Hao Luo

Bio: Hao Luo is an academic researcher from University of Alberta. The author has contributed to research in topics: Fluidized bed combustion & Particle. The author has an hindex of 3, co-authored 7 publications receiving 22 citations. Previous affiliations of Hao Luo include University of Western Ontario.

An improved numerical model of a UV-PCO reactor for air purification applications

Abstract: Ultraviolet photocatalytic oxidation (UV-PCO) is a promising gaseous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) elimination method, of which the PCO kinetics are closely related to the radiation and airflow (contaminants) fields Mathematical models have been developed in extensive studies to demonstrate the PCO kinetic reactions Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation was also carried out to display the irradiance and flow fields in the reactor However, it still lacks an in-depth understanding of the light and mass transfer within the porous film coating where the microscopic structures dominate To close this gap, this paper concentrates on the development of mathematical models for describing the light propagation, mass transfer, and reaction kinetics within the porous film coating Incorporated with a CFD model for solving the mass, momentum and energy conservation, the sophisticated PCO process in the reactor can be accurately reproduced The developed models have been validated by the experimental data, and are comparable with other models in the literature The developed numerical models provide the implications of mass transfer for film coating UV-PCO reactor design

Formation of oxidized gases and secondary organic aerosol from a commercial oxidant-generating electronic air cleaner

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic increased the demand for indoor air cleaners. While some commercial electronic air cleaners can be effective in reducing primary pollutants and inactivating bioaerosol, studies on the formation of secondary products from oxidation chemistry during their use are limited. Here, we measured oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) and the chemical composition of particles generated from a hydroxyl radical generator in an office. During operation, enhancements in OVOCs, especially low-molecular-weight organic acids, were detected. Rapid increases in particle number and mass concentrations were observed, corresponding to the formation of highly oxidized secondary organic aerosol (SOA) (O:C ∼1.3), with an enhanced signal at m/z 44 (CO2+) in the organic mass spectra. These results suggest that organic acids generated during VOC oxidation contributed to particle nucleation and SOA formation. Nitrate, sulfate, and chloride also increased during the oxidation without a corresponding increase in ammonium, suggesting organic nitrate, organic sulfate, and organic chloride formation. As secondary species are reported to have detrimental health effects, further studies should not be limited to the inactivation of bioaerosol or reduction of particular VOCs, but should also evaluate potential OVOCs and SOA formation from electronic air cleaners in different indoor environments. © 2021 American Chemical Society.