CATALYTIC AIR CLEANER

CHEMICALLY CONTAMINATED AIR IS TO BE PURIFIED AND/OR DETOXIFIED BY CATALYTIC OXIDATION IN AN INTEGRAL HEAT EXCHANGER AND REACTOR. THIS DEVICE OF A DOUBLE SPIRAL MADE BY WINDING TOGETHER TWO STRIPS OF METAL COATED WITH A CATALYST. ONE SPIRAL PASSAGE LEADS INTO THE CORE OF THE SPIRAL AND THE OTHER PASSAGE LEADS OUT. AN ELECTRICAL-RESISTANCE HEATER SUPPLIES ENERGY AT THE CORE OF THE SPIRAL. THE OUTFLOWING AIR TRANSFERS THIS HEAT TO THE INFLOWING AIR THROUGH THE WALLS OF THE SPIRAL, THUS MINIMIZING THE REQUIRED HEAT INPUT FOR A SPECIFIED CORE-TEMPERATURE. OWING TO THE HEAT EXCHANGE THE CORE-TEMPERATURE-ELEVATION MAY BE MANY TIMES THE TEMPERATURE-ELEVATION IN THE EXISTING AIR. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE RESEARCH IS TO INVESTIGATE THE RATES OF HEAT TRANSFER, CATALYTIC REACTION AND HEAT LOSS AND TO DETERMINE THE NECESSARY SURFACE AREA, SPACING, HEAT INPUT, CORE TEMPERATURE, ETC., FOR REPRESENTATIVE CONTAMINANTS. CLEANING CHEMICALLY CONTAMINATED AIR IN CONFINED WORKING ANDLIVING SPACES SUCH AS: COMMERCIAL JET AIRLINERS - THERE ARE ABOUT 3,000 IN USA ALONE; CLEAN ROOMS FOR MANUFACTURING MICROELECTRONICS, ETC; MEDICAL BREATHING AIR; INSTRUMENT AIR; CHEMICAL LABORATORIES; AND KITCHENS.