Ambulance Interior Flow Visualisation for COVID19 Active Virus Filtration

This team will complete flow visualisation in the interior of an NHS ambulance. This flow data will allow the integration of an active virus filter (AVF) system. Application of the AVF system in ambulances will significantly improve the safety of NHS ambulance crews who are exposed to high levels of COVID19 aerosols in their vehicles. These virus aerosol levels are at their highest, whilst transporting patients infected with COVID19. The AVF system, TorStran(TM), developed by an SME Q-Flo Ltd, captures individual virus molecules contained in airborne droplets. As the filter material is built from carbon fibre nanotechnology, the filter can also be actively heated with a low power electrical source, to kill any active virus trapped in the filter material and regenerate the filter. This offers a significant advantage over existing high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, with high filtration efficiencies of over 99.997% and virus elimination. Cranfield University, working with Q-Flo, Cambridge University and NHS England, will record experimental flow visualisation data from a modern NHS ambulance under different driving conditions, to allow future effective integration of the filtration units. Installation of these units in the current COVID19 outbreak, will significantly improve the safety of NHS ambulance crews.