Desirable specs like small product size, high filter efficiency, low power consumption and low noise are conflicting and a recognised dilemma among designers of air handling systems. Changing one parameter usually negatively affects the others. The challenge is finding the optimum configuration of fan, filter, heat exchanger and ductings. As a former scientist teaching the topic of boundary layer theory in the 90s the inventor decided to set a goal of finding the theoretically most efficient single room ventilation unit. The search became a 30.000 hour long puzzle, testing numerous concepts with CFD and prototyping. Halfway, the filterfan was invented and changed the game totally. The filterfan is basically a pleated filter wrapped around a specially designed impeller. The law of large numbers ensures the balance as the filter clogs. One trick with the filterfan is to keep tangential velocities and Reynolds numbers below where noise onset. Typically 9 m/s to stay below 30 dBA@1m. The low noise advantages apply also at higher velocities and even HEPA filtration. An additional key component had to be designed to build pressure and avoid turbulence loss: The special impeller feeds the filter by smearing out the high velocity incoming air in a laminar manner. In a good filterfan design roughly 50 % of the pressure/flow comes from this special impeller. The technique is described in Pat. US12050020B2 and recently granted in most significant markets.

To compare the numerous air handling concepts utilizing the new invention Peakvent developed phenomenological performance formulas revealing more than ten fold improvement over today's compact and larger systems. Exclusive and non-exclusive licenses for several applicable verticals will be sold at FILTECH to first movers together with insights...