Catalyst removes ozone and filters harmful volatile compounds, turning them into oxygen, water and carbon dioxide
Airbus is offering airlines a new catalyst for filtering volatile organic compounds (VOC) out of cabin air during taxiing. The system is already in operation on an Airbus A320 in service with an unnamed airline.
VOCs can enter the cabin when the aircraft is manoeuvring on the ground near other aircraft that have their engines running, and can be detected by passengers and crew as odours of varying strengths. The US Environmental Protection Agency says that VOCs can cause eye, nose and throat irritation; and lead to headaches, nausea, damage to the liver, kidneys and the central nervous system.
Airbus Deutschland environmental control systems engineer and air quality specialist Claire Nurcombe says the filtration system "uses a catalyst to turn the VOCs into oxygen, water and CO2. The catalyst also removes ozone."
This catalyst is used in a filter located between the engine bleed-air offtake and the cabin's air-circulation system. Ozone removal using a similar catalyst has been occurring for some time on long-range aircraft.
The VOC/ozone catalyst's installation is expected to be an option for Airbus A380 customers.
The research for the filter was carried out with Germany's Fraunhofer Research Institute's Institute for Building Physics.
ROB COPPINGER / LONDON
Source: Flight International
