I nternational MSc Programme Sustainable Energy Engineering I nternational MSc Programme Sustainable Energy Engineering

THERMAL COMFORT AND INDOOR CLIMATE

Lecture:
- AIR FILTRATION
Assist. Prof. Igor BALEN
Why air cleaning?
Comfort
Health
Preservation of mechanical equipment
Creating a sustainable environment
Improving the quality of production processes
e.g. microelectronics, pharmaceutical and food processing
Sources of contamination:
Atmospheric smoke (industry, traffic...), dust (sand, soil, road dust...),
organic particles (bacteria, pollen...)
Internally generated - skin and hair, fibers, equipment, condensate...
Environmental particle size distribution
Empirical considerations:
- typically, 0.005% of particles have a diameter larger than 10 m
- only 50 particles out of every million are visible to the naked eye
Particle size distribution in a normal urban air
Empirical considerations:
- 0.5% of particles in a typical sample represent 91% of total weight
- 92% of particles in a typical sample have a diameter less than 0.5 m
Air filtration mechanisms
- removal or collection of dust particles in air filtration is performed by
various combinations of the following basic mechanisms:
Straining. If the filter spaces are smaller than the size of the dust particles,
the particles are trapped.
Inertial impaction. A sudden change in direction causes a collision
between the dust particles, and fibrous media.
Diffusion. For very fine dust particles, Brownian movement causes the
particles to settle.
Interception. Dust particles may follow the airstream, contact the fibrous
media, and remain there.
Electrostatic effects. Particles and the filter medium are charged to
collect the dust in the airstream.
Air filtration mechanisms
Air filtration mechanisms
Particle bounce
Face velocity
2.5 m/s
Coarse filter
media velocity
2.5 m/s
Medium-efficiency filter
media velocity
0.11 m/s
HEPA filter
media velocity
0.02 m/s
Inertial impaction &
straining
Interception &
Diffusion
Diffusion
2.5 m/s 2.5 m/s 1.3 m/s 1.3 m/s
Air filtration mechanisms
Effective particle removal
Air filtration mechanisms
Difference between surface-loading and depth-loading filtration
Increasing Filtration Area
Mat Rolls Bags Rigid Cells
Pockets
Basic dry fiber filter construction
Air filters and corresponding filtration classes
Filtration classes according to ASHRAE St. 55
Filtration classes according to EN779
DIN EN 779
1)
EUROVENT 4/9
Average Arrestance [%] Coarse filters Average Arrestance [%]
G 1 Aa < 65 EU 1 Aa < 65
G 2 65 Aa < 80 EU 2 65 Aa < 80
G 3 80 Aa < 90 EU 3 80 Aa < 90
G 4 90 Aa EU 4 90 Aa
Average Efficiency [ %] Fine f ilters Average FCE
2)
[ %]
F 5 40 Ea < 60 EU 5 40 Ea < 60
F 6 60 Ea < 80 EU 6 60 Ea < 80
F 7 80 Ea < 90 EU 7 80 Ea < 90
F 8 90 Ea < 95 EU 8 90 Ea < 95
F 9 95 Ea EU 9 95 Ea
1)
Arrestance and Eff iciency values to DIN EN 779
2)
Fractional Collect ion Eff iciency at
correspond with the values to ASHRAE 52.1 0.4 m (test aerosol: DEHS)
Filtration classes according to EN1822
Filtration classes and clean room classes
- Coarse filters. Used to remove coarse dusts (5 to 80 m) such as
standing dust on surfaces, pollen, and textile fibers. These filters are
characterized by low pressure drop, low cost, and good efficiency on lint
and larger particles (5 m and larger), but low efficiency on normal
atmospheric dust. They are generally panel or pleated filters of EN779
G 1,2 (MERV 1,2,3,4) with weight arrestance efficiencies between 65 and
75 percent. Usually, they are dry and disposable. Synthetic and cellulose
fibers, and bonded glass fiber mats with most of the glass fibers greater
than 10 m in diameter belong to this category. Design air velocity through
the media usually ranges from 1.5 to 4 m/s. The air filter is discarded as
soon as the final pressure drop is reached.
Basic types of filters
- Low-efficiency filters. Low-efficiency air filters including EN779 G 3,4
(MERV 5,6,7,8) are often used to remove dusts between 3 and 10 m,
such as spores, molds, hairspray, cement, and other solid particles. Low-
efficiency air filters are often pleated filters or sometimes pocket (bag)
filters. Natural and synthetic fibers including glass fibers, viscous
corrugated wire mesh, bonded glass fibers, and electrostatically
discharged fibers have been used as filter media. For synthetic fibers and
bonded glass fibers, their diameters may vary from 1 m to several m. As
the efficiency increases, the diameter of the fiber is reduced and they are
spaced comparatively closer together. Most low-efficiency filters have a
face velocity of 2.5 m/s to match the face velocity of the coil in AHUs.
Pleated filters often extend their filter area 2 to 8 times their face area, so
that the air velocity penetrating the filter media is reduced to 0.25 to 0.5
m/s. They are widely used in packaged units and air-handling units in
commercial and institutional buildings, industrial workplaces, and more
demanding residential applications.
Basic types of filters
- Medium-efficiency filters. Medium-efficiency air filters including EN779
F 5,6 (MERV 9,10,11,12) are used to remove dusts of size 1 to 3 m such
as welding fumes, legionella bacteria and coal dusts. They have a 1 to 3
m particle size efficiency from E
2
< 50 % up to E
2
> 80 %. They are often
pocket and box filters with pleated mat to extend surface area, and are
made of synthetic fibers including bonded glass fibers of diameters from
<1 m to several micrometers. Media velocities range from 0.03 to 0.5 m/s,
although approach velocities run to 4 m/s. Medium-efficiency air filters are
used in demanding commercial building and industrial applications.
Basic types of filters
- High-efficiency filters. High-efficiency air filters including EN779 F 7,8,9
(MERV 13,14,15,16) are used to remove particles of 0.3 to 1 m such as
bacteria, viruses, cooking oil fumes, smoke. They have a 0.3 to 1 m
particle size efficiency E
1
< 75 % up to E
1
> 95 %. The filter media are
often made of glass fibers of submicrometer and micrometer diameter.
They are often in the form of a pleated mat in a cartridge, or in the form of
a pocket filter. Media velocities range from 0.03 to 0.5 m/s, although face
velocities run to 4 m/s. High-efficiency air filters are often protected by low-
or medium-efficiency prefilters to extend their service life. High-efficiency
filters are widely used in air systems for hospitals, high-demand
commercial buildings, and precision manufacturing workshops.
Basic types of filters
- Ultrahigh-efficiency filters. HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters
have an efficiency of 99.97 % for dust particles 0.3 m using the DOP
test method. ULPA (ultra-low penetration air) filters have an efficiency of
99.999 % for dust particles 0.12 m using the DOP method. The filter
media are made of glass fibers of submicrometer diameter that are formed
into pleated paper mats. Some of the larger fibers act as the carrier of the
web. Surface area of the filter medium may be 50 times the face area of
the ultrahigh-efficiency filter, and the rated face velocity may vary from 1 to
2 m/s at a pressure drop of 160 to 340 Pa for clean filters. The face
velocity of high-capacity HEPA/ULPA filters can be raised to 2.5 m/s.
Sealing of the filter pack within its frame and sealing between the frame
and gasket are critical factors that affect HEPA/ULPA filter penetration and
efficiency. To extend the service life of an HEPA/ULPA filter, it should be
protected by either a medium-efficiency filter or two filters: a low-efficiency
filter and a medium-efficiency filter located upstream from the HEPA/ULPA
filter. HEPA/ULPA filters are used to remove air contaminants such as
unattached viruses, carbon dust, combustion smoke, and radon progeny.
They are widely used in clean rooms and clean spaces for the microelec-
tronics industry, pharmaceutical industry, precision manufactu-
ring, and operating theaters in hospitals.
Basic types of filters
Typical application of filters
Prefilter Filter Final filter
Basic types of surface-loading filters
Basic types of depth-loading filters
Air filtration
Filter mat
Panel filter
Pocket filter
HEPA filter
p = 20 - 600 Pa
v = 0,2-2,5 m
3
/m
2
s
c
raw
< 5 mg/m
3
Dust collection
Filter bag
Cartridge filter
p = 1000 - 3000 Pa
v = 0,005-0,05 m
3
/m
2
s
c
raw
> 5 mg/m
3
Basic types of filter construction
Basic types of filter construction
Panel Filters are made up of coarse fibers with a high porosity. They are
commonly made 15 to 100 mm thick. Unit panels are available in standard
(600 mm x 600 mm) and special sizes. This type of filter is commonly used
in residential air conditioning and is often used as a prefilter for higher-
efficiency filters. Usually, they should be serviced when their operating
resistance reaches 120 Pa.
Moving-curtain roll filters may have the media automatically advanced
by motor drives on command from a pressure switch, timer, or media light-
transmission control. A pressure switch control measures the pressure
drop across the media and switches on and off at chosen upper and lower
set points. This control saves media, but only if the static pressure probes
are located properly and unaffected by modulating outside air and return
air dampers. Most pressure drop controls do not work well in practice.
Timers and media light-transmission controls help to avoid these problems;
their duty cycles can usually be adjusted to provide satisfactory operation
with acceptable media consumption. Resistance of 100 to 125 Pa is typical
of this class.
Basic types of filter construction
Extended-Surface Filters use media of random fiber mats or blankets of
varying thicknesses, fiber sizes, and densities. Bonded glass fiber,
cellulose fibers, synthetics, and other materials have been used
commercially. The media in filters of this class are frequently supported by
a wire frame in the form of pockets, or V-shaped or radial pleats. In other
designs, the media may be self-supporting because of inherent rigidity or
because airflow inflates it into extended form such as with bag filters.
Pleating of the media provides a high ratio of media area to face area, thus
allowing reasonable pressure drop and low media velocities. They typically
have an initial resistance from 25 to 250 Pa. It is customary to replace the
media when the final resistance of 125 Pa is reached for low resistance
units and 500 Pa for the highest resistance units. Depth in direction of
airflow varies from 50 to 900 mm.
Basic types of filter construction
Ultrahigh-efficiency filters. HEPA filters, and ULPA filters are made in an
extended-surface configuration of deep space folds of submicrometre
glass fiber paper. Standard dimensions of this filter are 610 by 610 by 292
mm. Such filters operate at duct velocities near 1.5 m/s, with resistance
rising from 120 to more than 500 Pa over their service life. These filters are
the standard for cleanroom, nuclear and toxic-particulate applications.
Basic types of filter construction
Basic types of filter construction
Adsorption filters. Activated carbon adsorbers are most widely used to
remove objectionable odors and irritating vapors (including indoor volatile
organic compounds, VOCs) of very small gaseous molecules from the air
stream by adsorption. Adsorption is the physical condensation of a gas or
vapor onto an activated substance. Activated substances are highly
porous. When air flows through a typical assembly with a face velocity of
1.9 to 2.5 m/s, the corresponding pressure drops are between 50 and 100
Pa. In general, a higher humidity or higher operating temperature decre-
ases the adsorption capacity of the activated carbon. The maximum
operating temperature is 38C.
Inefficient filters
Dirty air bypass
- between filters
- between filters and frames
- between holding frames
Damaged filters: torn, ruptured filters
Improperly installed filters
Badly maintained filters
Possible causes of poor air filtration
Air filter installation
- important requirements of a satisfactory and efficiently operating air filter
installation are as follows:
The filter must be of ample capacity for the amount of air and dust load it
is expected to handle. An overload of 10 to 15% is regarded as the
maximum allowable. When air volume is subject to future increase, a
larger filter bank should be installed initially.
The filter must be suited to the operating conditions, such as degree of air
cleanliness required, amount of dust in the entering air, type of duty,
allowable pressure drop, operating temperature, and maintenance
facilities.
Air filter installation
- air cleaners may be installed in the outdoor-air intake ducts of buildings
and residences and in the recirculation and bypass air ducts, but prefilters
and intermediate filters (in a 3-stage system) should be placed upstream of
heating or cooling coils and other air-conditioning equipment in the system
to protect that equipment from dust.
- where high-efficiency filters protect critical areas such as clean rooms, it
is important that the filters be installed as close to the room as possible to
prevent the pickup of particles between the filters and the outlet. The
ultimate is the unidirectional flow room, in which the entire ceiling or one
entire wall becomes the final filter bank.
- filters should be installed so that the face area is perpendicular to the
airflow whenever possible.
- initial, average, and final pressure drops during the operating period,
which affect the energy consumption and service life of the filter and the air
system, must be determined. Monitoring the pressure drop of the air filters
have a direct impact on filter performance.
Nonwoven filter media
Stabilizing spacers on pocket filters
Gas turbine air intake
Maxipleat filter pleat pack
Filter cartridge