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US 12,083,465 B2Granted
Systems and methods for anti-microbial purification of air
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorJudd Steven Carper
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An air supply system including a conduit for channeling a flow of air therethrough, wherein the flow of air has microorganisms entrained therein. The system also includes an anti-microbial filter in flow communication with the flow of air. The anti-microbial filter includes a plurality of atomically sharp surface features for non-selective lysing of at least some of the microorganisms that contact the anti-microbial filter.
Claims20
An air supply system comprising:
- a conduit for channeling a flow of air therethrough, wherein the flow of air has microorganisms entrained therein;
- an anti-microbial filter in flow communication with the flow of air, wherein the anti-microbial filter comprises:
- a first air-impermeable substrate having a first filtration surface and a second air-impermeable substrate having a second filtration surface and spaced from each other between about 20 nanometers to about 400 nanometers, each of the first and second filtration surfaces having a plurality of atomically sharp surface features for non-selective lysing of at least some of the microorganisms that contact the anti- microbial filter, wherein the first and second filtration surfaces are oriented obliquely relative to an airflow direction of the flow of air;
- and
- a sensor operable to monitor a capacitance across the anti-microbial filter;
- a power source electrically connected to the anti-microbial filter;
- and
- a controller in communication with the power source,
- wherein the controller causes the power source to provide a surge charge to remove contamination from the anti-microbial filter when the capacitance measured by the sensor reaches a threshold value.
6 more elements
An air supply system comprising:
- a conduit for channeling a flow of air therethrough, wherein the flow of air has microorganisms entrained therein;
- an anti-microbial filter in flow communication with the flow of air, wherein the anti-microbial filter comprises a first air-impermeable substrate having a first filtration surface and a second air-impermeable substrate having a second filtration surface and spaced from each other between about 20 nanometers to about 400 nanometers to define an airflow path therebetween, each of the first and second filtration surfaces comprising a plurality of atomically sharp surface features for non-selective lysing of at least some of the microorganisms that contact the anti-microbial filter;
- a power source electrically connected to the anti-microbial filter;
- and
- a controller in communication with the power source,
- wherein the controller causes the power source to provide a surge charge to remove contamination from the anti-microbial filter when a measured capacitance reaches a threshold value.
3 more elements
An air supply system comprising:
- a conduit for channeling a flow of air therethrough, wherein the flow of air has microorganisms entrained therein;
- an anti-microbial filter in flow communication with the flow of air, wherein the anti-microbial filter comprises a first air-impermeable substrate having a first filtration surface and a second air-impermeable substrate having a second filtration surface and spaced from each other between about 20 nanometers and about 400 nanometers, each of the first and second filtration surfaces having a plurality of atomically sharp surface features for non-selective lysing of at least some of the microorganisms that contact the anti-microbial filter, wherein the filtration surface is oriented obliquely relative to an airflow direction of the flow of air;
- and
- a power source electrically connected to the anti-microbial filter, wherein the power source is operable to provide a surge charge to clean the anti-microbial filter.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.