Method and apparatus for air purification

A portable air purification apparatus for purifying contaminated air, comprising:

• (a) a reaction chamber having an inlet port and an outlet port and comprising an internal volume in which air contaminated with toxic species is heated to a temperature of at least 200° C. to thermally deactivate a substantial portion of any toxic biological species present in the contaminated air, thereby producing thermally purified air;
• (b) a heat source for heating the reaction chamber;
• (c) a counterflow heat exchanger comprising a first passage and a second passage, said first passage, and said second passage being disposed adjacent each other in heat exchange relationship, the first passage having an inlet port for receiving the contaminated air, and an outlet port in fluid communication with the inlet port of the reaction chamber, the second passage having an inlet port in fluid communication with the outlet port of the reaction chamber, and an outlet port for exhausting thermally purified air from the reaction chamber that has been cooled by passing through the counterflow heat exchanger, the contaminated air flowing through the first passage within the counterflow heat exchanger in a direction opposite that of the thermally purified air flowing in the second passage so that heat is transferred from the thermally purified air flowing through the second passage to the contaminated air flowing in the first passage to preheat the contaminated air and to cool the thermally purified air, the heat source further heating the contaminated air flowing through the enclosed passage;
• said first passage and said second passage being mesoscale in dimension;
• and
• (d) a blower in fluid communication with one of the first and the second passages, said blower causing air to flow through the counterflow heat exchanger and reaction chamber.

Apparatus for purifying air contaminated with toxic species, comprising:

• (a) a generally cylindrical-shaped housing comprising a base connected to a cylindrical shell, which in turn is connected to a cover in which a plurality of inlet ports are disposed for receiving incoming contaminated air, said base having at least one exhaust port defined therein for exhausting purified air;
• (b) a counterflow heat exchanger having a thermal efficiency in excess of 85%, said counterflow heat exchanger comprising:
• (i) a first annular volume defined by the cylindrical shell, the cover, and an internal cylinder, said internal cylinder having a plurality of outlet ports;
• and
• (ii) an array of spaced-apart heat exchange plates disposed within the first annular volume, extending radially between the cylindrical shell and the internal cylinder, and extending from the cover toward an edge disposed generally adjacent to the base, a plurality of inlet channels and a plurality of outlet channels being respectively defined between adjacent heat exchange plates, said plurality of inlet channels alternating with said plurality of outlet channels, said plurality of inlet ports providing an inlet into each inlet channel, such that air flowing through the inlet channels flows in an opposite direction relative to that flowing through the outlet channels;
• (c) a reaction chamber disposed in the base, receiving the contaminated air flowing from the inlet channels, producing the purified air that flows from the reaction chamber into the outlet channels, said reaction chamber comprising a second annular volume defined by a lower portion of the cylindrical shell, a lower portion of the internal cylinder, the edges of the plurality heat exchange plates, and an annular base plate extending between the cylindrical shell and the internal cylinder;
• (d) a heat source for heating the reaction chamber to a temperature sufficient to purify the contaminated air by thermally deactivating at least 90% of any toxic biological species in the contaminated air when said air is circulated through the reaction chamber, thereby converting the toxic biological species into non-viable biological species;
• and
• (e) a blower that causes the contaminated air to flow into the inlet ports and through the inlet channels, thereby preheating the contaminated air by heat exchange with the purified air exiting the reaction chamber, said preheated contaminated air flowing into the reaction chamber through the inlet channels in a direction opposite that of the purified air flowing through the outlet channels, said purified air being cooled by heat exchange with the contaminated air and being exhausted through said at least one exhaust port.

Apparatus for purifying air contaminated with toxic species, comprising:

• (a) a generally cylindrical housing having a cover disposed atop a cylindrical shell, sad cylindrical shell being connected to a base and including a plurality of inlet ports into which contaminated air flows, sad base having at least one exhaust port defined therein for exhausting purified air;
• (b) a counterflow heat exchanger comprising:
• (i) an annular volume defined by the cylindrical shell, the cover, an internal cylinder, and an annular manifold plate that extends between a lower portion of the cylindrical shell and a lower portion of the internal cylinder, said internal cylinder having a plurality of slots defined therein through which the contaminated air is received and the purified air is expelled, said annular manifold plate having a plurality of outlet ports defined therein;
• and
• (ii) an array of spaced-apart heat exchange plates disposed within the annular volume, extending radially between the internal cylinder and the cylindrical shell, and extending between the cover and the annular manifold plate, a plurality of inlet channels and a plurality of outlet channels being respectively defined between adjacent heat exchange plates, said plurality of inlet channels alternating with said plurality of outlet channels, said plurality of inlet ports providing an inlet into each inlet channel, such that the contaminated air flowing through the inlet channels flows in an opposite direction relative to that of the purified air flowing through the outlet channels;
• a spacing between adjacent spaced-apart plates being mesoscale in dimension;
• (c) a reaction chamber comprising a cylindrical volume defined by the internal cylinder, the cover, and a circular bottom plate, said reaction chamber receiving the contaminated air flowing from the inlet channels through the plurality of slots, said purified air flowing from the reaction chamber into the outlet channels through the plurality of slots;
• (d) a heat source for heating the reaction chamber to a temperature sufficient to purify the contaminated air by thermally deactivating at least 90% of any toxic biological species in the contaminated air when said air is circulated through the reaction chamber, thereby converting the toxic biological species into non-viable biological species;
• and
• (e) a blower that causes the contaminated air to flow into the inlet ports and through the inlet channels, thereby preheating the contaminated air by heat exchange with the purified air exiting the reaction chamber, said contaminated air that is preheated flowing into the reaction chamber through the inlet channels in a direction opposite that of the purified air flowing through the outlet channels, said purified air being cooled by heat exchange with the contaminated air and being exhausted through said at least one exhaust port.

Apparatus for purifying air contaminated with toxic organic and/or biological species, comprising:

• (a) a generally cube-shaped housing comprising a front panel, a rear panel, a base plate, a top panel, and two side panels, one of said top panel and said front panel having a plurality of inlet ports defined therein for receiving contaminated air, said top panel having a plurality of outlet ports defined therein for expelling purified air;
• (b) a counterflow heat exchanger disposed within the housing and comprising a plurality of heat exchange plates extending from the top panel to an edge disposed generally adjacent to the base plate, a plurality of inlet channels and a plurality of outlet channels being respectively defined between adjacent heat exchange plates, said plurality of inlet channels alternating with said plurality of outlet channels, said plurality of inlet ports providing an inlet into each inlet channel, such that the contaminated air flowing through the plurality of inlet channels flows in an opposite direction relative to that of the purified air flowing through the plurality of outlet channels, said purified air exiting from the plurality of outlet channels through the plurality of outlet ports;
• (c) a reaction chamber disposed in a base portion of the housing beneath the edges of the heat exchange plates, said reaction chamber receiving the contaminated air from the inlet channels, said purified air flowing from the reaction chamber into the outlet channels;
• (d) a heat source for heating the reaction chamber to a temperature sufficient to purify the contaminated air by thermally deactivating at least 90% of any toxic biological species in the contaminated air when said air is circulated through the reaction chamber, thereby converting the toxic biological species into non-viable biological species;
• (e) a plenum disposed adjacent the top panel, said plenum receiving the purified air flowing through the plurality of outlet ports;
• and
• (f) a blower that causes the contaminated air to flow into the plurality of inlet ports and through the plurality of inlet channels, thereby preheating the contaminated air by heat exchange with the purified air exiting the reaction chamber, said contaminated air that is preheated flowing into the reaction chamber through the plurality of inlet channels in a direction opposite that of the purified air flowing through the plurality of outlet channels, said purified air being cooled by heat exchange with the contaminated air and flowing through the plurality of outlet ports into the plenum and out through said at least one exhaust port.