Enhancing Antiviral Capabilities of Rail Vehicles and Air Filter

Abstract

Disclosed are a system and method for enhancing antiviral capabilities of rail vehicles using an air filter. The air filter has a filter structure including an antiviral material, the antiviral material having particles comprising silver, and, in particular, including a composition containing silver, and the antiviral material also including liposomes. Further disclosed are methods for operating air treatment systems of a rail vehicle so as enhance antiviral capabilities.

Claims

1. An air filter for an air treatment system, the air filter comprising: a filter structure comprising an antiviral material the antiviral material having particles comprising silver and a composition containing silver, wherein the antiviral material further comprises liposomes.

2. The air filter according to claim 1, wherein the filter structure is impregnated with the antiviral material.

3. The air filter according to claim 1, wherein the filter structure comprises a porous material and/or a cellular material.

4. The air filter according to claim 1, wherein the filter structure comprises a fire-retardant material.

5. An air treatment system of a rail vehicle comprising an air filter according to claim 1.

6. (canceled)

7. A method for producing an air filter, comprising the steps of: providing a filter structure; exposing the filter structure to an antiviral material having particles comprising silver and liposomes.

8. A method of operating a rail vehicle, comprising: determining whether a predetermined critical condition is fulfilled based on a sensor measurement of at least one sensor of the rail vehicle, the sensor measurement being representative of a passenger number and/or a virus concentration, and, when the condition is fulfilled: prompting at least one predetermined countermeasure for preventing a further increase of the passenger number.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the countermeasure is implemented outside of the rail vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the countermeasure is implemented in a rail station.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the countermeasure is one of: a closing and/or locking of platform screen doors or other access restricting devices, that restrict the access to the rail vehicle from a platform of the rail station; and an automatic issuing of visible, optical, and/or audible warnings within the train station.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the countermeasure is implemented on an end device.

13. A rail vehicle, comprising: at least one sensor and at least one control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to: determine whether a predetermined critical condition is fulfilled based on a sensor measurement of the sensor, the sensor measurement being representative of a passenger number and/or virus concentration, and, when the condition is fulfilled: prompt at least one predetermined countermeasure for preventing a further increase of the passenger number.

14. A method of operating an air treatment system of a rail vehicle the air treatment system treating air volumes supplied to a passenger compartment of the rail vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: operating the air treatment system in an anti-infection mode in which the air treatment system provides an effect to reduce the risk of a viral infection of occupants of the rail vehicle.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the anti-infection mode comprises a temperature increase of the air treatment system at least up to a predetermined temperature level and exposing air volumes treated by the system to said temperature level.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the temperature level is at least 40° C., at least 100° C. or at least 200° C.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the temperature increase is automatically and/or regularly activated.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the automatic activation takes place when at least one of the following conditions is fulfilled: the rail vehicle is at standstill and free of any persons; a control system of the rail vehicle detecting an inactive and/or a parked state of the rail vehicle and/or that the rail vehicle is at least temporarily out-of-service; a timetable indication the rail vehicle being out of service; and a measurement by at least one sensor, in particular a carbon dioxide sensor, indicating a passenger number below a predetermined threshold.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the anti-infection mode comprising reducing a share of air that is recirculated by the air treatment system within a passenger compartment of the vehicle.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein further comprising at least one step of: increasing a volume of fresh air being taken in from the surroundings, while not maintaining a previous ratio of fresh air and recirculated air; reducing a volume of recirculated while not maintaining a previous ratio of fresh air and recirculated air.

21. A rail vehicle comprising an air treatment system that is operable according to the method of claim 14.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0085] FIG. 1 depicts an air filter according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0086] FIG. 2 depicts a rail vehicle implementing methods according to various embodiments of this disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0087] FIG. 1 depicts an air filter 10 according to an example of this disclosure. The air filter 10 is configured as a panel filter having a flat, planar and, as a mere example, rectangular shape. The filter 10 comprises a filter structure 11 or, differently put, is made up of and/or structurally defined by said filter structure 11. In the shown example, the filter structure 11 is a hardened polyether foam providing in a network of schematically indicated pores.

[0088] The air filter 10 is installed in an air treatment system of e.g. a building or a vehicle and preferably in the rail vehicle 15 of FIG. 2. When installed, the air filter 10 is positioned in such a manner that an airflow passes through the filter 10 as indicated by a respective arrow F. Accordingly, the air passes through the porous filter structure 11 from one side of the filter 10 to the other. Dust contained in the air may thus be caught by the filter structure 11, thereby being filtered out of the airflow.

[0089] The filter 10 also comprises an anti-viral material 13. Specifically, the filter structure 11 is impregnated with an anti-viral material 13 comprising particles containing silver and further comprising liposomes, e.g. in form of fatty vesicules.

[0090] When the air passes through the filter 10 as indicated in FIG. 1, the above discussed antiviral effects may occur. Viruses contained in said airflow may interact with and in particular be inactivated by the anti-viral material 13.

[0091] FIG. 2 depicts a rail vehicle 15. The rail vehicle 15 is a multi-car commuter train. It may generally comprise any number of cars, i.e. may be a train of arbitrary length and capacity. Alternatively, the rail vehicle 15 may be a single car, single locomotive or single motor car.

[0092] The rail vehicle 15 comprises an air treatment system 12 in form of a roof-mounted HVAC-system. The air treatment system 12 is generally configured to regulate a supply air flow with different shares of fresh air (from the exterior) and return air, also referred to as recirculated air (e.g. returned to and/or stemming from the interior of a passenger compartment 14 of the rail vehicle 15). Accordingly, it may also recirculate air within the passenger compartment 14, while e.g. guiding it through a filter 10 as indicated in FIG. 1.

[0093] In the shown example, the rail vehicle 15 and, as a preferred option, its air treatment system 12 comprises at least one CO2 sensor 16. The CO2 sensor 16 is configured to measure a CO2 level (and specifically a concentration) within the passenger compartment 14. It is connected to a control unit 18 of the rail vehicle 15 by a dashed communication line. The control unit 18 may comprise or be connected to a non-specifically illustrated communication unit (e.g. a mobile or radio communication unit).

[0094] In case the control unit 18 determines that the CO2 measurements of the sensor 16 exceed a predefined threshold indicating an unacceptably high passenger number, a critical condition is met. A signal is then sent to an external communication unit 20. This can be done directly or by indirectly sending the signal to a centralized communication system (e.g. of the train operator) which then alerts the communication unit 20.

[0095] The communication unit 20 may be provided at an upcoming rail station 22. When receiving the signal, any of the above countermeasures can be initiated at the rail station 22 to prevent a further increase of passengers in the rail vehicle 15.

[0096] By sending the signal to the external communication unit 20 (either directly or indirectly), the rail vehicle's 15 control unit 18 prompts the implementation or activation of a countermeasure e.g. at the rail station 22.

[0097] The rail vehicle 15 may, additionally or alternatively, be operated in an anti-infection mode as follows: When at standstill, in particular for at least a defined minimum time, the control unit 18 may determine that the rail vehicle 15 is at least temporarily out of service. Any of the above alternative approaches for determining such a state may equally be implemented. When this determination has been made, the air treatment system 12 may be operated so that at least one heatable unit therein is set to a maximum temperature. Then, air within the passenger compartment 14 is channeled through the air treatment system 12 and exposed to the heatable unit and its increased temperature. This way, airborne viruses can be inactivated. Preferably, the share of recirculated air in this case outweighs the share of fresh air from the exterior. In one example, no fresh air is taken in from the exterior at all.

[0098] Still further, the rail vehicle 15 may, additionally or alternatively, be operated in an anti-infection as follows, in particular when being in service: The air treatment system 12 is run so as to reduce a level of recirculated return air (indicated by an arrow C). This way, air volumes potentially containing airborne viruses are less likely to be recirculated multiple times within the rail vehicle 15.

[0099] Instead, the share of air expelled back into the surroundings (as indicated by an arrow E) may be increased. Additionally or alternatively, the share of fresh that is sucked in from the surroundings may be increased (as indicated by arrow F). The latter may replace the reduced share of recirculated air C and/or the increased share of expelled air E. this way, a desired pressure level can be maintained within the passenger compartment 14. Thus, the ratio of recirculated air C and fresh air F may not be maintained, but the share of fresh air F may deliberately be increased.

[0100] Note that adjusting shares and volumes of the various air flows C, F, E can be achieved according to known principles and e.g. by operating suitably placed fans accordingly.