Patent attributes
An air purification reactor is described that has a variety of improvements. In one aspect, the air purification reactor includes an ionizer (or plasma chamber), an electrostatic filter, a photocatalyst, and a UV light source that is distinct from the ionizer. The ionizer is arranged to introduce ions into a gaseous fluid stream passing through the air purification device. The electrostatic filter is located downstream of the ionizer and is arranged to electrostatically filter particles from the fluid stream. The UV light source is positioned to subject the photocatalyst to ultraviolet light and may be arranged upstream, downstream, or intermediate the electrostatic filter. With this arrangement, the ultraviolet light that impinges on the photocatalyst causes a photocatalytic oxidative reaction to occur at the photocatalyst that is capable of reducing volatile organic compounds carried in the fluid stream. In other (separate) aspects, the reactor includes an absorber or an oxidation catalyst. Generally, the various aspects of the invention may be used separately or in combination with one another.
