Design and Fabrication of a Small Scale Urban Air Purification Tower

In the 21st century, air pollution has become a major environmental concern to human health, it has a significant impact on the quality of life. Air pollution is contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteris

Project Title

Design and Fabrication of a Small Scale Urban Air Purification Tower

Project Area of Specialization

Mechanical Engineering

Project Summary

In the 21st century, air pollution has become a major environmental concern to human health, it has a significant impact on the quality of life. Air pollution is contamination
of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere, from smog hanging over cities to smoke inside the home. According to World Health Organization (WHO) studies, 4.2 million deaths occur every year because of exposure to outdoor air pollution and 3.8 million deaths due to indoor air pollution; south-east Asia and western pacific regions have the highest number of these premature deaths. Major components of outdoor air pollution are Particulate Matter (PM), Ozone (O3), Carbon monoxide (CO), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Lead (Pb), Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s). Fine Particles (PM2.5) are considered to be the most fatal pollutant out of the above mentioned.
To determine the primary standards that are meant to protect public health with a sufficient margin of safety Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established an Air Quality Index (AQI).  Particles with an aerodynamic diameter of fewer than 2.5 microns are regarded as PM2.5 and 10 microns as PM10. PM2.5 can accumulate from a number of sources such as, industrial processes, forest fires, vehicle emissions and fossil fuel burning in power plants. These particles are also produced from indoor activities such as burning of oil and cooking. Since the size of these particles are extremely small, they can enter the lungs during inhaling and can
cause permanent lung damage and in some cases can be carcinogenic. Scientific studies have confirmed that prolonged exposure to PM2.5 can lead to chronic respiratory illness and increased hospital admissions

Outdoor air purification towers have stood out as one of the better technologies to address the above-mentioned air quality issues. Air purification towers are large-scale
stand-alone mechanical processing towers that filter and purify the contaminated air by suction from the bottom. The purified air is then passed on to the environment. The
structure is an engineering solution to modern-day air pollution by combining the aspects of Process Engineering and Fluid Mechanics. Outdoor air purification devices are still a novel technology and no such device has been installed in Karachi or anywhere in the country. According to historical data, Karachi's pollution levels are continuously worsening rather than improving and the situation is somewhat similar in almost all the major cities. Therefore, a need for an engineering solution to this problem is inevitable and thus this project has great significance.

Project Objectives

Global agencies are rigorously working for the improvement of air quality with the use of different proposed technologies. The primary motivation behind this project was to address the air quality issues of Karachi and the lack of air purification devices throughout the country.

This project is aimed towards indigenously designing and fabricating, a small-scale urban air purification tower for catering the needs of air quality in Karachi.
The main objectives:

• Observe the current situation of ambient air quality in Karachi and evaluate the significance of our project
• Post fabrication, on-field testing of our air purification tower to assess the performance.
• Evaluate the feasibility of the project to be replicated on a larger scale

Project Implementation Method

The approach of this project begins with a thorough review of the existing literature in the field and core concepts of engineering knowledge. The following step entails the design calculations based on the heat losses, velocities and volume flow rates. Further includes the detailed discussion on the parametric study of the model along its constraints. Based on the parametric study and the economic analysis we selected the feasible dimensions of the model and further a CAD model was developed.

Benefits of the Project

Air pollution can have a variety of short- and long-term consequences. Short-term side effects include irritation of the nose, throat, eyes, or skin, as well as headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Respiratory illnesses like pneumonia and bronchitis can be caused by air pollution.

Air filtration is frequently recommended as a component of environmental control measures. Our project proposes the prospect of such needs. Air purifiaction could balance the following: 

• Ensure appropriate ventilation with air flow.
• Capacity to allow for appropriate cost-effective maintenance schedules without impacting airflow and efficiency.
• Efficiency to filter out a variety of tiny particle sizes.

Below are the few benefits of our AIr Purfication tower:

• Reduce the risk of airborne illness

• Protect your children and the elderly

• Improve your overall wellness

• Appreciate better climate control

• Increases Productivity

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

Our project drives its working concept from Solar chimney power plants that work on the buoyancy principle, where the air is heated through the greenhouse effect generated by solar radiation (heat energy) at low costs. Solar radiations are transmitted through a glass cover and strike the absorber plate at the bottom creating a greenhouse effect and raising the temperature of present at the bottom of the base. Heated air due to a change in density due to temperature difference will rise upwards through the chimney opening.

As the aim of our project is to purify the air, hence we are using HEPA filters. These filters will be attached at the base of our model from where outside air will enter the base free of dust and PM particles and due to natural draft air circulation will flow in the upward direction and hence making a freshly purified air pocket in its vicinity.

The base of our model is a 5ft x 5ft square-shaped box made of Mild steel angle rods, that incorporates an absorber plate, glass cover, and filters. The height of the chimney is 10ft for the maximum area spread of the air.

Final Deliverable of the Project

Hardware System

Core Industry

Manufacturing

Other Industries

Core Technology

Others

Other Technologies

Clean Tech

Sustainable Development Goals

Good Health and Well-Being for People, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Climate Action, Life on Land

Required Resources

If you need this project, please contact me on contact@adikhanofficial.com