Pulsating ventilation through a single port

Unmet Need

Ventilation is a necessity in any enclosed space that requires high air quality and sufficient air flow. Whether for larger spaces, such as buildings, or smaller spaces, such as airplanes, air ventilation provides clean, potentially filtered air and can assist with air conditioning or heating. These conditions are even more critical in medical or industrial settings that have strict air quality standards and need to mitigate airborne contaminants. The potential danger of airborne contaminants became widely known during the COVID-19 pandemic, also highlighting the lack of widely available filtration systems for public places. Current ventilation systems are two way and require an inlet, pulling in air from the local environment, and an outlet, ejecting air that has been conditioned or filtered. These two port systems require machinery that is large enough to accommodate these ports while regulating the internal air pressure inside the ventilation unit. Thus, there is a need for more compact ventilation units that can provide readily accessible refined air in tight spaces.

Technology

Duke inventors have developed a ventilation system that intakes and outputs air through a single port, requiring less space and complexity than traditional ventilation devices. This is intended to be used when designing compact, personal spaces where fresh air is minimal, such as on airplanes or operating rooms. Specifically, the system utilizes a “breathing” style circulation, where air is pulled into and out of the same port, reducing the space and energy required to operate the ventilator. The internal enclosure can modify the air purity or composition and can be used to regulate temperature. The timing of air inhalation and expulsion can be altered to change the rate that air is introduced and modified in the local environment, while the geometry can be modified to maximize air circulation and ensure filtration of all air in the space. This has been demonstrated conceptually to provide continuous air filtration and mixing that would be ideal for air decontamination where pollutants are localized to a small vicinity.

Other Applications

This technology could also be used as an aerosolizer that could eject particulates in a shape-controlled pulse of air out of the system. With modification, the invention could be used in medical settings as a ventilator as traditional ventilators utilize separate inlet and outlet ports.

Advantages

• Utilization of only a single port reduces the mechanical complexity of the system
• Maximizes air mixing to ensure optimal filtration of particulates
• Enables customizable airflow in small, personal spaces