An air filter is a device that removes solid particles from the air that can be harmful to human health if inhaled. These particles can include dust, pollen, mold, fibers, germs, and more. It uses a physical and/or chemical process with fibrous pleated paper, foam, cotton, ionizers, activated carbon, absorbents, chemicals, catalysts, and other materials. Air filters are used in buildings, transportation, public areas, and industries where there is air pollution due to environmental conditions or the nature of the work or process.
Air filters are essential for maintaining a healthy indoor environment. They help to reduce the amount of dust, dirt, pollen, mold spores, and other airborne particles that can cause allergies and other respiratory illnesses. They also help to improve the efficiency of heating and cooling systems by preventing dust and dirt from clogging up the system. The effectiveness of an air filter depends on its MERV rating.
MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value and is a measure of how well the filter will remove material from the air. Standard MERV values range from 1 to 16. The higher the MERV rating, the more effective the filter will be at removing particles from the air. Air filters are used in applications where air quality is important, especially in building ventilation systems and engines. Air passes through the filter and the material removes particles and other contaminants from the air.
Gas turbine air intake filter technology has improved significantly in recent years due to improvements in aerodynamics and fluid dynamics of the air compressor part of gas turbines. An air cleaner is generally made of a spun glass fiber material or of pleated paper or cloth enclosed in a cardboard frame. Filtration generally occurs when spent air is returned to the HVAC equipment to be conditioned and redistributed. Another method, air ionizers, use fibers or elements with static electrical charge which attract dust particles. There are many commercial options for air filtration available for use in homes, workplaces, hospitals, hotels, transportation, etc.
There are a wide variety of technologies and user-defined requirements for air filters; therefore there are no standardized regulations on the performance and effectiveness of air filters. A chemical air filter is an absorber or catalyst for the removal of airborne molecular contaminants such as volatile organic compounds or ozone.
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