Airborne contaminant abatement systems and methods

Abstract

Disclosed is an airborne contaminant abatement apparatus comprising an air mover having an air mover inlet and an air mover outlet and configured to create an airflow when operating; a filter disposed in fluid communication with the airflow and configured to remove airborne contaminants therefrom; a supply air passage disposed in fluid communication with the air mover outlet and a vent; the vent disposed along at least a portion of a boundary of a plurality of spaces to be occupied, wherein the vent is configured to accelerate the airflow passing therethrough to create an air curtain extending from the boundary; a return air passage configured to receive the airflow at a return port and direct the airflow to the air mover inlet.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of abating airborne contamination comprising:
 operating an air mover of a ventilation apparatus to create an airflow through the ventilation apparatus;   filtering an airborne contaminant from the airflow in the ventilation apparatus;   directing the airflow to a boundary of a plurality of spaces through a supply air passage and a fluidly connected vent;   accelerating the airflow through the vent to create an air curtain at the boundary between two or more of the plurality of spaces;   receiving the airflow at a return port fluidly connected to the air mover by a return air passage; and   directing the airflow through the return air passage to an inlet of the air mover.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising monitoring one or more spaces of the plurality of spaces for a presence of an animal and selectively operating the air mover when the presence of the animal is detected in the one or more spaces. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising selectively directing the airflow to one or more boundaries of the one or more spaces where the presence of the animal is detected. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the animal is a human. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising directing the air curtain upward from the vent to the return port. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising directing the air curtain downward from vent to the return port. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising entraining in the air curtain airborne contaminants generated by an occupant of the space. 
     
     
         8 . An airborne contaminant abatement apparatus comprising:
 an air mover having an air mover inlet and an air mover outlet and configured to create an airflow when operating;   a filter disposed in fluid communication with the airflow and configured to remove airborne contaminants therefrom;   a supply air passage disposed in fluid communication with the air mover outlet and a vent;   the vent disposed along at least a portion of a boundary of a plurality of spaces to be occupied, wherein the vent is configured to accelerate the airflow passing therethrough to create an air curtain extending from the boundary;   a return air passage configured to receive the airflow at a return port and direct the airflow to the air mover inlet.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the boundary at least partially surrounds at least one of the plurality of spaces. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the air supply passage and the vent define a top cover of a wall of a cubicle, a retainer of the top cover of the wall of the cubicle, or both. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the air supply passage defines a retainer of a top cover of a wall of a cubicle, and the vent defines a top cover of the wall of the cubicle. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the return port is disposed centrally within a space of the plurality of spaces. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the vent is vertically aligned with the return port. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the vent comprises a plurality of vent openings configured to divide the airflow into two or more adjacent air curtains. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the two or more adjacent air curtains extend parallel to one another. 
     
     
         16 . A method of configuring a space for temporary occupancy comprising:
 providing a ventilation device in fluid communication with a space to be occupied, wherein the ventilation device comprises a contaminant filter for filtering contaminants from an airflow passing therethrough;   disposing a vent at least partially along a border of the space to be occupied;   arranging an air supply passage in fluid communication with an air outlet of the ventilation device and the vent;   disposing a return port a distance away from the vent, wherein the return port is configured for receiving the airflow from the vent;   arranging a return air passage in fluid communication with the return port and with an air inlet of the ventilation device; and   operating the ventilation device to create an air curtain from the airflow, wherein the air curtain extends between the vent and the return port along at least a portion of the boundary.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising detecting a presence of an occupant in the space to be occupied and selectively operating the ventilation device when the presence of the occupant in the space to be occupied is detected.