NEWS
Potential Applications of Non-thermal Plasma in Animal Husbandry to Improve Infrastructure
Infrastructure in animal husbandry refers to fundamental facilities and services necessary for better living conditions of animals and its economy to function through better productivity. Mainly, infrastructure can be divided into two categories: hard infrastructure and soft infrastructure. Physical infrastructure, such as buildings, roads, and water supplying systems, belongs to hard infrastructure. Soft infrastructure includes services which are required to maintain economic, health, cultural and social standards of animal husbandry. Therefore, the proper management of infrastructure in animal husbandry is necessary for animal welfare and its economy. Among various technologies to improve the quality of infrastructure, non-thermal plasma (NTP) technology is an effectively applicable technology in different stages of animal husbandry. NTP is mainly helpful in maintaining better health conditions of animals in several ways via decontamination from microorganisms present in air, water, food, instruments and surfaces of animal farming systems. Furthermore, NTP is used in the treatment of waste water, vaccine production, wound healing in animals, odor-free ventilation, and packaging of animal food or animal products. This review summarizes the recent studies of NTP which can be related to the infrastructure in animal husbandry.
Animal husbandry, a component of modern agriculture, concerns with the animals that are raised for commodities such as meat, milk, eggs, fur, leather and wool. The well-being of animals in animal husbandry has ethical, scientific, political and aesthetic components which are required for a better animal management, welfare, handling, care and high productivity (1). Infrastructure is one of the major contributors to well-being of animals which usually associates with management issues regarding nutrition, health, transportation, mustering and handling and other special invasive practices (2). Infrastructure refers to the fundamental facilities in an animal husbandry which can be divided into hard infrastructure and soft infrastructure. Hard infrastructure includes systems such as buildings, roads, and water supplying systems. Soft infrastructure consists of cost-effective, health, social and cultural facilities. Therefore, the better management of infrastructure in animal husbandry leads to well-being of animals and higher financial profit through the higher productivity.
Non-thermal plasma (NTP) has been identified as a potential approach to improve the quality of infrastructure systems and facilities including buildings, medications, food, ventilation, water supply, instruments and other special management practices (3–7). NTP is partially ionized matters in gaseous state at low temperatures and energy is mostly stored in free electrons (8). Different devices have been introduced to generate NTP including dielectric barrier discharges (DBD), atmospheric plasma jets, coronas and, surface and microwave discharges for numerous applications in different fields (9). NTP is environment-friendly, free of toxicity and requires a low temperature. These characteristics of NTP do not put animals and environment in animal husbandry at risk (10,11). Therefore, NTP can be considered as an effective potential application to improve infrastructure, without disturbing animal well-being.
In this review, we summarized the already known applications of non-thermal plasma in the infrastructure sector of animal husbandry with regard to the well-being of animals and higher productivity which is necessary for its financially profitable function. We also highlighted the studies about the applications of NTP for improving infrastructure in other fields and hypothesized its use in animal husbandry. However, more systematic research is still required to bridge knowledge gaps particularly on NTP and the infrastructure of animal husbandry.
Role of NTP in Bio-decontamination to Provide a Healthy Environment for Farm Animals
The presence of various micro-organisms such as bacteria, biofilms, fungi, spores of fungi and protozoan parasites and their genes and metabolites in the environment increases the health risks to farm animals by causing and spreading numerous diseases (12,13). Therefore, bio-decontamination of surfaces, instruments and water is necessary in animal husbandry to maintain a healthy environment. Several methods have been introduced for this purpose including oven or autoclave sterilization processes, chemical sterilization such as ethylene oxide sterilization, Gamma irradiation, high hydrostatic pressure technique and microwave sterilization. The limitations of these techniques such as the possibility of chemicals to remain after sterilization, requirement of complex, expensive and high security equipment and the requirement of special conditions for operations have also been discussed (14,15). Therefore, NTP has been suggested as an effective, less toxic and low-cost method for bio-decontamination by several research groups. Also, none of the destructive effects on decontaminated surfaces were detected following NTP treatment (14,16,17). Furthermore, NTP can be used to decontaminate heat-sensitive surfaces and instruments as it is used at room temperature (18).
Commonly, most decontamination techniques target the membrane of a cell as it separates its inner compartments from the environment (14). NTP has general and specific effects on the cell surface of living organisms (14,19-21). In addition to cell membranes (14,22-26), NTP targets DNA (14,24,26,27) and proteins (14,26,28) to destroy living organisms (Table I).
Article from:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6689345/
Focus on disinfection and purification of public transportation
Urban public transportation as the main commuting method for office workers has gradually regained its vitality. At the same time, in order to prevent the rebound risk of the new crown epidemic and implement the normalization of epidemic prevention and control responsibilities, ensuring the disinfection of public transportation vehicles and places has become the key to current epidemic prevention.
Focus on disinfection and purification of public transportation
Urban public transportation mainly includes bus and subway. As the main force of urban transportation, public transportation has the characteristics of large flow of people, complicated walking, long running time, wide regional distribution, relatively closed space in the car, poor ventilation, and difficult air quality. Be guaranteed. Subways and buses face similar air environment problems, but the traffic of subways is larger and more complicated than that of buses. Once someone in a certain carriage is infected with the virus, it is very easy to cause group infections and even cause public health incidents, with huge potential harm.
On the other hand, the current main disinfection methods of public transportation still use traditional manual spray disinfection, which is time-consuming, laborious, and labor-intensive; and because the disinfectant used in traditional manual spray disinfection is highly corrosive, it requires comparison of the proportion of consumer personnel and the grasp of wiping techniques. High, this has also become one of the difficulties of traditional manual spray disinfection.
From core technology to full service
According to medical experts’ recommendations, the new coronavirus is mainly transmitted through droplets, aerosols and contact. EddaAir bus air purifier has developed EddaAir bus air purifier disinfection and sterilization filter technology and plasma disinfection and sterilization technology from cutting off the transmission route. It has been used in Shenzhen’s passenger cars, buses, school buses, and ambulances.
EddaAir bus air purifier dedicated to public transportation to create a safe and comfortable riding space
Compared with traditional public transportation disinfection and purification methods, EddaAir bus air purifier products and solutions have the advantages of high disinfection efficiency, removal of aldehydes and odors, no manual operations, and compatibility with original air conditioning systems. Among them, the plasma tube can produce positive and negative ions, destroy the cell structure, thereby killing bacteria and viruses;
The plasma in EddaAir bus air purifier plasma sterilization technology can directly break molecular bonds to achieve the purpose of sterilization and air purification. The bacteria kill rate is as high as 99%, and it can continue to work even when there are people, dynamic disinfection, coexistence of man and machine, and always guarantee the breathing safety of the driver. It is worth mentioning that EddaAir bus air purifier plasma disinfection and sterilization technology has been reliably designed to meet two important indicators of the rail transit industry, and the quality is more guaranteed!
EddaAir bus air purifier dedicated to public transportation to create a safe and comfortable riding space
In the subway, bus, and other application scenarios, EddaAir bus air purifier disinfection and sterilization filter technology and plasma disinfection and sterilization technology are often used in combination, which can achieve the effect of double disinfection and purification, and provide passengers with a more comfortable and safe riding environment. In addition, the EddaAir bus air purifier can remotely monitor the air indicators in the vehicle cabin, such as temperature, humidity, PM2.5, formaldehyde, TVOC, etc., in real-time through a mobile phone or computer client through the built-in IoT module in the device. Can grasp the air quality in the car, greatly improve the management efficiency and level.
EddaAir bus air purifier dedicated to public transportation to create a safe and comfortable riding space
EddaAir bus air purifier has 5 professional laboratories, more than 30 professional certifications and test reports in the country, which makes it has a deep technical accumulation in the field of HVAC products and environmental control and is used for public transportation, residential housing, commercial centers, and schools. , Hospitals, etc. to provide comprehensive solutions for the air environment.
In the future, with the changes in the characteristics of transportation demand after the epidemic and the current status of the global epidemic’s new normal, relevant departments will pay more attention to air safety in the public transportation field, and EddaAir bus air purifier products and solutions will also have broader market prospects.
Pros and Cons of air disinfection machine
There are 5 main conventional sterilization methods: radiation sterilization, filtration and sterilization, gas sterilization, moist heat sterilization, and isothermal sterilization.
A. Radiation sterilization method: refers to the method of killing microorganisms by ionizing radiation by placing sterilized products in the y-rays radiated by suitable radioactive sources or in the electron beam generated by suitable electron accelerators.
B. Filter sterilization: a method of removing microorganisms from gases or liquids by using the principle that bacteria cannot pass through dense porous filter material.
C. Gas sterilization: a method of killing microorganisms by using gases formed by chemical disinfectants
D. Moist heat sterilization: a method of killing microorganisms by placing them in sterilization cabinets and using high pressure saturated steam, superheated water spraying, and other means to denature the proteins and nucleic acids in the microbial organism.
E. Dry heat sterilization: a method of killing microorganisms or eliminating pyrogenic substances by placing the article in a dry heat sterilization cabinet, tunnel sterilizer, etc. using dry hot air.
F. Dry heat sterilization refers to the method of placing articles in a dry heat sterilization cabinet, tunnel sterilizer, etc., and using dry hot air to kill microorganisms or eliminate pyrogenic substances.
The use of dry hot air to kill microorganisms or eliminate pyrogenic substances.
It is easy to see that these traditional methods have many drawbacks, such as environmental contamination (nuclear radiation, chemical contamination).
The disadvantages of these traditional methods include environmental contamination (nuclear, chemical), long sterilization times, drug residues, and poor safety.
Advantages of air disinfection machine
Environmentally friendly: no toxic residue and discharge, no damage to medical personnel, and no pollution to the environment.
Safety: The automatic control panel is easy to operate, without high temperature and pressure, and is simple to install and commission, and safe to use.
Normal temperature: sterilization temperature is 35℃~45℃, dry sterilization, no damage to instruments and articles, can extend the service life of valuable instruments.
Time-saving: The sterilization cycle is short, simple instruments can be sterilized within 30-50 minutes, and complex instruments within 50-70 minutes, and can be used directly after the operation.
Wide range of applications: low-temperature sterilization is suitable for a wide range of materials and instruments, especially for non-heat-resistant electronic instruments such as endoscopes, electronic instruments, batteries, wires, photographic cameras, and other items, sterilization treatment, unique advantages.
Definition of cold plasma air sterilization
1. Definition of air disinfection machine
Disinfection: Disinfection is the process of killing or eliminating pathogenic microorganisms on a vector by chemical or physical means to a level where there is no longer a risk of transmission of infection.
Sterilization: Sterilisation is the process of killing or removing all microorganisms from the external environment including pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria (including bacteriophages) viruses, fungi (including spores), etc., generally considered to exclude protozoa and parasite eggs, and algae. Sterilization is essential to obtain pure cultures and is a necessary technique in the food industry and in the pharmaceutical field.
Sterilization is an absolute concept, meaning the complete killing of the micro-organisms being treated, and the fact that sterilized items can enter directly into sterile human tissue without causing infection makes sterilization the most complete form of disinfection. However, in fact, it is difficult to achieve this level of sterilization, so internationally accepted methods stipulate that the sterilization process must reduce the probability of survival of microorganisms contaminating the article to E-6 (sterilization assurance level), in other words, to 99.9999% of the target microorganisms.
In the face of such stringent sterilization requirements, the ideal sterilizer should have the following characteristics and performance:
1 ) The sterilization speed should be as fast as possible and the time should be as short as possible;
2) The sterilization temperature should be below 55°C, with minimal damage to instruments and objects;
3) Sterilization should have no effect on the whole environment and the sterilization residues should be harmless;
4) Can meet the sterilization requirements of a variety of items;
5) The price of the consumables used should not be too high.
2. Air disinfection machine
Most of the sterilization methods used today are thermal sterilization, radiation sterilization, ethylene oxide sterilization, cold formaldehyde steam sterilization, and prolonged immersion in various sterilizing agents such as glutaraldehyde, chlorine dioxide, peroxyacetic acid, and hydrogen peroxide.
These sterilization methods have many limitations, such as environmental hazards, long sterilization times, high sterilization temperatures resulting in greater damage to instruments, and loss of food nutrition.
With the increasing demand for sterilization and sterilization processing. The limitations of traditional sterilization methods are leading to the creation and development of new sterilization technologies.
EddaAir Plasma air sterilization technology
Plasma sterilization technology is a new generation of high-tech sterilization technology that can overcome some of the limitations and shortcomings of existing sterilization methods and improve the sterilization effect.
For example, for plastics, optical fibers, artificial crystals, and optical glass materials that are not suitable for sterilization by high-temperature steam and infrared methods, metal objects that are not suitable for microwave treatment, and crevices and corners that are not easy to achieve sterilization, this technology can be used to achieve good sterilization at low temperatures without causing any damage to the sterilized parts.The plasma used in this technology is non-toxic and harmless.
The working substance is non-toxic and harmless. The technology can also be applied to production lines to sterilize products.
With environmental issues becoming more and more of a concern today atmospheric low-temperature plasma sterilization as a clean disinfection method will have a broad application prospect plasma sterilization is the future direction of sterilization technology in the medical and health, pharmaceutical, and bioengineering food industries.
Low-temperature plasma sterilization technology is a new sterilization technology in the field of sterilization after formaldehyde, ethylene oxide, glutaraldehyde, and other low-temperature sterilization technology, which is characterized by low temperature, rapid, low toxicity residue, and is suitable for items and instruments that are resistant to heat and humidity and are not resistant to heat and humidity.
Cold Plasma Can Kill Coronavirus on Common Surfaces in Seconds
Advance may offer safe and effective way to curb spread of COVID-19
Nov 23, 2020
UCLA engineers and scientists have demonstrated that treatments with near-room-temperature, cold atmospheric plasma can kill the coronavirus present on a variety of surfaces in as little as 30 seconds.
A study detailing the research, which was published this month in the journal Physics of Fluids, is the first time cold plasma has been shown to effectively and quickly disinfect surfaces contaminated with the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.
The novel coronavirus can remain infectious for tens of hours on surfaces so the advance is a major breakthrough that may help slow the spread of the virus.
“This is a really exciting result, showing the potential of cold atmospheric plasma as a safe and effective way to fight transmission of the virus by killing it on a wide range of surfaces,” said study leader Richard Wirz, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering.
Plasma, not to be confused with blood plasma, is an electrically charged gas known as the fourth state of matter (solid, liquid, and gas being the others), with electrons and charged ions accounting for its main makeup.
The researchers created the plasma by subjecting air and argon gas — a common, non-toxic gas — to a strong electric field across electrodes inside a spray jet built by a 3D printer. The resulting ionized, atmospheric cold plasma remains stable at room temperatures.
Wirz Research Group/UCLA
Cold atmospheric plasma device treating metal samples in a six-well plate. The glowing is due to the presence of excited air molecules, not to higher temperatures.
Cold plasma has previously been shown in research studies to be effective in cancer treatment, wound healing, dental-instrument disinfection and other applications.
An important advantage of plasma is that it can be safely used on a variety of surfaces without damaging them, while treatments with chemicals and UV light cannot be used effectively on porous surfaces like cardboard and skin without damage.
Another advantage is an estimated lower cost for supplies compared to standard chemical sanitizers. The researchers are working with campus units at UCLA to further test the system.
“This eco-friendly, innovative technology could be implemented to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in hospitals, transportation and sports settings,” said study co-author Vaithi Arumugaswami, an associate professor of molecular and medical pharmacology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
According to Wirz, cold plasma may even be a potential candidate, pending further study, to kill the coronavirus when it is airborne.
The study’s lead author is Zhitong Chen, a postdoctoral scholar in Wirz’s research group, which performs a wide range of plasma-based research, from propulsion to fusion materials.
UCLA staff research associate Gustavo Garcia, a member of Arumugaswami’s research group, is also an author on the paper.
The research was supported in part by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, with additional support from the Geffen School of Medicine and the Broad Stem Cell Research Institute.
The researchers have also created a UCLA-based startup, plasma, to further explore the potential of the technology.
Reference:https://samueli.ucla.edu/cold-plasma-can-kill-coronavirus-on-common-surfaces-in-seconds/
Cold plasma technology is shown to extend the shelf life of food
As has been demonstrated, there is hardly anywhere in the world that could not benefit from effective, high-quality air disinfection, but perhaps one of the most important areas where we could achieve very significant results with it is the food industry.
We can hardly even imagine how long it takes for a product to go from the shop shelf to being taken home!” . There are thousands of hazards associated with each job, with the risk of contamination, spoilage, injury and, if bacteria attack food, almost certainly our bodies as well. The problem of food contamination affects all parts of the industry in the same way. In the meat industry, there are already many sources of danger on farms because of the rapid spread of bacteria and viruses as animals are confined to small spaces. Year after year we hear of an epidemic that has struck the animals and caused serious work stoppages for farmers.
The fact that many people are close to the product during processing also increases the risk of contamination and infection. Where processed food is stored, it is also exposed to many sources of error. Bacteria that cling to the surfaces of meat, vegetables, and fruit can not only be dangerous if they enter our bodies but can also have a detrimental effect on the product itself. In fact, some bacteria can cause food, but especially fruit, to spoil more quickly, significantly reducing the time to market and, incidentally, the price. The technology itself does not require complex infrastructure, as air ionization takes place almost unnoticed with the help of EddaAir devices, using robust equipment that can even be integrated into ventilation systems. As no harmful substances are emitted during this period, the technology does not use chemicals, so we can use it near people and food and we can enjoy its benign effects continuously, even 24 hours a day.
It eliminates the extremely unpleasant odors of the livestock industry and many pathogens from people sitting on conveyor belts no longer pose a threat to the products they are processing, sorting or packing, nor are there bacteria that threaten the texture of the products.
This will make food processing and trade safer, protect the health of those working in it and make the sale of products safer than ever before!” . The naturalness of the method is likely to be a guarantee that, as a worthy successor to previous chemical treatment methods, cold plasma technology is one of the newest and most promising alternatives to food preservation. But the process is not limited to industry; the technology can also accompany us into the home. The wide range of excellent EddaAir equipment allows us to keep nutrients safe not only during production and processing and then during storage, but also in our homes, in the fridge or on the shelves of our pantry.
EddaAir has supplied high-tech air disinfection equipment to a number of companies and homes around the world. Every room and every situation is unique, so for maximum efficiency it is not only worth asking around, but also consulting our expert colleagues.
Be one of the entrepreneurs open to development and one of the first in our small country to introduce cold plasma technology into your business so that you can store and sell your products in the longest and safest way possible!
Plasma air disinfection machine functions, advantages and applications
Function:
Plasma air disinfection machine can be highly efficient sterilization plasma sterilization disinfection effect is extremely strong, and the action time is short, is far less than the high intensity of ultraviolet light.
Compared with the traditional UV circulating air disinfection machine, it has the following advantages:
1.High-efficiency sterilization plasma sterilization disinfection effect is very strong, and the action time is short, is far less than the high intensity of ultraviolet light.
2.Environmental protection plasma sterilization is continuous non-stop work but also does not produce ultraviolet light, ozone, to avoid secondary pollution of the environment.
3.Efficient degradation of plasma disinfection machine for air disinfection at the same time, but also degradation of harmful, toxic gases in the air, by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention test report shows that the degradation rate within 24 hours: formaldehyde 91%, benzene 93%, ammonia 78%, xylene 96%. At the same time can efficiently remove smoke, smoke smell and other pollutants.
4.Low energy consumption – plasma air disinfection machine on the power is 1/3 of the UV disinfection machine, very energy-efficient. For a room of 150m3, plasma machine 15oW, UV machine 450W or more, – annual electricity savings of more than 1000 yuan.
5.Long service life plasma disinfection machine under normal use, the design life of 15 years, while the UV disinfection machine only 5 years.
6. Once invested in a lifetime free of consumables UV disinfection machine about 2 years need to replace – a batch of lamps, the cost of nearly 1000 yuan. And plasma disinfection machine lifelong without consumables. In summary, the normal use of plasma air disinfection machine depreciation cost of about 1000 yuan / year, while the relative depreciation cost of UV disinfection machine about 4000 yuan / year. And plasma disinfectors work very environmentally friendly, harmless to medical staff and patients. Therefore, it is very wise to choose a plasma disinfector for air disinfection.
Application scope:
Health care: operating rooms, ICU, NICU, neonatal rooms, delivery rooms, burn wards, supply rooms,, intervention centers, isolation wards, hemodialysis rooms, infusion rooms, biochemical rooms, laboratories, etc.
Others: Biopharmaceuticals, food production, public places, meeting rooms, etc.
How to properly use air sterilization purifier for disinfection?
Air disinfection machine is usually suitable for disinfection and sterilization of indoor air and surface of objects in operating rooms, examination rooms, treatment rooms, wards, etc. There are usually three disinfection modes: ultraviolet air disinfection, plasma air disinfection, and ozone air disinfection, or mixed disinfection of the two modes at the same time. Among the three disinfection methods, the ozone disinfection method is the most effective, but the ozone air disinfection machine is a disinfection machine that cannot coexist with humans and machines. During the sterilization process, people need to leave the sterilization space. So how to properly use the plasma ionizer for disinfection? Let’s introduce to you the editor of EddaAir air purifier plasma.
How to use the air disinfection machine for disinfection:
1. During the use of the air disinfection machine, attention should be paid to the air tightness of the space. The doors and windows should be closed during the disinfection process to ensure that the room has good air tightness. In addition, the movement of personnel should be reduced to ensure the disinfection effect.
2. The disinfection time of the air disinfection machine should be selected as follows:Dynamic disinfection: The purpose is to control and reduce the secondary pollution of the ambient air by personnel during activities.Preventive disinfection: regular disinfection 1 to 2 times a day, every 2 hours of starting, usually arranged in the morning before work and after get off work in the afternoon.
3. During the disinfection process of the air disinfection machine, there should be no obstructions at the air inlet and outlet, so as to protect the good circulation of air as much as possible.
4. Different types of air disinfection machines have different disinfection areas. Therefore, we should pay attention to the selection process, otherwise it will affect the disinfection effect.
In the use of air disinfection air purifier plasma machines, the filter should be replaced regularly. If consumers cannot replace them in time during use, not only the disinfection and purification effect will not be achieved, but it may be a source of secondary pollution. The filter of each brand of air disinfector The mesh replacement cycle is different. You can check the cleanliness of the filter regularly. If the white filter gradually becomes black, it must be replaced. In addition, it can also be judged according to the wind speed of the air outlet.
The above content is an introduction to how to properly use an air plasma ionizer for disinfection. In addition to killing bacteria, viruses, molds, spores and other so-called sterilization and disinfection, some models can also remove formaldehyde, phenol, etc. in the indoor air. Such as organic pollutants, but also can kill or filter allergens such as pollen. At the same time, it can effectively remove the smoke and smoke generated by smoking, the bad smell of the toilet, and the human body odor.
Air Conditioner Development by Plasma System for Health
This research aimed to develop plasma system used in air conditioners. This developed plasma system could be installed in the air conditioners – all split type, also could improve the quality of air equaling to present plasma system. Development processes were as follows: 1) to study the plasma system used in the air conditioners, 2) to design a plasma generator, 3) to develop the plasma generator, and 4) to test its performance in many types of the air conditioners. This plasma system was developed by AC high voltage – 14 kv with a frequency of 50Hz. Carbon was a conductor to generate arc in air purifier system. The research was tested by installing the plasma generator in the air conditioners – wall type. Whereas, there were 3 types of installations: air flow out, air flow in, and room center. The result of the plasma generator installed in the air conditioners, split type, revealed that the air flow out installation provided the highest average of o-zone at 3.45 g/h. This type of installation provided the highest efficiency of air quality improvement. Moreover, the air flow in installation and the room center installation provided the average of the o-zone at 2.55 g/h and 0.91 g/h, respectively.
1. Introduction
At present, the whole world is facing the greenhouse effect along with air pollution. Air conditioning, in other words cooling down the temperature, is not enough when compared to the demand of the humanity nowadays, especially when health is the main factor considered. Air purification, or cleansing the air, is another issue in which people are getting more and more interested. Every air conditioner sold today, therefore, is equipped with air purification system as an optional feature for customers [1-3]. Air purification systems nowadays are classified according to the source as follows: Heppa air purifier, carbon, ozone, water, and plasma. Plasma system is the most widely used at present. However, plasma system has some limits affecting its efficiency and the satisfaction of both customers and manufacturers, which are as follows: it can be installed in only one type of air conditioner, namely wall type; plasma generator is too large; customers who have installed air conditioner must re-install it; it is overpriced; it reduces the efficiency of cooling down the temperature; it makes noise when arc is generated; the amount of plasma could not be controlled; and it smells bad after turning on for a long period. According to the limitations cited above, this research was aimed to develop a prototype of plasma generator with the following features: it could be installed in all split type air conditioners; it is small enough; it could be easily installed; customers who have installed air conditioner could install it without buying new air conditioner; the price is reasonable; it does not reduce the efficiency of cooling down the temperature; and it does not make noise when arc is generated.
2 Experimental System Design
According to the fact that the researchers have installed air conditioners, it was found that modern air conditioners are equipped with more features, especially features concerning the efficiency in controlling and cleansing the air by installing plasma generator at the place called
“air flow in” of wall type air conditioner. This type of air conditioner is very popular due to the fact that it is small when compared to other types of air conditioners and that it operates almost in silence along with its attractive design. After installing air conditioner with plasma generator, it was found that the air inside the room was purer and people could breathe smoothly without bad smell. However, the drawback was that plasma generator depends on the decomposition of hydrogen and oxygen. In order to utilize the decomposition and the composition of those gases to make plasma work the most efficiently, it takes a long time. A good installation should be at the place where air flows out since the air flowing out, when the compressor is turned on, is extremely cold, or 2-12° Celsius. Nowadays plasma generator is too large to be installed at air- flow-out area; the efficiency is reduced, thus.
3.Experimental Equipments [5-6]
In order to build up air purification system and to collect data for the development of plasma generator, the following tools and equipment are needed for the research: a new wall type air conditioner with 12,000 BTU to be installed in a room of 16 square meters, digital temperature measuring tool, high-voltage electrical power measuring tool, plasma generator measuring tool, tool to measure wind speed level of sending and returning point of air conditioner, and tool to measure the volume of ozone in the test room.
4.High Voltage Circuit for Plasma Source
According to Figure 1, high voltage circuit for plasma source is shown. This is to build up plasma air purifier system in which the voltage at output is measured to be around 14 kv and follows the arc generation process as shown in Figure 2. Figure 3 shows the arc in high voltage probe of plasma generator.
5.Experimental Test Procedure
In order to experiment air conditioner, the plasma generator would be installed in a split type air conditioner with 12,000 BTU. There were 3 types of installation:
1.Air flow in
The installation was done at the position, inside air conditioner, where air flows in. This means the plasma generator was installed at the place before the air is cooled down.
2.Air flow out
The installation was done at the position, inside air conditioner, where air flows out.
This means the plasma generator was installed at the place after the air is cooled down.
3.Room center
The installation was done in the center of the room. The measurement of ozone quantity was done after the air conditioner had operated for an hour.
6.Results and Discussion
Figures 4 to 7 show the results which revealed the relationship between ozone quantity and speed level according to plasma generator positions and temperatures.
According to Figures 4 to 8, it was found that the installation of plasma generator at the position where air flows out provided the highest average of ozone quantity, when compared to air flow in and room center installations, at 24 to 26 degree. Moreover, it was found that the higher the speed level, the more the ozone quantity and there was the highest average of ozone quantity according to air flow out installation. The room center installation provided the lowest average of ozone quantity. The temperature and the speed level did not affect the ozone quantity in the room at all. The reason why the ozone quantity in the room with the air flow out installation was higher than air flow in and room center installations was because there was more humidity. When plasma generator operated, there was negative electric charge and at the same time the air around the cold coil was extremely humid, splitting water molecules in the air [4]. After the water molecules split, the negative electric charge from the plasma generator would be surrounded by water molecules in the room. Infective particles in the air, comprising hydrogen, would be destroyed by the negative electric charge from the plasma generator at last.
7.Conclusions and Suggestions
This research was aimed to develop plasma system used in air conditioners without plasma system. This developed plasma system could be installed in all split type air conditioners. It also improves the air quality as efficiently as the plasma system available at the present time. Development processes were as follows: to study the plasma system used in the air conditioners, to design a plasma generator, to develop the plasma generator, and to test its performance in many types of the air conditioners. This plasma system was developed by AC high voltage – 14 kv with a frequency of 50Hz. Carbon was a conductor to generate arc in air purifier system [4][7]. The research was conducted by installing the plasma generator in wall mounted type air conditioners with 3 types of installation: air flow out, air flow in, and room center. The result
shows that the plasma generator installed in split type air conditioners could purify the air as efficiently as the plasma system available at the present time. The result of experiment the efficiency of installations reveals that the air flow out installation worked the most efficiently at 24 degree and the installation had to be done at the position where air flows out in front of cold coil of the air conditioner. The air flow out installation provided the highest average of ozone quantity at 3.45 g/h. This type of installation provided the highest efficiency of air quality improvement. The air flow in installation and the room center installation provided the average of the o-zone at 2.55 g/h and 0.91 g/h, respectively. Due to the fact that this research was the first step, it needed more statistical data. Further research works should be to design a larger circuit in order to generate arc for larger room, to experiment with various types of air conditioners installed in the same room in order to achieve the accuracy, and to develop automatic control system.
8.References
[1] Horvath,M., L.Bilitzky and J. Huttner, 1985, co-ed., Ozone, Adademiai Kiado, Budapest
[2] Kondratyev, K.IA. , 2002 , Global Enviroment Change : modeling and monitoring,
Springer, Germany
[3] Langlais, B., D.A. Reckhow and D.R. Brink, 1991, Ozone in Water Treatment, Lewis Publisher. Michigan, U.S.A.
[4] Halliday, D., R. Resnick and J. Walker, 2001, Fundamental of Physics Sixth Edition, John Wiley Sons, New York, U.S.A.
[5] D.S.L.Simonetti, J.Sebastian, F.S. dos Reis and J. Uceda, 1992, “ Design Criteria for Sepic and Cuk Converters as Power Factor Oreregulators in Discontinuous Conduction Mode ”, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Power Electronics, 0-7803-0582- 5/92, pp.283-288.
[6] R.W.Erickson and D.Maksimovic, 1997, Fundamentals of Power Electronics, 2nded, Chamman&hall, pp. 22-124.
[7] Dordrecht et.al , 1999, The modern problems of electrostatics with applications in
environment protection., Kluwer Acadamic Plublisers.,