Airission – validation of a sustainable and intelligent air purification technology for all types of real estates

Air pollution is causing illness and thousands of deaths in Sweden.

In 2019, 47% of the population was exposed to concentrations above the WHO´s new guideline values for fine particulate matter PM2.5 (ISBN 978-91-620-1308-0). Poor indoor air quality is a major problem in Sweden and internationally.

In fact, over 50% of homes in Sweden do not meet the requirements for air circulation.The size of the most harmful particles is 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) and smaller. The smaller the more dangerous. Larger particles that we breathe in irritate the upper respiratory tract. The smaller particles reach the furthest reaches of the alveoli in the lungs and then pass into the blood.

There they cause small micro-inflammations that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and cancer.Purification of air from particles is traditionally done by filters, which capture the particles.

Most often it is a two-stage filter where the first filter takes the large amount of particles, those larger than 0.5-1 µm.

Then, if you need really clean air, a so-called HEPA or ULPA filters that remove basically all remaining particles (less than 0.5 µm).A problem today arises when measuring indoor air quality. You the weight of the amount of particles smaller than 10 µm or 2.5 µm. However, there are no requirements for a maximum amount of particles smaller than, say, 1 µm.

At the same time, the smaller the particles, the more difficult they are to catch, and the more dangerous they are to our health.

The result can therefore be that the indoor air meets the requirements set by PM10 and PM2.5, but the air can still be hazardous to health, as the amount of even smaller particles, despite air purification, is high.Another problem is that the air filter works until it is full of particles, which means it needs to be changed regularly.

The intervals depend on the filter size and amount of particles in the incoming air, changes every 3–6 months are common in many real estates. These exchanges are cumbersome. First, the equipment must be turned off. Spent filter must then be exchanged and sent for destruction. If it contains dangerous particles it must be handled as dangerous goods.

Then a new filter must be installed, the equipment assembled and started up again.

Not infrequently, special clothing and protection are required when changing, often you have to stop your business while the change takes place.

This process is further complicated for the more complex filters, such as HEPA and ULPA filters, which are more expensive and also often have stricter requirements for destruction.All this means that it costly to achieve good indoor air quality and ventilate buildings.

According to Svensk Ventilation, a "normal" energy cost for filters, calculated as a percentage of the total system, can be up to 30%.

The cost of heating and ventilation is always a significant part of the operating cost of a building.Since 2007, the team behind Airission has developed a unique technology for ventilation that drastically increases the opportunities for property owners to ensure clean indoor air on a par with so-called HEPA filters, but without all the costs and problems that today´s filter solutions entail.The innovation is based on a concept for the purification of fluids using vanes, in a volume that is subjected to centrifugal force.Thanks to the significant savings this provides, it is the world´s first scalable, digitized solution for ventilation in all types of buildings.

The supply of clean air can thus be secured for the first time in indoor environments as the cost of the same will be significantly lower.

The overall aim of the project is to demonstrate the system in a real environment, in different types of properties, with different requirements for cleanliness.In order to get past TRL 6 and be able to prepare for market introduction, Airission now needs to demonstrate the filter´s ability to continuously drain out separated particles over time.The project will al