Indoor air cleaning using a pulsed discharge plasma

The purpose of this paper is to develop a high-efficiency air-cleaning syst em for air pollutants such as tobacco smoke found in indoor environments, W e investigated the basic characteristics of treating particulate matter and acetaldehyde (CH3CHO) in a one-pass test using a pulse generator and a pla sma-driven catalyst reactor, both of which are attachable to an air conditi oner, Using a circulation test, the decrease in acetaldehyde concentration was measured in a closed vessel where the reactor had been placed. The remo val efficiencies of particulate matter and acetaldehyde in the one-pass tes t (residence time of 10 ms) were 70% and 27%, respectively. In the circulat ion test, 98% of the suspended particles were collected after 2 min of oper ation and the acetaldehyde concentration decreased by 70% after 50 mins, It is believed that the TiO2 catalyst is excited by plasma-induced high-energ y particles (electrons, photons, and metastable molecules), resulting in an enhanced pollutant removal, These test results indicate that the combinati on of plasma with TiO2 is a potential alternative in treating the pollutant s in environmental tobacco smoke.