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I think people are missing the point. YES this is bad engineering for a finished product: - The fan is not designed for high static pressure. It won't do well

by blagie 4y ago

I think people are missing the point. YES this is bad engineering for a finished product: - The fan is not designed for high static pressure. It won't do well pulling air through filters. - It's ugly. It will get uglier as filters get dirty. - It's expensive to replace filters. - Etc. But it's not a finished, industrial project. It's a prototype. Those sorts of issues are universal for prototypes. They're easy to address: - Switch to a rotor design with higher static pressure - Provide prefilters. Ideally, there's a nice cover, followed by a washable pre-filter, followed by a carbon filter, followed by the fancy high-filtration filter. With an appropriate frame, it could be beautiful -- nicer than a normal fan. The filters could actually reduce noise. The frame could guide air (much as in a Vornado), increasing airflow. Good job OP. It's a clever idea and a good design. It's a proof-of-concept implementation, but that's the point of a proof-of-concept. (Unless you like the DIY aesthetic, which some do)

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
turtlebits 4y ago
This is just an air filter with more filters, the installation location is part of the prototype, which is not practical at all.
hinkley 4y ago
One way to reduce static pressure is to increase the number of filters. I saw one design last year, during the fires, that was a cube. Lasco fan on one side, and five filters tied into a box shape. A couple problems. One, space - this thing was bigger than a dorm fridge. Two, availability - no way you were finding five filters during a wildfire. Three, etiquette - if you found five filters that meant two other people weren’t getting any at all. Four, diminishing returns. Two filters reduce the pressure by half. Another only reduces it by a third, and so on.
- jefftk 4y ago
  > Two, availability - no way you were finding five filters during a wildfire. Three, etiquette - if you found five filters that meant two other people weren’t getting any at all. Filters last a long time unopened: buy them in advance and store them until you need them, rotating stock.
  - hinkley 4y ago
    Sure, but that’s hard to do when reading a tutorial that was posted after the sky turned orange. Edit: To your point though, help out the distribution networks by buying yourself an extra filter or two now, and put it on the shopping list every time you use one.
    - jefftk 4y ago
      > To your point though, help out the distribution networks by buying yourself an extra filter or two now, and put it on the shopping list every time you use one Yes! Socially we need to make a distinction between buying extras of things after an emergency has started (harmful) and doing it in advance (helpful)
Pxtl 4y ago
If we're looking for a finished product, we're leaving a tool on the shelf -- filters aren't the only option. Pipe the air through a duct flooded with deadly UV-C and sterilize the air instead of just filtering it.
- jryb 4y ago
  This also creates ozone though, which is detrimental to human health. Review here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-017-9239-3 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-017-9239-3
  - Pxtl 4y ago
    AFAIK UVC doesn't create substantial amounts of ozone like other wavelengths of UV light.

by blagie 4y ago

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

turtlebits 4y ago

This is just an air filter with more filters, the installation location is part of the prototype, which is not practical at all.

hinkley 4y ago

One way to reduce static pressure is to increase the number of filters. I saw one design last year, during the fires, that was a cube. Lasco fan on one side, and five filters tied into a box shape. A couple problems. One, space - this thing was bigger than a dorm fridge. Two, availability - no way you were finding five filters during a wildfire. Three, etiquette - if you found five filters that meant two other people weren’t getting any at all. Four, diminishing returns. Two filters reduce the pressure by half. Another only reduces it by a third, and so on.

jefftk 4y ago
> Two, availability - no way you were finding five filters during a wildfire. Three, etiquette - if you found five filters that meant two other people weren’t getting any at all. Filters last a long time unopened: buy them in advance and store them until you need them, rotating stock.
- hinkley 4y ago
  Sure, but that’s hard to do when reading a tutorial that was posted after the sky turned orange. Edit: To your point though, help out the distribution networks by buying yourself an extra filter or two now, and put it on the shopping list every time you use one.
  - jefftk 4y ago
    > To your point though, help out the distribution networks by buying yourself an extra filter or two now, and put it on the shopping list every time you use one Yes! Socially we need to make a distinction between buying extras of things after an emergency has started (harmful) and doing it in advance (helpful)

Pxtl 4y ago

If we're looking for a finished product, we're leaving a tool on the shelf -- filters aren't the only option. Pipe the air through a duct flooded with deadly UV-C and sterilize the air instead of just filtering it.

jryb 4y ago
This also creates ozone though, which is detrimental to human health. Review here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-017-9239-3 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-017-9239-3
- Pxtl 4y ago
  AFAIK UVC doesn't create substantial amounts of ozone like other wavelengths of UV light.