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com
What
is
Cross
Contamination?

Contaminants
from
Exhaust
Air
Stream
are
Carried
Over
to
Supply
Air
Stream
Can
be
Caused
by
the
Following:g
y

Desiccant
Carry
Over
Seal
Bypass
Media
Carry
Over
Improper
Air
Flow
Configuration
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Variations
in
Pore
Diameter
among
Desiccants

ABC
D

3
45
10
25
50
100

Pore
Diameter
in
Angstroms
(Å)

A
-3Å
Molecular
Sieve
B
-4Å
Molecular
Sieve
C
-
5
Å
Molecular
Sieve
D
-10Å
Molecular
Sieve
E
-Activated
Alumina
F
-Silica
Gel
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Relative
Particle
Sizes

Particle
Size
vs
Molecular
Size
(microns
vs
angstroms)

1
angstrom
one
ten-billionth
of
a
meter

SmallDustParticlesSMALLBACTERIA1Micron(oneten-millionthofameter)
1.8Microns
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Critical
Diameters
of
Various
Molecules
All
Diameters
Expressed
in
Ångstrom
Units
Helium
2.0
Hydrogen,
acetylene
2.4
Water,
oxygen,
carbon
monoxide
carbon
dioxide
2.8
Nitrogen
3.0
Ammonia,
hydrogen
sulfide
3.6
Argon
3.8
Methane
4.0
Ethylene,
ethylene
monoxide
4.2
Ethane,
methanol,
ethanol
4.4
Methyl-mercaptan
4.5

Propane,
nC4
to
nC22
4.9
Propylene
5.0
Ethyl-mercaptan,
butene
1,
butene
2
trans
5.1
Diflurochloromethane
(
R
22)
5.3
Iso
C22
5.6
Cyclohexane
6.1
Toluene,
paraxylene
6.7
Benzene
6.8
Carbon
tetrachloride
6.9
Methaxylene
7.1

yTri-ethylamine
8.4

The
possibility
of
adsorption
depends
notonly
on
the
dimension
and
the
shape
of
themolecules
(linear,
ramified,
cyclic...
)
butalso
on
their
polarity.
If
there
is
no
steric
hindrance
themolecules
are
preferentially
adsorbedwhen
their
polarity
is
well
pronounced.

Adsorption
Increassing

H2ONH3
CH3,
OH,
alcohol,
aldehydes,
ketonesSO2
H2S,
mercaptansAlcynesCO2AlcanesCH4CO
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Seal
Bypass

Supply
Air

SupplyAir
Seal

Seal

Return
Air

Exhaust
Air

Due
to
differential
pressure
between
supply
and
exhaust
air
streams,
air
can
bypass
seals,
causing
cross
contamination.
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Media
Carry
Over

OutsideAirSupplyAirCarryoverZoneWheelRotationReturnAirExhaustAir
Due
to
the
fixed
volume
of
air
being
transferred
as
the
wheel
rotates,
cross
contamination
of
the
air
streams
occurs.
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Illustration of Wheel Purge Section
Outside Air Supply Air
Theory of Operation - A specific volume of air is allowed to bypass into exhaust
air stream, minimizing carryover of contaminants from return air.
Return Air
Wheel Rotation
Exhaust Air
Purge angle is a
function of air velocity,
and purge volume is a
function of wheel volume
and rotation speed.
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Wheel
Airflow
Configurations

Exhaust
Air
Return
Air
Exhaust
Air
Return
Air

Outdoor
Air
Supply
Air
Outdoor
Air
Supply
Air

Blow
Through/Draw
Through
Draw
Through/Draw
Through

RAiEhAiOutdoorAirReturnAirSupplyAirExhaustAirBlowThrough/BlowThroughOutdoorAirRe
turnAirSupplyAirExhaustAirDrawThrough/BlowThrough
By
utilizing
the
correct
fan
arrangement,
the
seal
and
purge
system
can
operate
at
optimum
efficiency,
virtually
eliminating
cross
contamination.