An Investigation of Ionization Technology for Cleaning Cabin Air in a Business Jet

This paper describes an experimental investigation on the spread of a virus in a business jet cabin and the potential of ionization to reduce the pathogen load. In contrast to priorly investigated recirculation air cleaning, ionization can act directly in the cabin by introducing ions into the supply air. Tests were performed by emitting a surrogate virus through a breathing head in a business jet mock-up. The results allow for the conclusion that ionization technology, along with increased airflow, is a well-suited tool to sanitize cabins. Additionally, the effect of ionization on particles was investigated where it became obvious that the presence of particles reduces the ion level; however, the presence of ions hardly impact particles.