Build Your Own Air Purifier That Kills Coronavirus
This tutorial will walk you through assembling an air purifier that is capable of killing bacteria and even viruses in the air.
Like most people in the world right now, you’re probably concerned about how to protect yourself from coronavirus (COVID-19). The best strategy you can take is to simply self-isolate and avoid other people. Hand sanitizer and an appropriate face mask can help when you do have to go outside. But if you want a way to help kill coronavirus and other nasties floating around in the air, it is possible to build an air purifier yourself with just a handful of basic components. Merenel Research has a tutorial that will walk you through how to build an air purifier that is capable of killing bacteria and even viruses in the air.
Current research on the topic is limited, but it appears that COVID-19 is not airborne. However, one study suggests that the virus can remain active in an aerosol for up to three hours. In this case, an “aerosol” could include the cough of an infected person. It probably isn’t necessary, but this purifier could help fight that possibility. At the very least, this purifier can kill other viruses and bacteria in the air, and can even kill fungus. Basically, the purifier won’t do any harm and could potentially do something to improve your respiratory health. If you are sensitive to allergens in the air, it could be very helpful.
The primary components of the purifier are UV (UltraViolet) LEDs and a TiO2 (Titanium Dioxide) photocatalytic filter. UV light is already well-known for its ability to kill icky microscopic critters, and the TiO2 photocatalytic filter improves upon that. Through chemical processes that are above my pay grade to understand, the light from the UV LEDs reacts with the TiO2 coating on the filter to kill viruses and bacteria. Those are placed inside of a 3D-printed enclosure, along with a simple fan to draw air through the filter. A small 5V 20W power supply is enough to keep everything running. The only tricky part of this build is a custom cut and bent aluminum heatsink, which dissipates the heat from the LEDs. If you can’t have that professionally made, you should be able to use a Dremel to cut it yourself. The result is a simple and affordable purifier to keep your air clean.