IONIZATION - NEGATIVE ION GENERATION

About different air cleaning systems, pros and cons and applications

• The need for clean air

• Type of Air Cleaners

• Electrostatic Air Cleaners

• Negative Ion Generation

• What are Negative Ions?

• Ever wonder why the air smells so fresh during electrical storms, near waterfalls or by the sea shore?

• Benefits of Negative Ion Generators

• How Negative Ions Purify the Air

• Commercial Applications

The Need for Clean Air:
Indoor air pollution is among the top five environmental health risks.

The sources of airborne gaseous organic compounds include tobacco smoke, building materials and furnishings, and products such as paints, dyes, deodorizers, cleaning chemicals, adhesives and pesticides.

The indoor air quality of most homes and commercial buildings lack the proper "electronic" balance needed to provide an environment that is healthy and clean.

The desire to build "air tight" homes and buildings to reduce energy consumption has also drastically reduced the quality of the air inside these facilities.

In addition, since most homes and buildings are located in urban environments with asphalt and concrete streets and parking areas plus densely packed buildings, the air in urban areas is not "electrictronically" balanced to provide good outside air quality.

Most particles including dust, pollen, smoke, animal dander, odors, and chemical fumes have a positive charge.

Because of the construction of current homes and buildings to reduce energy loss, these buildings generally have inadequate amounts of negative ions in the indoor air.

In addition, fluorescent lights, computer screens, plasma and LCD TVs, ventilation systems and newer building materials and fabrics contain a high concentration of positive ions.

There have been many scientific studies that have shown that positive ions can lead to tiredness, fatigue and irritability.

There are several types of air cleaners for domestic and commercial use.

There are pros and cons for each type.

Below you will find some of the more common air cleaning devices:

Electrostatic Air Cleaners:

These devices use charged plates to attract positively charged particles as they move through the air.

They are extremely good particle separators with up to 99,9% separation ability for particles down to 0.15-0.3 micro.

They are generally designed for small areas and can clean only a small amount of air. They do not have filters but they do have plates that need to be cleaned periodically or after an alarm signal.

They are good energy savers because they have a constant pressure drop, i.e. no increase of energy use after increasing pressure drop.

They are suitable for hospitals, industries, offices and many other types of buildings.

Electrostatic filters in combination with negative ion generators remove several gases, odors and smells.

Electrostatic filters always provide operational status for running indication and alarms.

Electrostatic filters can with significant effectiveness remove all air suspended pollutants, even those so-called fine particles (0.15 - 0.20 micro/size).

Electrostatic filters do not eliminate gases or emissions.

Electrostatic filters remove viruses and bacteria (microorganisms).

Electrostatic filters can in combination with powerful negative ion generation (after the filter) in some degree reduce the presence of certain gases. (We have not seen any tests, but there is laboratory evidence to support this claim).

Electrostatic filters can in combination with negative ion generation effectively eliminate microorganisms and mold.

The exact removal process has been proven and documented by several authorized tests aiming at confirming the efficiency of combining the two methods.

Electrostatic filtration appears to reduce isocyanates but at AP we have no direct experience of how it works.

More about electrostatic filters

Below, some gases, which are affected in a decreasing or an increasing degree by ionization:

• Acetone (reduction)

• Ammoniac (reduction)

• Benzene (positive change)

• Butane (positive change)

• Carbon Monoxide (reduction)

• Hydrogen Cyanide (reduction)

• Methane (reduction)

• Nitrogen Oxide (reduction)

• Nitrogen Dioxide (reduction)

• Nitrous oxide (reduction)

• Styrene (positive change)

Negative Ion Generation:
This type of air cleaner generates negative ions which then attract the positively charged particles in a building causing them to fall to the floor or become inert.

These negative ion generators use voltage to create the negative ions which are particles with one or more extra electrons.

These devices do not have tubes or filters so they are much easier to maintain.

Negative Ion Emitter mounted before the filter:

Unwanted in-coming particles are lumped together and get stuck in a filter.

This method increases the pressure drop. Filters need to be replaced more often and the energy consumption increases.

The negative ion generation serves primarily as a protection aginst too much pollution in the plasma ionization system.

The particle separation is not that high - and completely dependent on the filter selection.

Negative Ion Emitter mounted after the electrostatic filter:
The negative ion generation adjusts the particle separation down to 0.1 micro.

In combination with the assembly before the filter, this method contributes in a positive way to:

• Extremely good clean air

• Clean air ducts

• Good energy savings

• Maintaining the right balance between positive and negative ions

• Minimal maintenance – Low life cycle costs with energy savings

• Saving of the Earth´s resources

The potential health hazard that can occur when changing the pocket filters is avoided with this system.

Electrostatic filters always provide operational status and alarms.

More about ionization and electrostatic filtration

Before negative ion generation

After negative ion generation

What are Negative Ions?
As noted above, negative ions are electrically charged particles that have extra electrons.

Air quality contaminants are positively charged particles.

When these contaminants are in the presence of negative ions, the contaminants are neutralized electrically causing the particles to fall to the floor or other surfaces and outside of the zone where humans breathe fresh air.

In order to keep the indoor air negatively charged, the generation of negative ions needs to be constant and in the normal air flow pattern.

A Negative Ion Generator creates negatively charged ions using voltage to electrically charge the passing air flow. As a result, some Ozone is produced by Negative Ion Generators.

Negative ions and Ozone are not the same thing.

A negative ion is an oxygen atom with an extra electron and is odorless.

Ozone is oxygen paired with an extra oxygen atom and can have a distinct odor in high concentrations.

Negative ions and Ozone perform different functions in cleaning the air.

Negative ions can remove pollen, dust and mold.

Ozone can eliminate odors and some pollutants as can negative ions.

An excess of negative ions in a room is a good thing for a person’s well being. However, excess Ozone levels can be harmful to your health.

• Reduction of pollen levels

• Reduction of animal dander

• Elimination of mold spores

• Reduction of dust and dust mite levels

• Elimination of smoke

• Reduction of hay fever and asthma symptoms

• Mood improvement

• Improvement in depression and seasonal affective disorder symptoms

• Improvement in chronic fatigue symptoms

• Reduction in household odors

• Reduction in chemical odors from materials or fabrics

AP meets the requirements for the EU-certificates for

• Low voltage

• High voltage

• EMC

• The Machinery Directive

More about LCC calculations:

• LCC-filter

• Heat Exchangers

• Mixing Dampers