- The DOAS (Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems) that will be used to condition Airfield Place, provide required air ventilation per ASHREA 62. This means that fresh air turnovers will meet all code requirements. Air ventilation and fresh air is used strongly in our industry to reduce the number of virus particles in the air. With bringing fresh outdoor air into a building it helps keep virus particles from concentrating inside.
- The DOAS units will also have Merv 13 filters. Filters with MERV-13 or higher ratings can trap smaller particles, including viruses.
- What is MERV? Minimum Efficiency Repor0ng Values, or MERVs, report a filter’s ability to capture larger particles between 0.3 and 10 microns (μm). This value is helpful in comparing the performance of different filters
- Additionally, a Bi-polar ionization system will be installed in the airflow from the DOAS units. The BPI system is maintenance free and does not require any part changes such as lamps/light bulbs used in UVC applications. BPI system is also self-cleaning. See below.
How Does Bipolar Ionization Work?
BPI technology uses electric voltage to convert oxygen molecules to charged atoms that inactivate airborne contaminants. These negatively and positively charged atoms, called ions, are effective against viruses, bacteria, and mold.
As a bonus, they also neutralize volatile organic compounds, odors, and allergy- causing dander. Ions are naturally present in pristine air, but pollution and other human activity deplete them. Depending on the contaminant, BPI replaces these charged particles with non-volatile gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide.
BPIs inactivate airborne pathogens in two main ways. First, the charged particles surround the microbe and break it down. In the case of viruses, the ions induce a chemical reaction on the cell membrane surface. They envelop the COVID-19 virus and puncture the protein spikes on its membrane, neutralizing them. Second, the ions attach to contaminants and enlarge them enough to be trapped by the HVAC system filters. The ionic load also makes some particles heavy enough to fall to surfaces where they can be cleaned away or further inactivated.
