Sharp Corporation and Associate Professor Masashi Yamakawa of the Kyoto Institute of Technology, an expert in the analysis of airborne virus droplets, conducted a simulation of the effect of air conditioner airflow on airborne virus droplets in a living space.

We confirmed that, in contrast to conventional air purifiers, an air purifier that efficiently delivers Plasmacluster ions into the space can effectively collect airborne virus droplets2.

Demand for air purifiers is growing. Against this backdrop, we also verified the impact of the installation location on airborne virus droplets when using Sharp's proprietary airflow3 air conditioner and an air purifier with our proprietary 20-degree Angled Rear-Directed Airflow. We also confirmed that it is effective to aim the direction of the air vented from the air conditioner upward and to place the air purifier underneath the air conditioner4.

For nearly 20 years, since 2000, Sharp has been working toward achieving comfortable indoor air environments by using Plasmacluster and airflow technologies that efficiently deliver Plasmacluster ions as well as heating and cooling air to living spaces. In addition to air purification based on Plasmacluster technology, Sharp will continue to contribute to society by moving forward with efforts to verify the effectiveness of air-related applications based on our air purifiers/air conditioners and AIoT5 working in tandem. These applications are also centered on Sharp's proprietary airflow technologies for which we have conducted this current verification.

Comment from Mr. Masashi Yamakawa, Associate Professor, Kyoto Institute of Technology, and member of the Fugaku Project

Airborne virus droplets float in the air and can be inhaled by humans. For this reason, it is important to capture airborne viruses or remove them to the outdoors. Especially in the summer and winter when air conditioners are in use, ventilation is less frequent, so new measures are required. By simulating the behavior of airborne virus droplets in a room, we believe that we have found a method to reduce airborne viruses to some extent, even for environments where opening windows for ventilation is problematic.

The Purpose and Role of Joint Research

With growing interest in how air conditioner airflow affects virus droplets in rooms that are not well ventilated, Sharp is looking to confirm the effectiveness of air purifiers. In collaboration with Associate Professor Yamakawa of Kyoto Institute of Technology, who specializes in particle analysis, Sharp examined the effects of airflow from air conditioners and air purifiers on virus droplets in living spaces.

Sharp calculated the speed and direction of the airflow of air conditioners and air purifiers and analyzed the movement of the airflow in a living space under simulated usage. Associate Professor Yamakawa analyzed the movement (collection to equipment, adhesion to the surroundings) when virus droplets were released based on the data analyzed by Sharp.

Contact:

Tel: 1800 425 4322

(C) 2020 Electronic News Publishing, source ENP Newswire