To address the rising threat posed by air pollution, the requirement of an ideal air purification unit is essential. Our proposal aims to cleanse indoor air, both on space and on the Earth, of harmful pathogenic microorganisms, in the awakening of the COVID-19 pandemic, of particulate matter and of pollutants.
To approach this challenge of purification of indoor air in space, we first drew inspiration and meticulously engineered Advanced Astroculture (ADVASC) investigation’s novel air scrubber used on the ISS to not only effectively manage ethylene released by plants but also to rid the air of up to 98% of pathogens. To tackle CO2 exhaled by onboard personnel zeolite crystals will be used to capture, compress and pump the unwanted CO2 into space. Lastly, particulate matter will be purified using HEPA filters.
As for our Earth-based solution, cutting edge clod plasma technology will be used to rid the air, which will be made to flow through a cold plasma generator, of 99% of its viruses bacteria and other pathogens. HEPA filters, similar to those proposed in our aforementioned space-based solution will be present at the entry and exit point for the air entering the plasma generator to remove all particulate matter or various size ranges.
Thus, our proposal tackles a large number of heated problems and provides a wholesome, well-rounded solution to our challenge.
The coronavirus has wreaked havoc in our day to day lives, the consequential decline in human activities has provided Mother Nature an opportunity to recuperate from her remorseless exploitation by mankind. The most prominent change was seen in the sharp drop in air pollution and significant improvement in air quality.
The escalating space market opportunities further inspired us to develop a system for indoor air purification on Earth as well as in space.
This eye-opener instilled us with hope, by showing us that we can overcome the seemingly insurmountable climatic problems we face today if each and every person contributes to this initiative. This inspired us to participate in this Hackathon to not only propose a novel and cutting edge technological solutions, but also to contribute our part as citizens of the Earth.
APPROACH TO DEVELOPING THE PROJECT
Air quality and management have become a pressing matter in space as well as on Earth.
While developing this project, we wished to leave no stone unturned and decided to tackle filtering pathogens, in response to the awareness brought by the devastating coronavirus, as well as purifying the air of particulate matter and pollutants. Therefore we have proposed robust methods to cleanse the air of impurities and contaminants on Earth and in space.
Our proposed solution like the novel air scrubber and the activated carbon filters not only help purify the air but also allow the growth of plants by removing ethylene and help clean the atmosphere respectively, thus playing a dual beneficial role.
In addition to the aforementioned in our project, we aimed to provide efficient and practical solutions to various challenges and impurities in the form of the 'Cold Plasma' and 'HEPA' air purification systems.
To conclude we aimed at developing an all-rounded and innovative proposal.
Air purification is not a task of great ease but a matter of immense precision and meticulousness. Therefore, we turned to the working and mechanisms of the ISS and studied the methods adopted there to kick-start our progress.
Drawing inspiration from the ISS (International Space Station) we proposed to utilize Advanced Astroculture (ADVASC) investigation’s novel air scrubber. The Scrubber is a successfully tested device that removes ethylene as well as 98% of pathogens from the air.
For building our project and solution we made use of the following software:-
PROBLEMS
Primarily, the challenge we faced was to ensure the working of the novel air scrubber in tandem with our CO2 and particulate matter management project in space.
Further, we faced a challenge whilst brainstorming a cohesive robust system to purify indoor air, was considering the longevity and efficiency of our proposal in matters of the removal of particulate matter, pollutants, and pathogens. Some of the impending challenges we faced related to the efficiency of our systems and those relating to human safety.
ACHIEVEMENTS
This hackathon provided us with an opportunity to utilize and express our creativity, passion for space research, and our desire to contribute our part in combating this virus as well as pushing the frontiers of extraterrestrial exploration.
It also served as a medium for us to voice our scientific proposals to reputed organizations such as NASA, ESA and JAXA for their review.
Our greatest achievement in this project was none other than the vast wealth of knowledge we acquired during our research. Apart from this, the brief time period taught us how to effectively construct a project, step by step, in a team, within a given time frame.
The demo of our project, in the form of a 5 slide PowerPoint presentation attachment which can be downloaded via a "PPT icon" found towards the end of the page.
The following is the link: https://teamtheos.wixsite.com/puryifyingtheair
1.Cold Plasma
2..Air Purification
3. CO2 removal (Using Zeolites)