Air filters: H14 HEPA air cleaners from Trotec for virus filtration
Commercial air cleaners of the TAC series can filter viruses from the room air by means of high-performance filters
In order to efficiently reduce the risk of infection with Covid-19 or other viruses it is primarily effective to reduce the virus proportion in the room air to a minimum, ideally to zero. In particular in work environments and critical areas used by an increased number of persons, minimized exposition is obligatory in order to prevent spreading and infection chains in the first place.
Air filters of the TAC series: protection against viruses by technical room air purification
It is current confirmed knowledge that SARS-CoV-2 is primarily transmitted via the airways – droplet transmission – or by physical contact. This is why health authorities and scientists advise everyone to keep a sufficient distance to other people to reduce the risk of infection. However, research scientists are working very intensively on the question of in which way exactly the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted. They are investigating the question of whether, instead of the human-to-human transmission, the virus may also be transmitted directly just via the air, through so-called aerosol particles.
Can viruses also be transmitted directly via the air?
With a recent study conducted by the prestigious professional magazine “New England Journal of Medicine” (NEJM), the researchers have come to the alarming conclusion that transmission of the virus SARS-CoV-2 via aerosol, i.e. in the form of suspended particles may be quite possible.
Scientists have provided evidence that the virus can survive for three hours as suspended particles in the air. The expert Paul Hunter of the British University of East Anglia commented on this matter that “at present, we cannot completely rule out the possibility that the virus may be transmitted via the air.”
And also the renowned US immunologist Anthony Fauci recently said on the US TV channel NBC that “we cannot completely sweep the idea aside that the virus might be able to cover a specific distance in the air”. An additional factor is that a low humidity level and low temperatures in interior spaces additionally increase the survival period of the viruses in the air when the windows are closed.
Effective virus filtration by TAC air cleaners with H14 HEPA air filters
Viral strains such as the dreaded SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV or the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 have similar sizes. Recent studies have specified the particle size of an individual coronavirus to 0.12 to 0.16 micrometres (120 to 160 nanometres). The virus is usually released as a droplet or “aerosol” by coughing or sneezing, being a mixture of solid and liquid suspended particles, gases and water vapour and featuring significantly larger dimensions. For comparison: 1 nanometre is one millionth part of a millimetre!
Practical solutions from Trotec: for all air cleaners of the TAC model series, special high-performance filters of the class H14 are available as consumables for virus filtering
These final filters for cleanrooms of classes ISO 4 and ISO 3 feature a filtration efficiency of 99.995% at a particle size of 0.1 to 0.2 µm (100 to 200 nanometres). They can be easily inserted into the room air cleaners of the TAC V+ series.
Due to their effective filtration efficiency, high-performance filters of class H14 are for example used for producing clean air in operating theatres or for the extremely sensitive production of computer chips.
Effective filtering with a transmittance ≤ 0.005 %
A filtration efficiency of 99.995 % means that 99,995 suspended particles of 100,000 are held back with an H14 HEPA filter. Only 5 particles pass the filter. The filtration efficiency of air filter systems with H14 HEPA filters is therefore ten times higher than with H13 HEPA filters.
The special HEPA design provides for a huge filtration efficiency
The filters are generally designed with very fine mats of innumerable glass fibres with diameters of only a few micrometres. Since the fibres are additionally arranged randomly and chaotically in a fragile structure with even submicron dendrites, the filter performance is tremendously high. In order to provide for a filter surface as large as possible, the filter mats are then additionally mounted in a wave- or zigzag-shaped structure.
Due to its ultra-fine structure it is therefore essential to use a fine particulate air filter as a pre-filter so as to prevent the HEPA main filter from quickly being clogged by larger particles that can already be absorbed by a pre-filter.
Maximum quality standards for Trotec’s H14 HEPA high-performance air filters for virus filtering
Our high-performance filters are dimensioned so that they can easily be inserted into the HEPA filter compartment of the devices for all commercial air cleaners of the TAC series instead of the H13 filter.
Each individual H14 high-performance air filter meets highest quality standards that are mandatory in particular for sensitive applications in bacteria and virus filtering:
- Each filter is tested and receives an individual serial number
- The test report is enclosed as certificate in duplicate with every filter package
- Customers can store the original copy of the certificate and attach the copy to the device, if required
- Tests are carried out in compliance with EN 1822 and DIN EN 60335-2-69
Our recommendation for virus filtration in interiors with high public traffic:
The TAC V+ or TES 200 Trotec air cleaners for purifying areas
The explicit vertical construction of the mobile high-performance air purifiers TAC V+ and TES 200 serves for establishing particularly efficient “clean zone areas” – safe areas with surrounding air filtered from viruses. Setting up these air filter systems with some distance in-between will provide areas filled with clean air serving as both passage zones or transfer or waiting zones with a low aerosol concentration.
Within these areas, patients, guests, customers and employees are way better protected from aerosol particles and droplets that quickly spread through coughing, sneezing etc. Thanks to the high air change rate, particles and droplets are separated from the room air more quickly, and the areas are permanently being ventilated with virus-free room air, which significantly reduces the infection risk in the transfer zone.
Special H14 high-performance air filter with thermal self-regeneration function
This air cleaning performance is made possible by a synchronous system of efficient prefiltering and final particulate air filtration, provided by the integrated H14 HEPA high-performance air filter from Trotec in a special heat-resistant version. This special filter is integrated in the devices TAC V+ and TES 200 and is heated up in intervals which will inactivate all viruses remaining in the filter, serving for a 100 % decontamination of the filter. The thermal self-regeneration function of the special H14 high-performance air filter is unique in the world and exclusively available at Trotec!
TAC V+ and TES 200 are part of the same assembly and therefore provide the identical fan performance and HEPA air purification function. The TES 200 can, however, also be used for combined room heating, thermal decontamination of rooms and surfaces and thermal pest control. The reason for this are the additionally integrated, powerful electric heating module and enhanced programming options for various air treatment scenarios.
standard equipment
optionally available
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