Fire- and Water-Resistant Prefilter
The goal of this project was to modify existing LLNL ceramic HEPA filter technology to create ceramic prefilters, which could first be implemented in nuclear facilities or hospitals and universities. The objectives were as follows: 1) Demonstrate sealing technology capable of withstand ≥ 400°C, 2) Design and fabricate a ceramic prefilter unit for flow rates ≥ 50 cfm, 3) Test prefilter prototype filtration efficiency and pressure drop before and after a relevant thermal exposure. Concurrently to prototype creation was a preliminary effort to develop a custom nuclear prefilter sealant, improving upon what is commercially available. An advantage to using prefilters that are not credited for HEPA filtration, but to protect HEPA filters in nuclear ventilation systems, is that absolute qualified performance to HEPA standards (e.g. pressure drop, filtration efficiency) is not required. This prefilter prototype aligns our technology with the more viable, lower risk market entry point which can be used to establish costs, performance and manufacturing principles necessary to overcome the primary market barrier.