Catalytic Air Purification

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DESCRIPTION: Researchers at the University of South Florida have developed the invention which relates to the field of air cleaners and provides an air recirculation system which removes, by volatilization, deleterious materials from the air. In a closed space, such as found in a spacecraft, aircraft, or submarine, the air is recycled through a filtration system and re-circulated back into the passenger cabins after converting carbon dioxide to oxygen. Conventional filtration systems are incapable of removing many of the unwanted organic contaminants from the air and thus many deleterious compounds, such as viruses, are not removed from the recycled air. This causes the spread of diseases, as well as, other types of ailments to people within confined spaces. Thus, it is desirable to remove as many unwanted foreign substances from the air. Standard filtration has proven incapable of performing this task efficiently. This invention provides an air purification system based on catalytic destruction of undesired compounds into usable gaseous compounds that are then available for inhalation. This invention also provides a system for recirculation of air in a closed loop environment that reuses the energy of the conversion of other deleterious components. ADVANTAGES: Provides a system for both oxidation and reduction of gaseous components that renders unwanted compounds usable in a ventilation system. The system uses resultant energy for either pre-treatment or downline purposes. The system, based on catalytic destruction, breaks down organics into smaller compounds before venting to the outside atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is converted to oxygen, which makes the requirement of outside sources of oxygen less stringent