Enhanced photo-catalytic cells

Abstract

A photo-catalytic cell may produce bactericidal molecules in air by passing air across catalyst coated targets. Ultraviolet (UV) energy may be emitted from a source. A first portion of the UV energy from the source may be applied directly onto the targets. A second portion of the UV energy from the source may be reflected onto the targets.

1 . An apparatus for ionizing air, the apparatus comprising:
 a first target including:
 an inner side arranged to receive ultra-violet (“UV”) energy from a UV emitter, 
 an outer side that abuts a region where an airflow is unobstructed, 
 a plurality of passages extending continuously between the inner side and the outer side, and 
 a photo-catalytic coating on the plurality of passages, wherein the photo-catalytic coating comprises titanium dioxide; 
   a first reflector configured to reflect UV energy from the UV emitter towards the photo-catalytic coating of the first target, wherein the first reflector is a specular UV reflector; and   wherein the first target is arranged to:
 receive, through the inner side and at the photo-catalytic coating, UV energy from the UV emitter and UV energy from the first reflector, wherein incident angles of specularly reflected UV ray paths received from the first reflector are greater than incident angles of UV ray paths received directly from the UV emitter, 
 ionize air in response to the received UV energy, and 
 pass the airflow from the inner side and through the plurality of passages to carry the ionized air away from the outer side.