Design of Air Purifiers for Aircraft Passenger Cabins Based on Photocatalytic Oxidation Technology

An approach to airliner passenger cabin contaminant removal based on ultraviolet light (UV) illumination of the photoactive semiconductor, titania (T₁O₂), at room temperature is described. This technology is effective at conversion of harmful volatile organic compounds (VOC) to generally non-toxic compounds, and is also effective at killing bioaerosols. Factors unique to the airliner cabin environment make this a particularly promising application for this technology. This paper describes prototype test results and design methodologies needed for application of the technology to aircraft passenger cabins. The requirements of purifiers for airliners in terms of power consumption, size and weight, and life cycle costs will be compared to those for activated carbon adsorption. It will also be shown that photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) reactors designed for VOC control can supplant high efficiency particulate arresting (HEPA) filters for bioaerosol control. The design of compact purifiers for retrofitting existing airliners will be discussed.