Gulfstream has signed an agreement with Kronos Air Technologies covering development of a silent air circulation and purification system for business jets.
The system, which circulates the cabin air while removing odours, cigarette smoke and bacteria, has no moving parts.
Belmont, Massachusetts-based Kronos says its technology is an "application of high-voltage management across a corona electrode array to create an ion exchange". Electrical grids replace the fans and motors used in a conventional air-circulation system.
The grids can be any shape or size, says chief executive Dan Dwight. In an aircraft, multiple devices which are located close to the passengers will replace the central fan and ducting.
Noise created by circulating air is an issue in business jet cabins, and the Kronos system is essentially silent, Dwight says. A high-voltage charge on the first grid ionises the air, which accelerates towards the second, oppositely-charged grid. At the same time, ionised particulates such as smoke are stripped from the airflow. The device uses 10% of the energy of a fan, says Dwight, and produces a non-turbulent airflow.
Following its agreement with Gulfstream, which includes funding, Dwight says Kronos is looking at the commercial aircraft market, where there is a need to clean cabin air. The system can also be used to dehumidify air, he says.
Source: Flight International
