Air conditioning systems lecture No.

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Air Filtration and Industrial Air Cleaning

Air filtration
Ambient air contains many solid impurities, ranging from visible grit
down to fine dusts, smokes and fumes. An air-conditioning system will aim
to remove a proportion of these, depending on the application. Air cleaning
is the process of removing airborne particles present in the air.
The materials other than the oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, water
vapor, and rare gases present in the air are called air contaminants. They are
a mixture of dust, smoke, fogs, mists, and living organisms. Dusts are defined
as solid granular particles and fibers less than 100 µm resulting from natural
and mechanical processes. Smoke is a solid, a liquid, or a mixture of solid and
liquid particles of sizes averaging from 0.1 to 0.3 µm. It is the product of
incomplete combustion. Fumes are solid particles smaller than 1 µm formed
in the condensation of vapors. Fogs are very small liquid particles, ranging
from 2 to 60 µm, formed by the condensation of the vapors; and mists are
relatively large liquid particles, from 60 to 200 µm, produced by atomizing
and spraying processes. Living organisms include viruses, from 0.003 to 0.06
µm, and bacteria, usually from 0.4 to 5 µm.
It can be classified into two categories: air filtration and industrial air
cleaning. Air filtration involves the removal of airborne particles present in
outdoor air as well as re-circulated air from a given space. Most airborne
particles removed by air filtration are smaller than 1µm. The purpose of air
filtration is to benefit the health and comfort of the occupants in the
conditioned space as well as maintain the cleanliness required in
manufacturing processes. Air filtration is one of the essential factors that
affect the indoor air quality of the conditioned space.

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There are three reasons for air filtration:

1- To remove impurities which may be harmful to a process, e.g. dust in a
computer room, bacteria in the hospital.
2- For the comfort of occupants and the cleanliness of papers and
furnishings
3- To keep the inside of the air-conditioning apparatus and ductwork
clean.
Industrial air cleaning mainly involves the removal of dust and gaseous
contaminants from the industrial manufacturing processes, and it provides
pollution control to the exhaust gas and flue gas.
Filtration apparatus is available to remove any size, but the very fine
particles require a deep, large and expensive filter, which itself sets up a high
resistance to air flow and therefore requires high fan power. A practical
balance must be reached to satisfy the requirements:
1. To remove a high proportion of impurities in the air.
2. To hold a large weight of dust before having to be cleaned or replaced, so
as to reduce the frequency of maintenance to an acceptable level (i.e. if
maintenance is required too frequently, it may be neglected)
3. The filter must be cleanable or reasonably cheap to replace.
Rating and Assessments
An air cleaner is a device that removes dust particles from the airstream
passing through it. An air filter is an air cleaner that removes dust particles
from a conditioned airstream by means of fibrous, metallic, or other filter
media. Filter media are fabricated materials to perform air filtration. The
operating characteristics of an air filter depend on the size, shape, specific
gravity, concentration, and electric properties of the dust particles as well as
the filter medium. However, the most important factor for effective removal
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is the particle size, or size distributions, in a dust sample. For air filtration in
air conditioning systems, the dust particles are small and their concentrations
are comparatively low.
The rating and assessment of air filters are mainly based on the
following characteristics:
Efficiency: The efficiency of an air filter shows the effectiveness of the dust
removal process. The efficiency of a specific filter is affected by the size of
the dust particles.
Pressure drop: Total pressure drop of an air filter ∆pt, in (Pa) , can be
calculated as
𝑣𝑓 2 𝑣𝑎 2
∆𝑝𝑡 = 𝑐 ( ) = 𝑐𝑎 ( )
4005 4005
Where
𝑐, 𝑐𝑎 : local loss coefficients of air filter
𝑣𝑓 : Air velocity flowing through filter media,
𝑣𝑎 : Face velocity of air filter,
The pressure drop of an air filter is affected by vf or va, as well as the
loading of dust held inside the air filter mdust. At the rated volume flow rate,
the pressure drop of a clean air filter when it first starts to collect dust particles
is called the initial pressure drop.
Service life: The pressure drop of an air filter which is about to be replaced
or cleaned is called its final pressure drop. The operating period between the
initial and final pressure drop is called the service life of an air filter.
The efficiency of an air filter is significantly affected by the service life,
or loading, of an air filter. The rating and assessment of a specific air filter at
a specific volume flow rate require complete data on its efficiency and initial
and final pressure drops.
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Filtration Mechanism
The removal collection of dust particles in air filtration is performed by
various combinations of the following mechanisms.
Inertia impaction: A sudden change in direction causes a collision between
the dust particles, and fibrous media.
Straining: If the filter spaces are smaller than the size of the dust particles,
the particles are trapped.
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.
Classification of Air Filters
Except for ultrahigh efficiency filters, each category is subdivided into
four minimum efficiency report value (MERVs):
1- Coarse air filters
2- low-efficiency
3- medium-efficiency
4- high-efficiency

1- Coarse Air Filters

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Coarse air filters are often used to remove coarse dusts (5 to 80 µm)
such as standing dust on surfaces, pollen, and textile fibers. The dimensions
of the framework of this filter are often (500-mm) width by (500-mm) height,
or (600 mm) width by (600-mm) height. The depth of the filter may vary from
to (13 to 100 mm).Filter media for coarse filters are divided into three
categories:
- Viscous and reusable: Some examples are wavy wire mesh and screen
strips. They are usually coated with oil, which acts as an glue, to increase their
dust removal ability. Detergents may be used to wash off the dust when the
filter media are to be cleaned and reused.
- Dry and reusable: Certain materials such as synthetic fibers (nylon) foam
can be cleaned or washed if reuse is required.
- Dry and disposable: Synthetic and cellulose fibers, greater than 10 µm in
diameter belong to this category. The air filter is discarded as soon as the final
pressure drop is reached.
The face velocity of panel filters usually lies between (1.5 and 3 m/ s).The
minimum final pressure drop (75Pa).Coarse air filters are widely used in
window air conditioners and residential small packaged units.
2- Low-Efficiency Air Filters
Low-efficiency air filters are often used to remove dusts between 3 and
10 µm, such as spores, cement, and other solid particles. Low-efficiency air
filters are often pleated filters or sometimes bags as shown in Fig.(1) They
often have the same size of framework as in panel filters. The pleated mat is
used to extend the surface area of the filter media. In low-efficiency air filters,
natural and synthetic fibers including glass fibers, viscous wavy wire mesh,
bonded glass fibers, and electro statically discharged fibers or fabrics called
electrets have been used as filter media.
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Low-efficiency air filters have a final minimum pressure drop of (150

Pa).Low efficiency filters are widely used in packaged units and air-handling
units in commercial and institutional buildings, industrial workplaces, and
more demanding residential applications.

Fig.(1)
3- Medium-Efficiency Air Filters
Medium-efficiency air filters are used to remove dusts of size 1 to 3 µm
such as welding fumes, bacteria and coal dusts. They are often bag and box
filters with pleated mat to extend surface area, and are made of synthetic fibers
including bonded glass fibers of diameters from <1 µm to several
micrometers. Medium-efficiency air filters are used in demanding commercial
building and industrial applications.
4- High-Efficiency Air Filters
High-efficiency air filters are used to remove particles of 0.3 to 1 µm
such as bacteria, viruses, cooking oil fumes, tobacco smoke, and other smoke.
They have a 0.3 to 1µm particle size efficiency < 75 percent. The filter media
are often made of glass fibers of sub micrometer and micrometer diameter.
They are often in the form of a pleated mat in a cartridge, as shown in Fig.(2)
, or in the form of a bag filter. The air velocity flowing through the filter media
is lower, and the minimum final pressure drops across the filter media are (350

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Pa).High-efficiency air filters are often protected by low- or medium-

efficiency pre filters to extend their service life. High-efficiency filters are
widely used in air systems for hospitals, high-demand commercial buildings,
and precision manufacturing workshops.

Fig.(2)
Ultrahigh-Efficiency Air Filters
Ultrahigh-efficiency filters include high-efficiency particulate air
(HEPA) filters, ultralow penetration air (ULPA) filters, and gaseous
absorbers. HEPA and ULPA filters are used to remove air contaminants such
as unattached viruses, carbon dust, combustion smoke, and radon progeny of
particles in sizes ≤ 0.3 µm. They are widely used in clean rooms and clean
spaces for the microelectronics industry, pharmaceutical industry, precision
manufacturing, and operating theaters in hospitals.

Electronic air cleaners

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An electronic air cleaner uses the attraction between particles of

opposite charges. Dust particles charged within the cleaner attract and
agglomerate to greater sizes at the collecting plates. They are therefore easily
removed from the airstream.
A typical electronic air cleaner is shown in Fig.(3).A high dc potential
of 1200 V is supplied to the ionizing field. The positive ions generated from
the ionizer wire charge the dust particles. Right after the ionizing section, the
dust particles come to a collecting section, which consists of several plates
that are alternately grounded and insulated. A strong electric field is produced
by supplying a dc potential of 6000 V to these plates. The positively charged
dust particles are attracted by the grounded plates of opposite charge, and
attach themselves to the plates.
Because of the numerous points of contact, the bond between particles
held together by intermolecular forces is greater than that between the
particles and plates. Therefore, the dust particles agglomerate and grow to
such sizes that they are blown off and carried away by the airstream. The
agglomerates are then collected by a medium-efficiency air filter located
downstream from the collecting section.

Fig. (3)
Selection of air filters

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During the selection of air filters, electronic air cleaners, and activated
carbon filters to remove air contaminants for the health and comfort of the
occupants in indoor conditioned space, the following requirements and
arrangements should be carefully considered:
- Characteristics of the air contaminants, the size of the particles, and the
concentration of dust particles or irritating vapors to be removed must
be identified.
- The degree of air cleanliness required in the conditioned space must be
specified, especially the design criteria for clean spaces or clean rooms.
- The minimum efficiency of the air filter at specific particle sizes and
loadings must be specified.
- The 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.
- Service life of the air filter influences the installation cost, the pressure
drop, and the efficiency of the air filter.
The following filtration tactics are recommended:
- Select an air filter based on the dust particle size to remove air
contaminants.
- Use of medium-efficiency particulate filters for protection of coils and
air distribution systems, preventing the nutrition for biological growth;
high-efficiency particulate filters for control of respirable particulate
and bacteria; and gaseous absorbers to control objectionable odors and
harmful volatile organic compounds.
- High-efficiency and ultrahigh-efficiency air filters, gaseous adsorbers
such as granular activated carbon, and electronic air cleaners must be
protected by a pre filter of medium efficiency to extend the life of these
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high-efficiency and ultrahigh-efficiency gaseous adsorbers and

electronic air cleaners.
- Monitoring the pressure drop of the air filters and periodic maintenance
of low-efficiency viscous air filters have a direct impact on filter
performance.
- Granular activated carbon is very good to remove most hydrocarbons,
many aldehydes and organic acids, as well as nitrogen dioxide. It is not
particularly effective against sulfur oxide, nitric oxide, formaldehyde,
hydrogen sulfide, or lower-molecular-weight

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