MERV-13 Filtration for Public Transportation and School Buses

INDIANAPOLIS, June 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lumin-Air is pleased to announce a simple retrofit that provides MERV-13 equivalent filtration for public transportation, including school buses. 

MERV-13 filters are high efficiency filters that remove 85% or more of airborne droplet nuclei containing infectious pathogens. The American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recommends combining filters and air cleaners to achieve MERV-13 equivalent levels of performance for air quality¹. The EPA says, "Filters with MERV-13 or higher ratings can trap smaller particles, including viruses.² The CDC says to increase air filtration to as high as possible without significantly reducing design airflow.³

With these recommendations and endorsements, why haven't MERV-13 filters already been widely adopted in high people density settings like public transportation?  Traditional MERV-13 filters achieve their ratings by blocking particles as air passes through them. These traditional filters are referred to as "front-loading filters" since contaminants load on the front of the filter media. As the contaminants are captured, they block even more airflow. Reduced airflow impairs system performance and can even damage a public transportation vehicle's HVAC system. 

How does Lumin-Air achieve MERV-13 filter equivalence and not reduce design airflow? Lumin-Air uses a special adaptation of Dynamic Air Quality Solution's polarized air cleaners. Lumin-Air's filter assembly allows a simple retrofit drawing a little over 0.1 amps of power to drive an electrostatic charge that binds contaminants all the way around each of the filter's fibers. This 360-degree loading means:

• Filters can hold much more dust than front-loading filters – extending the duration between filter changes
• Filters have a low pressure drop and high airflow

"We have had independent certified air-balance contractors do airflow measurements in several different states in school buses, metro buses and rail cars. We've had them take readings comparing the airflow of these filters when new and at twice and three times the duration of their standard filter's lifetime. Even at three-times the duration of their vehicle's standard filter life, the airflow through our filter system was above the specified high airflow," said Dan Fillenwarth, president of Lumin-Air. 

About the company: Lumin-Air specializes in air cleaning systems for buildings and public transportation. Lumin-Air has a full offering, including patent-pending UV and Filtration systems for public transportation and school buses.  

1-  https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/filtration-disinfection 
2-  https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus/what-kind-filter-should-i-use-my-home-hvac-system-help-protect-myfamily-covid-19  
3-  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/ventilation.html

Contact: [email protected] 

SOURCE Lumin-Air

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