Desenvolvimento de um purificador de ar baseado na tecnologia de irradiação ultravioleta germicida
Resumo
The pandemic caused by COVID-19, caused the stoppage of educational institutions,
including UFOPA. COVID-19 is a disease with a high rate of transmission, either by direct
contact between people, for example, by droplets expelled when coughing or sneezing, or
by indirect contact, such as the circulation of air in closed environments. To prevent the
spread of the virus, social distancing, masks and hand washing are recommended. Social
distancing seeks to prevent people from being in crowded environments as closed
environments are vectors of contamination. However, with the possibility of returning to
face-to-face activities in educational institutions, especially in the Amazon region, where
temperatures and relative humidity are high, keeping windows open for air circulation is not
adequate due to the discomfort caused by excessive heat. Therefore, to maintain thermal
comfort, air decontamination devices must be implemented in order to ensure the health of
users at UFOPA. In this way, the objective of the work is to develop an air purifier for indoor
environments, using ultraviolet germicidal technology (UVGI) to reduce the risks of
contagion and spread of COVID-19, aiming at the gradual/total return of face-to-face
activities at UFOPA.
For that, a bibliographic review was carried out specifically on UV radiation and air
purification systems, which led to the construction of two prototypes, submitted to
biological tests, to validate which adequate dimension the device should have, as well as the
constructive materials. to be used. In addition, it was stipulated that the equipment would
have a low cost, so that the device could be largely manufactured in the region to facilitate
delivery logistics to the other university campuses. The air purifier produced proved to be
important for the academic community of UFOPA, which has adhered to its use in both
academic and administrative environments, and can be considered an important ally in the
fight against COVID-19 in the university environment. Currently, 85 purifiers were
delivered until June 2022, produced by the engineering applications laboratory.