Indoor Air Quality Management under Button Up Conditions

Abstract

Abstract: Maintaining the desired Indoor Air Quality under the Button Up Conditions, has always been a challanging task. The present invention provides Indoor Air Quality Management System Under Button Up Conditions[1]. The system is operated in a Normal, Button Up or Filtration mode. The invention comprises computer based fully automated system which include six sub systems i.e., CO2 Removal System, Odour/ TVOC Removal System, Oxygen Replenishment System, Compressed Air System, NBC Filtration System and Facility Management System that operate in coordination with one another to maintain the desired CO2, Oxygen and Positive Pressure levels in facility. CO2 adsorbents which adsorb CO2 from the air by way of not only their chemical reactions but also or only by way of their molecular structure and other properties. Activation of CO2 Removal System is based on the signal from the CO2 sensor that is located in the return air duct of the air handling units serving the buildings. The CO2 Removal System does not depend only on one type of absorbent/adsorbent material. All the six sub systems are fully integrated with one another to always maintain the desired levels of CO2, Oxygen and positive pressure in the facility and filter away any hazardous contaminants from the air under all three modes of operation i.e., Normal Mode, Button Up Mode or Filtration Mode as felt necessary. The Bunkerman absorbents used in the system, showed CO2 absorbent capacity of about 35% to 42% by weight. The adsorbent capacity of the Bunkerman Adsorbents and molecular sieves were observed to be between 15 to 18. An absorbent capacity of 30% and adsorbent capacity of 12% can be safely adopted for CO2 removal filters in the systems. The proposed Bunkerman Indoor Air Quality Management System was effectively able to ensure the recommended levels of CO2 and TVOC [2,3] in the facility tested during Real Button Up Mode.