The project addresses the challenge by setting a system that depends on the air purification of three factors that affect making it polluted. At first, they are biological pollutants such as bacteria and viruses, and the way to remove them is by using ultraviolet rays to destroy genetic material of these pathogens. Destroying pathogens is a part that has been taken into consideration because of COVID-19 breakthrough and in anticipation of the presence of any pathogens. As it makes it guaranteed for places provided with the system to get air with no panic about being infected with any pathogens spreading.
The second factor is the reduction of Co2 present in the air as an impactful gas in causing global warming using carbon battery that can enable reusing Co2 for a required reaction to produce water and methane when reacting with hydrogen.
Finally, remove the particulate matter, which has an effective role in causing health problems with many people and sabotaging the respiratory system. Using NASA's data of weather forecasting and indication of hot regions by assistance of satellites, we will be able to know the regions suffer from hot weather. As hot weather indicates presence of big ratios from particulate matter. Consequently, when hot weather exist many diseases spread, that is why providing these places with the system will provide better air for populations in these regions.
The project shows applicability at homes, factories, companies and shops.
On the other hand, this system is primarily intended for application in the International Space Station because it does not only clean the air from pollutants and produces better air for inhalation on Earth. In return, it will provide spaceships with oxygen gas and water. In addition, a final reaction of the system will produce methane as fuel for space crafts.
Air pollution caused 8.8 million premature deaths worldwide in 2015. This corresponds to an average reduction in life expectancy per capita of 2.9 years. In comparison, tobacco smoking reduces the life expectancy by an average of 2.2 years, HIV / AIDS by 0.7 years, parasitic and vector-borne diseases such as malaria by 0.6 years. In addition, the news of Covid-19 virus infections does not stop on a daily basis and it is mostly due to the drizzles of the infectious people that has the ability to stay in air for long periods of time, and be transmitted to others.
So, this project is developed to solve for different kinds of air pollutants which are:
- Bacteria & Viruses. (Including COVID-19).
- High concentrations of carbon dioxide gas.
- Suspended harmful particles.
It is also directed not only to purify but also to produce useful products whether it is conducted on space or even in homes and companies on earth, which are:
- Oxygen for enhancing air quality.
- Water.
- Methane as a fuel.
Materials used:
1- UVC light source: as the UVC rays as it has the ability to destroy the genetic material (DNA or RNA) of the viruses and bacteria, so they cannot survive anymore.
2- Air conditioning filter: to catch the very small-sized particles suspended in the air.
3- Specialized battery: to absorb carbon dioxide from the air. As the battery charges, an electrochemical reaction takes place at the surface of each of a stack of electrodes. These are coated with a compound called polyanthraquinone, which is composited with carbon nanotubes. The electrodes have a natural affinity for carbon dioxide and readily react with its molecules in the airstream, even when it is present at very low concentrations. The reverse reaction takes place when the battery is discharged.
4- Titanium dioxide: it is used as a photocatalyst to split the water vapor of the air after condensation by passing on a cooling system. So, it produces oxygen gas that goes out to the air and hydrogen gas that will be stored for another process.
5- Hydrogen gas reacts with carbon dioxide gas (from the discharging of the battery) to produce water and methane gas as a fuel.
4H2 + CO2 → 2H2O +CH4
6- “Animaker” website is used to a video for illustrating the project.
-Using (NASA's EarthData) website observing Aerosol optical depth and Aerosol index, it can be indicated regions suffer from temperature elevations as aerosols are of most reasons causing high temperature. Hence, depending on NASA's data is an integral part of the system to specify regions on Earth that needed to be provided with the system.
To reach this final shape of the project, a problem has been faced:
- At first the project was conducted using a type of chemical sorbents to catch up carbon dioxide gas from the air but it was found that for this sorbent to react with CO2 it needs a temperature from 150-250 Celsius degree, and for being separated from CO2 it needs temperature up to 350 Celsius degree. So, it will never suit any companies, homes or even the space crafts and it was replaced by the battery.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AU7WXVIdyCJUlv2tqJHzNJP2bbjkXcj1/view?fbclid=IwAR3NP7qpY6QOJJhu4QV0ZK_LWiuQDgkGls92uOlWoukhVO6MKZadqdwQMzg
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