Busworld Foundation’s research program is describing airflows in buses and coaches, and how they can be manipulated via adequate HVAC systems, purification and sanitization strategies so the risk of contamination by viruses can be reduced to almost zero. Based on the findings, propositions to the bus manufacturing industry and to HVAC suppliers for the bus industry are going to be made in regards to:
- The placement of the air supply vents and extraction vents
- The volume of air that is blown into the vehicle (the flow rate)
- The use of door openings as extraction vents
- And adequate air treatment and cleaning technologies and tools which are to be used with the complimentary air ventilation strategy
The objectives of this Busworld Foundation program are to review the available air ventilation and purification systems in the market, and to evaluate the air filtration systems using basic criteria such as the effectiveness in the fight against viruses and bacteria, the speed of this effectiveness, the potential use in the presence of people, health hazards, toxicity, operating costs and energy consumption, disposability, etc.
During two Busworld webinars in India and Southeast Asia the first findings of the research program were announced by Jan Deman, Managing Director of Busworld Foundation.
- Combination of complementary strategies in ventilation, purification and sanitization can reduce the cross infection rate to almost zero
- Effect of door openings in the air ventilation is minimal
- Placement of supply and extraction vents, combined with adjusted air supply volume influences the extraction rate significantly
Want to know in detail what these findings were? Rewatch the presentation here.
Also rewatch the presentations of the other speakers during these two webinars to get some more valuable insights:
- Karl-Alexander Seidel, CEO and Head of Daimler Commercial Vehicles India
- Jung Woo Park, President Director of PT. Daimler Commercial Vehicles in Indonesia
- Veronica Mesa, Commercial Manager of Hispacold – Irizar
- David Jethrokusumo, Director of PT Adiputro Wirasejati (Adiputro Bus)
- Prof. S.R. Kale, IIT Delhi
- David Rolls, Global Product Manager at Eberspaecher Group
A consortium of leading companies and institutions heads the programme
Companies or institutions interested in joining this programme, please contact Jan Deman at director@busworldfoundation.org.
Busworld Foundation’s research program on the airflows in buses and coaches is done in partnership with Ghent University in Belgium. Additional chapters will be added on air purification techniques such as photocatalysis, ionisation, use of UV light, etc. in collaboration with the University of Hasselt (Belgium).
Partners from the bus and coach industry are VDL Bus & Coach, Yutong, Ashok Leyland, Siemens, Denso, Flettner Ventilator, Sanz Clima, Hispacold, USSC, Valeo, GPN – the Global Passenger Network, De Lijn (Flemish public transport agency), the Flemish, Belgian and Swedish federation for bus & coach operators, the India Institute for Technology in Delhi (ITTD), etc.