Proactive air/surface decontamination system and devices

Abstract

A system for decontaminating/neutralizing breathable air and surfaces in an occupied enclosed space, i.e. building, aircraft, vehicle or greenhouse, includes mounting an atmospheric hydroxyl radical generator along an inside surface of the atmospheric hydroxyl radical generator having respective opposite air inlets and air outlets. The hydroxyl radical generator includes a polygonal housing supporting a plurality of spaced crystal-spliced UV optics, which are tubular, medical grade pure quartz optics to emit/irradiate ultraviolet in the nanometer wavelength/ultraviolet spectrum of between 100 and 400 nanometers for deactivating and neutralizing atmospheric chemicals and pathogens in breathable air and surfaces. The hydroxyl radicals contact the walls of the reaction chamber housing. The hydroxyl radicals become created and excited to react quickly with impurities including VOC, virus, bacteria and fungi, rendering them inactivated and neutral. The breathable air passes through the polygonal housing and is decontaminated and neutralized of impurities before entering the occupied enclosed space.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An aircraft incorporating apparatus for cleaning breathable air in passenger compartments thereof comprising:
 at least one duct for delivering breathable air into each said passenger compartment;   an atmospheric hydroxyl generator comprising a housing having an air inlet at one end and air outlet at an opposite end thereof mounted within each said duct for exposing ambient water vapor to a plurality of spaced crystal-spliced UV lamp optics having hydroxyl activation portions made of medical grade pure quartz material for delivering a stream of hydroxyls into said breathable air for each compartment;   each said housing containing said plurality of spaced crystal-spliced UV lamp optics, said UV lamps being tubular, medical grade pure quartz optics designed to emit/irradiate ultraviolet in the nanometer wavelength/ultraviolet spectrum of between 100 and 400 nanometers for deactivating chemicals and pathogens in said breathable air for its respective passenger compartment;   whereby hydroxyl radicals, created and excited within said walls, becoming excited sufficiently to react quickly with impurities including VOC, viruses, bacteria and mold, rendering them inactivated; and   whereby said breathable air passing through each said housing within its said duct is cleansed of said impurities before entering each said passenger compartment.   
     
     
         2 . The aircraft of  claim 1  in which a passenger compartment occupied by crew members engaged in the operation of said aircraft is supplied with breathable air by a duct and hydroxyl generator isolated from any other duct and hydroxyl generator on said aircraft for security purposes. 
     
     
         3 . The aircraft of  claim 2  in which said housing is elongated, polygon-shaped in cross section, and mounted on an inside wall surface of each respective said duct. 
     
     
         4 . The aircraft of  claim 3  in which each said housing is configured as a clamshell having a top wall, upper side walls, a hinge for opening said housing, and a bottom clamshell portion allowing for opening said housing within said duct for some maintenance, one of said upper side walls being removably attached to said inside wall surface of said duct allowing for removal of each said housing for maintenance and repair. 
     
     
         5 . The aircraft of  claim 4  in which a master events controller for each said hydroxyl generator is mounted on an outside wall surface of each said duct adjacent a respective said housing for controlling operation of said adjacent hydroxyl generator. 
     
     
         6 . The aircraft of  claim 5  in which each said housing includes baffles arranged in such a manner that said UV lamp optics are not exposed to eyes of any observers because of dangers of such exposure. 
     
     
         7 . The aircraft of  claim 6  in which each said duct is part of a separate HVAC system for each said passenger compartment. 
     
     
         8 . The aircraft of  claim 7  in which each said HVAC system is retro fit using a hole cut into its respective said duct whereby each said respective hydroxyl generator is slid in place. 
     
     
         9 . The aircraft of  claim 8  in which each said master events controller includes means to indicate failure of any of said UV lamps as detected by a UV light sensor. 
     
     
         10 . The aircraft of  claim 9  in which said master events controller also includes safety features including means for detecting opening of its respective said housing. 
     
     
         11 . The aircraft of  claim 1  wherein said retrofitting of said breathable air system comprises the step of adding and coupling said atmospheric hydroxyl generator into one or more aircraft air conduits from a remote site external to the aircraft, which, for safety reasons, provide breathable cabin air through each said conduit, each said conduit being a flexible conduit extending from a source of said fresh air external to the aircraft, to avoid engaging said atmospheric hydroxyl generator at the site of the aircraft tarmac, wherein said atmospheric hydroxyls are added to the breathable cabin air, and wherein said stream of atmospheric hydroxyls are provided from a retrofit box compartment external to the aircraft, directing said atmospheric hydroxyls through said flexible conduit into the cabin of the aircraft. 
     
     
         12 . A method for cleaning breathable air in occupied passenger compartments of an aircraft comprising the steps of:
 retrofitting and inserting an atmospheric hydroxyl generator for exposing ambient water vapor to a plurality of spaced crystal-spliced UV lamp optics having hydroxyl activation portions made of medical grade pure quartz material for delivering a stream of hydroxyls into said breathable air for each compartment, into a duct for delivering said breathable air into each said passenger compartment, each said hydroxyl generator comprising an elongated housing containing said plurality of spaced crystal-spliced UV lamp optics, said UV lamps being tubular, medical grade pure quartz optics designed to emit/irradiate ultraviolet in the nanometer wavelength/ultraviolet spectrum of between 100 and 400 nanometers for deactivating chemicals and pathogens in said breathable air, said housing having an air inlet at one end and an air outlet at an opposite end thereof;   mounting each said housing on an inside wall surface of an associated duct whereby at least a portion of air flowing through said associated duct passes through its respective hydroxyl generator;   whereby hydroxyl radicals, created and excited within said walls, becoming excited sufficiently to react quickly with impurities including VOC, viruses, bacteria and mold, rendering them inactivated; and   whereby said breathable air passing through each said housing within each said duct is cleansed of said impurities before entering an associated passenger compartment.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  in which a passenger compartment occupied by crew members engaged in the operation of said aircraft is supplied with breathable air by a duct and hydroxyl generator isolated from any other duct and hydroxyl generator on said aircraft for security purposes. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  in which each said housing is configured as a clamshell having a top wall, upper side walls, a hinge for opening said housing, and a bottom clamshell portion allowing for opening said housing within said duct for some maintenance, one of said upper side walls being removably attached to said inside wall surface of said duct allowing for removal of said housing for maintenance and repair. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  in which one of said upper side walls is removably attached to said inside wall surface of said duct allowing for removal of said housing for maintenance and repair. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  in which a master events controller for each said hydroxyl generator is mounted on an outside wall surface of each said duct adjacent its respective housing for controlling operation of said hydroxyl generator. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  in which each said housing includes baffles arranged in such a manner that said UV lamp optics are not exposed to eyes of any observers because of dangers of such exposure. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  in which each said duct is part of a HVAC system for each said passenger compartment. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  in which each passenger compartment HVAC system is retro fit using a hole cut into each said duct whereby said hydroxyl generator is slid in place. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  in which each said master events controller includes means to indicate failure of any of said UV lamps as detected by a UV light sensor. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  in which each said master events controller also includes safety features including means for detecting opening of a respective said housing. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  in which atmospheric hydroxyls are produced on site by each said hydroxyl generator. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  in which said atmospheric hydroxyls are introduced for a sufficient period of time for all surfaces, both exposed and hidden, to be cleansed of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and biological contaminants. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  in which said biological contaminants are selected from the group consisting of viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and fungi. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22  in which said site comprises a passenger cabin interior of a passenger aircraft before all passengers have departed and before and while new passengers enter. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 12  in which said atmospheric hydroxyls are introduced for a sufficient period of time for all surfaces, both exposed and hidden, to be decontaminated/neutralized of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and biological contaminants. 
     
     
         27 . The method as in  claim 12  wherein said retrofitting of said breathable air system comprises the step of adding and coupling said atmospheric hydroxyl generator into one or more aircraft air conduits from a remote site external to the aircraft, which, for safety reasons, provide breathable cabin air through each said conduit, each said conduit being a flexible conduit extending from a source of said fresh air external to the aircraft, to avoid engaging said atmospheric hydroxyl generator at the site of the aircraft tarmac, wherein said atmospheric hydroxyls are added to the breathable cabin air, and wherein said stream of atmospheric hydroxyls are provided from a retrofit box compartment external to the aircraft, directing said atmospheric hydroxyls through said flexible conduit into the cabin of the aircraft.