Method and system for reduction of unwanted gases in indoor air

Abstract

Some embodiments of the disclosure are directed to an air treatment system, and corresponding methodology, for at least partially removing at least one gaseous contaminant contained in indoor air of a room structured for human occupants. In some embodiments, the system may comprise an air treatment assembly having an indoor air inlet configured to receive indoor airflow directly from a room, a regenerable adsorbent material configured to adsorb at least one gaseous contaminant contained in the indoor airflow, at least one airflow element for directing the indoor airflow to flow through the air treatment assembly, an indoor air outlet for expelling the indoor air, from the air treatment assembly back into the room, a purge air inlet configured to receive and direct purge air from the room over and/or through the adsorbent material for removal of at least a portion of the at least one gaseous contaminant, and a purge air outlet for expelling the purge air out of the air treatment assembly.

1 . An air treatment system, comprising:
 an air treatment assembly having:
 one or more air inlets configured to receive airflow from an enclosed environment; 
 a regenerable adsorbent material; 
 at least one airflow element for directing the airflow to flow through the air treatment assembly; 
 an indoor air outlet for expelling the airflow, treated by the regenerable adsorbent material, from the air treatment assembly; and 
 a purge air outlet for expelling a purging airflow out of the air treatment assembly; 
   wherein the air treatment system is configured to operate cyclically in at least two modes, an adsorption mode wherein:
 a first air inlet of the one or more air inlets is configured to receive indoor airflow from the enclosed environment, and the regenerable adsorbent material is configured to adsorb at least one gaseous contaminant contained in the indoor airflow, and 
   a regeneration mode wherein:
 a second air inlet of the one or more air inlets is configured to receive indoor airflow as the purging airflow, the purging airflow configured to regenerate the regenerable adsorbent material by removing at least a portion of the at least one gaseous contaminant adsorbed by the regenerable adsorbent material;
 wherein the second air inlet is the same as the first air inlet, and 
 
 a controller system for controlling at least the cyclic operation of the adsorption mode and the regeneration mode cycle by controlling the at least one airflow element. 
   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . An air treatment system, comprising:
 an air treatment assembly having:
 one or more air inlets configured to receive airflow from an enclosed environment: 
 a regenerable adsorbent material; 
 at least one airflow element for directing the airflow to flow through the air treatment assembly; 
 an indoor air outlet for expelling the airflow, treated by the regenerable adsorbent material, from the air treatment assembly; and 
 a purge air outlet for expelling a purging airflow out of the air treatment assembly; 
   wherein the air treatment system is configured to operate cyclically in at least two modes, an adsorption mode wherein:
 a first air inlet of the one or more air inlets is configured to receive indoor airflow from the enclosed environment, and the regenerable adsorbent material is configured to adsorb at least one gaseous contaminant contained in the indoor airflow, and 
   a regeneration mode wherein:
 a second air inlet of the one or more air inlets is configured to receive indoor airflow as the purging airflow, the purging airflow configured to regenerate the regenerable adsorbent material by removing at least a portion of the at least one gaseous contaminant adsorbed by the regenerable adsorbent material,
 wherein the first air inlet and the second air inlet join to form a single air inlet for receiving indoor airflow into the air treatment assembly, and 
 
 a controller system for controlling at least the cyclic operation of the adsorption mode and the regeneration mode cycle by controlling the at least one airflow element. 
   
     
     
         4 . The air treatment system of  claim 1 , further comprising a closed loop return path for connecting the purge air outlet to the second air inlet so that at least a portion of the expelled purging airflow re-enters the air treatment assembly via the second air inlet. 
     
     
         5 . The air treatment system of  claim 4 , further comprising one or more sensors for measuring a concentration of gaseous contaminant in the expelled purging airflow, wherein an amount of the portion of the expelled purging airflow is determined by the controller system based on a measurement of the one or more return path sensors. 
     
     
         6 . The air treatment system of  claim 5 , further comprising a return path airflow element, wherein the controller system is configured to control the amount of the portion of the expelled purging airflow using the return path airflow element. 
     
     
         7 . The air treatment system of  claim 1 , wherein the indoor air outlet expels the treated airflow into the enclosed environment. 
     
     
         8 . The air treatment system of  claim 1 , further comprising a fan-coil unit operationally coupled to the air treatment assembly and located within or adjacent to the enclosed environment, wherein the indoor air outlet is configured to expel the treated airflow so as to direct the treated airflow into or towards the fan-coil unit. 
     
     
         9 . The air treatment system of  claim 1 , further comprising an air handling unit (AHU) operationally coupled to the air treatment assembly and configured to at least one of heat and cool the treated airflow, wherein the indoor air outlet is configured to expel the treated airflow so as to direct the treated airflow into or towards the AHU. 
     
     
         10 . The air treatment system of  claim 1 , further comprising an air handling unit (AHU) configured to at least one of heat and cool the treated air, wherein the air treatment assembly is arranged within AHU. 
     
     
         11 . The air treatment system of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more sensors for measuring a concentration of the at least one gaseous contaminant and/or detecting a presence of the at least one gaseous contaminant, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to generate a signal corresponding to the concentration of the at least one gaseous contaminant and/or the presence of the at least one gaseous contaminant, and transmit the signal to the controller system. 
     
     
         12 . The air treatment system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one airflow element comprises at least one of a fan, a blower, a damper and a shutter. 
     
     
         13 . The air treatment system of  claim 1 , wherein the air treatment assembly is configured as a portable unit. 
     
     
         14 . The air treatment system of  claim 1 , further comprising a heat source for heating the purging airflow, the heat source selected from the group consisting of: a heat pump, a furnace, solar heat, an electrical coil and hot water. 
     
     
         15 . The air treatment system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one gaseous contaminant is selected from the group consisting of: carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, formaldehyde, sulfur oxides, radon, ozone, nitrous oxides and carbon monoxide. 
     
     
         16 . The air treatment system of  claim 1 , wherein the adsorbent material comprises at least one of: activated carbon, carbon particles, solid amines, solid supported amine, molecular sieves, porous silica, porous alumina, carbon fibers, metal organic frameworks, porous polymers and polymer fibers. 
     
     
         17 . The air treatment system of  claim 1 , further comprising a heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the purging airflow exiting the air treatment assembly to an indoor air incoming as a fresh purging airflow. 
     
     
         18 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . An air treatment method, comprising:
 receiving indoor airflow from an enclosed environment through an indoor air inlet;   directing the indoor airflow by at least one airflow element to flow through a regenerable adsorbent material;   adsorbing, during an adsorption mode, at least one gaseous contaminant contained in the indoor airflow by the regenerable adsorbent material;   expelling the indoor airflow treated by the adsorbent material via an indoor air outlet;   receiving and directing, during a regeneration mode, indoor air as an incoming purging airflow over and/or through the adsorbent material for removal of at least a portion of the at least one gaseous contaminant adsorbed by the adsorbent material,
 the incoming purging airflow being received and directed over and/or through the adsorbent material via the indoor air inlet; 
   expelling the purging airflow out of the adsorbent material; and   controlling at least an operation of the adsorption mode and/or the regeneration mode by controlling at least one airflow element.   
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . The air treatment method of  claim 23 , wherein the incoming purging airflow is further received and directed over and/or through the adsorbent material via a purging airflow inlet separate from the indoor air inlet. 
     
     
         26 . The air treatment method of  claim 23 , further comprising returning at least a portion of the expelled purging airflow back into the incoming purging airflow via a closed loop return path configured to connect the expelled purging airflow with the incoming purging airflow. 
     
     
         27 . The air treatment method of  claim 23 , wherein the expelled indoor airflow treated by the adsorbent material is transferred to a fan-coil unit located within or adjacent to the enclosed environment. 
     
     
         28 . The air treatment method of  claim 23 , wherein the expelled indoor airflow treated by the adsorbent material is transferred to an air handling unit (AHU) configured to at least one of heat and cool the treated airflow. 
     
     
         29 . The air treatment method of  claim 23 , further comprising measuring a concentration of the at least one gaseous contaminant and/or detecting a presence of the at least one gaseous contaminant with one or more sensors, and transmitting a signal generated by the one or more sensors and corresponding to the concentration of the at least one gaseous contaminant and/or the presence of the at least one gaseous contaminant to a controller system. 
     
     
         30 . The air treatment method of  claim 23 , further comprising facilitating thermal communication of the expelled purging airflow with the incoming purging airflow so as to effect transfer of heat between the expelled purging airflow and the incoming purging airflow. 
     
     
         31 . The air treatment method of  claim 23 , further comprising heating the purging airflow using a heat source selected from the group consisting of: a heat pump, a furnace, solar heat, an electrical coil and hot water. 
     
     
         32 . The air treatment method of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one gaseous contaminant is selected from the group consisting of: carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, formaldehyde, sulfur oxides, radon, ozone, nitrous oxides and carbon monoxide. 
     
     
         33 . The air treatment method of  claim 23 , wherein the adsorbent material comprises at least one of: activated carbon, carbon particles, solid supported amine, molecular sieves, porous silica, porous alumina, carbon fibers, metal organic frameworks, porous polymers and polymer fibers. 
     
     
         34 . The air treatment method of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one airflow element comprises at least one of a fan, a blower, a damper and a shutter.