It says this would make a significant contribution to programmes enabling employees to safely reoccupy premises as UVC can disinfect viruses in air moving in ductwork between areas/rooms.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently announced that the indoor airborne spread of coronavirus might be possible and transmission in crowded and poorly ventilated areas “cannot be ruled out”.
However, the REHVA (Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations) recently called for engineers to stop recirculating air in buildings in areas with a COVID-19 outbreak.
According to a recent issue of CIBSE journal, REHVA’s interim guidance on the operation and use of building services with a coronavirus disease, states that the virus particles in return ducts can re-enter a building if centralised air handling units have recirculation.
The UK’s Health & Safety Executive says the risk of air conditioning spreading coronavirus in the workplace is extremely low “as long as there is an adequate supply of fresh air and ventilation” but continues: “if you use a centralised ventilation system that removes and circulates air to different rooms, it is recommended that you turn off recirculation and use a fresh air supply”.
Ventilation and air conditioning units are an ideal breeding ground and transmission mechanism for mould, bacteria and viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, which can cause operational issues, potential litigation, spread bacteria and micro-organisms and in severe cases loss of life.
JenAct’s UV Torpedo in-duct disinfection systems are suitable for installation into HVAC systems and existing ducting, as well as for irradiation and cleaning of chiller coils.
“The recent concerns about recirculating HVAC systems mean that many businesses have their air-con turned off,” explains Dr Jarek Bilek, JenAct’s technical director. “However, our UV Torpedo® disinfection units can be retrofitted to many systems to allow them to be turned on again and actually improve air quality by disinfection of viruses in all the air passing through.”
The UV Torpedo in duct disinfection system provides UVC disinfection energy, which destroys microbial, biological and chemical contaminants as they pass through the duct, drastically improving the air quality.
The UV module consists of high output UVC lamps mounted on the custom-designed polished aluminium reflector. The UV Torpedo is mounted parallel to the air stream in order to maximise the contact time of the contaminants with the UVC energy, cleaning the air as it flows past the UVC lamps.
JenAct’s proprietary UVC modelling software, developed over many years, allows UV systems to be accurately sized to do the job in hand depending on air flow and duct dimensions.
JenAct is a participating member of the International Ultraviolet Association and holds a number of granted patents in UV generation and application. The company has been based in Whitchurch Hampshire since 1996 and is actively designing, developing and manufacturing solutions for the current COVID-19 situation.
www.jenact.co.uk