POLLUTION:WHILE SAMPLING air for pollution studies, three researchers at Trinity College Dublin were inspired to develop an air filtration technology that will help buildings reduce their electricity consumption and maintenance costs.
Whereas conventional systems use filters that need to be cleaned or changed and electricity-consuming fans, the one designed by Dr Aonghus McNabola, Prof Laurence Gill and Dr Niall O’Luanaigh of the college’s school of engineering uses a new design that works without these and is based on the manipulation of the fluid physics of air to expel particulate matter found in urban traffic fumes or hot, dusty and polluted environments.
The inventors have formed a company, Aeriaq Filtration, to license and commercialise the technology, with the aim of installing the devices in Irish office buildings and having the product manufactured in Ireland.
With a chief executive on board and an eye on initial export markets including Britain and Saudi Arabia, they plan to move beyond the prototype stage and develop the system further for smaller installations in vehicles and more complex air handling systems such as cleanrooms.
Aeriaq recently received an award for industrial technologies commercialisation from Enterprise Ireland, which provided funding and support for commercialisation.