- 3 September 2007 -

ASHRAE researches photocatalytic oxidation

ASHRAE plans to look into new ways of analyzing by-products from photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) air cleaning devices, thereby improving understanding of the technology.

"This research will lead to a new generation of air cleaners that have both low energy operation and low release of chemicals," said Carolyn Kerr, a member of ASHRAE’s Technical Committee (TC) 2.3, Gaseous Air Contaminants and Gas Contaminant Removal Equipment, which is overseeing the project. "This will assist in providing an optimal indoor environment for buildings, vehicles and facilities for comfort, health and productivity of occupants."

PCO, used for removal of gaseous contaminants, requires less energy to operate than many existing filter systems, according to Kerr. In the best-case scenario, all of the contaminants removed are converted to non-threatening levels of carbon dioxide and water. However, the contaminant conversion process has the potential to release chemicals that are less desirable than the ones being removed from the air stream, Kerr said.

www.ashrae.org

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