Airflow system for a building and method of using the same to provide contamination mitigation for occupants of the building

An airflow system for an office building, the airflow system comprising:

• at least one air purification system providing purified air and receiving recirculated air;
• at least one air supply duct assembly, supplying the purified air from the at least one air purification system to at least one interior airflow space in the office building, the at least one air supply duct assembly comprising one or more air supply ducts and one or more air supply vents, the at least one interior airflow space comprising one or more of, an office cubicle, a conference room, and an auditorium, in the office building, and wherein one or more occupants are in the at least one interior airflow space in one of, a stationary position, or a substantially stationary position, for an extended time period in a time range of one hour to ten hours;
• at least one air return duct assembly, returning the recirculated air from the at least one interior airflow space to the at least one air purification system, the at least one air return duct assembly comprising one or more air return ducts and one or more air return vents, the recirculated air comprising one or more of, internal air from the at least one interior airflow space, and contaminated air contaminated by one or more of, one or more biological agents, including one or more biological agents shed by one or more contaminated occupants in the at least one interior airflow space, and one or more chemical agents;
• one or more directional airstreams formed between the at least one air supply duct assembly and the at least one air return duct assembly in the at least one interior airflow space, the one or more directional airstreams comprising one or more of, the purified air, the internal air, and the contaminated air, and the one or more directional airstreams comprising at least one or more of:
• one or more first directional airstreams forming one or more air barriers between each of the one or more occupants, including each of the one or more contaminated occupants, in the interior airflow space, to provide respiratory isolation, with the one or more air barriers, for each of the one or more occupants, including each of the one or more contaminated occupants, in the interior airflow space;
• and
• one or more second directional airstreams forming an airflow field around each of the one or more occupants, including each of the one or more contaminated occupants, in the interior airflow space, wherein the one or more second directional airstreams have an airflow velocity that is less than an airflow velocity of the one or more first directional airstreams;
• one or more sensors positioned in the at least one interior airflow space;
• and
• at least one control system controlling the airflow system,
• wherein the airflow system provides a contamination mitigation for each of the one or more occupants in the at least one interior airflow space in the office building, against contamination by one or more of, the one or more biological agents, including the one or more biological agents shed by each of the one or more contaminated occupants in the at least one interior airflow space, and the one or more chemical agents.

A method of using an airflow system in a building to provide a contamination mitigation for one or more occupants in the building, the method comprising:

• installing the airflow system in the building, the airflow system comprising:
• at least one air purification system providing purified air and receiving recirculated air;
• at least one air supply assembly, supplying the purified air from the at least one air purification system to at least one interior airflow space in the building, the at least one interior airflow space comprising one or more of, an office cubicle, a conference room, and an auditorium in the building, and wherein one or more occupants are in the at least one interior airflow space in one of, a stationary position, or a substantially stationary position, for an extended time period in a time range of one hour to ten hours;
• at least one air return assembly, returning the recirculated air from the at least one interior airflow space to the at least one air purification system, the recirculated air comprising one or more of, internal air from the at least one interior airflow space, and contaminated air contaminated by one or more of, one or more biological agents, including one or more biological agents shed by one or more contaminated occupants in the at least one interior airflow space, and one or more chemical agents;
• one or more directional airstreams formed between the at least one air supply assembly and the at least one air return assembly in the at least one interior airflow space, the one or more directional airstreams comprising one or more of, the purified air, the internal air, and the contaminated air, and the one or more directional airstreams comprising at least one or more of:
• one or more first directional airstreams forming one or more air barriers between each of the one or more occupants, including each of the one or more contaminated occupants, in the interior airflow space, to provide respiratory isolation, with the one or more air barriers, for each of the one or more occupants, including each of the one or more contaminated occupants, in the interior airflow space;
• and
• one or more second directional airstreams forming an airflow field around each of the one or more occupants, including each of the one or more contaminated occupants, in the interior airflow space, wherein the one or more second directional airstreams have an airflow velocity that is less than an airflow velocity of the one or more first directional airstreams;
• and
• at least one control system controlling the airflow system;
• supplying, with the at least one air supply assembly, the purified air from the at least one air purification system to the at least one interior airflow space in the building;
• flowing the one or more directional airstreams between the at least one air supply assembly and the at least one air return assembly in the at least one interior airflow space, to form one or more of, the one or more air barriers, and the airflow field, for each of the one or more occupants in the at least one interior airflow space, including the one or more contaminated occupants;
• and
• returning, with the at least one air return assembly, the recirculated air from the at least one interior airflow space to the at least one air purification system,
• wherein the airflow system provides the contamination mitigation for each of the one or more occupants in the at least one interior airflow space, against contamination by one or more of, the one or more biological agents, including the one or more biological agents shed by each of the one or more contaminated occupants in the at least one interior airflow space, and the one or more chemical agents.