far more important than the single-pass purification rate.

Energy Efficiency:

By combining air purification with air conditioning, these systems reduce the need for multiple devices, leading to lower energy consumption and cost savings. Modern units are designed to operate efficiently, maintaining air quality without significant energy expenditure.

Convenience and Space-Saving:

Integrating purification into existing HVAC systems saves space and simplifies maintenance. Users benefit from a single system that handles multiple functions, making it easier to manage indoor air quality.

Air Purification Solution for Commercial Air Conditioning Systems

There are many standards for classifying air conditioning systems. They can be divided by medium into refrigerant systems, water systems, air systems, etc.; and by the degree of equipment centralization into centralized air conditioning systems, semi-centralized air conditioning systems, decentralized air conditioning systems, etc. However, for those in the air purification industry, the primary concern is typically the air conditioning terminal. There are also many forms of air conditioning terminal equipment, such as Air Handling Units (AHU), Fan Coil Units (FCU), Variable Air Volume (VAV) terminals, Constant Air Volume (CAV) terminals, Wall-Mounted Units (WMU), Window Units (WU), Cabinet Units (FSU), Ceiling Units (CCU), Radiant Air Conditioners (RAC), and more.

With increasing awareness of environmental protection, there has been a trend to install purification and disinfection equipment at the larger intake/outlet positions of these terminals to improve indoor air quality. Radiant air conditioners, which do not have intake and outlet ports, can only install independent circulation purification equipment.

The equipment where purifiers are most frequently installed includes air handling units with container-type structures. Typical examples include Air Handling Units (AHU), Fresh Air Units (FAU), Pre-Cooling Air Units (PAU), Recirculating Air Handling Units (RCU), and Make-up Air Units (MAU). In some classifications, AHUs encompass these other categories. Purifiers are also commonly installed in fan coil units that can connect to return air ducts because purifiers require a certain installation space. Air handling units often have reserved sections for purifiers, and there is ample space for installation on the matching new/return/supply air ducts. Similarly, there is usually installation space at the return air outlet of fan coil units.

In terms of air purification and disinfection technology, well-known methods include media filters, electrostatic precipitation, photocatalysis, wet membrane filtration, UV disinfection, activated carbon adsorption, plasma, ozone, etc. Each of these technologies has its pros and cons.?

PROS & CONS OF MAIN STREAM AIR CLEANING TECHNOLOGY

Media Filter (such as HEPA filters):

• Advantages: Efficiently removes fine particles, including PM2.5, dust, pollen; stable filtering effect.
• Disadvantages: Cannot disinfect or remove harmful gases; requires regular replacement of filter materials.

Electrostatic Precipitation (ESP):

• Advantages: Effectively removes particulates from the air; Low maintenance cost.
• Disadvantages: May generate ozone; Limited effectiveness against bacteria and viruses.

Photocatalysis (PCO):

• Advantages: Can decompose and disinfect organic pollutants and some inorganic substances under light; Simple maintenance.
• Disadvantages: Requires specific wavelength light; May be corrosive to some materials, low efficiency.

Wet Membrane Filtration:

• Advantages: Can increase indoor humidity while removing larger particles.
• Disadvantages: Limited effectiveness against microorganisms and gaseous pollutants; requires a water source and bacteria growth prevention.

UV Disinfection:

• Advantages: Effectively kills bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms.
• Disadvantages: Requires direct exposure to microorganisms to be effective; Ineffective against gases and particulates.

Activated Carbon Adsorption:

• Advantages: Effectively removes harmful gases and odors; Reusable.
• Disadvantages: Limited effectiveness against particulates; Adsorption capacity can become saturated.

Plasma:

• Advantages: Can decompose various pollutants, including gases and particulates; Low maintenance cost.
• Disadvantages: May generate ozone; Potentially corrosive to some materials.

Ozone:

• Advantages: Has disinfection and sterilization properties; Can be used for water treatment.
• Disadvantages: Harmful to humans, requires strict concentration control; May be corrosive to rubber and certain materials.

In the field of building air conditioning, if one wants to choose a purification device that efficiently purifies PM2.5, effectively sterilizes and disinfects, does not require consumables, and has low filter resistance, thus optimizing air conditioning system energy consumption, MESP (micro-electrostatic precipitation) technology is an excellent choice.

MESP technology (developed by AirQuality Technology) has the advantages of high efficiency, low resistance, low energy consumption, no consumables, and no ozone production. Therefore, it can replace traditional media filters in air handling units to purify and disinfect the air. The FAH series MESP AHU Air Purifier's modular design not only has a high coverage rate and easy installation but also low resistance, saving fan energy consumption. The FFC series MESP FCU Air Purifier is more suitable for fan coil unit equipment. It can be directly installed bare at the return air outlet of the fan coil unit or connected to an air duct, addressing the purification gap caused by the high resistance of traditional media filters, inadequate fan power, and the inability of UV lamps to remove dust. For air conditioning systems with centralized or branched air supply, as long as there is an air supply duct, the FAD series MESP Air Duct Purifier can be chosen to treat the air.

Conclusion

Air conditioning purification systems offer a superior solution for maintaining clean, healthy indoor air. By combining filtration, humidity control, and temperature regulation, these systems provide comprehensive air quality management, ensuring a comfortable and safe environment for all occupants. Embracing this technology is a step towards better health and well-being in any indoor setting.

For more details, you can watch a video as follows: