Delhi students turn classroom fans into air purifiers with low-cost filters
Project Vayu has reached over 10,000 schoolchildren in Delhi using a retrofit filter that costs approximately Rs 140 to manufacture.
Students in Delhi have developed a low-cost way to turn existing classroom fans into air purifiers through an initiative called Project Vayu. Co-founded by Krish Aggarwal and Samarth Meattle, the project uses a retrofit filter to capture fine particulate matter, including PM2.5, in schools.
According to News18, the Vayu Filter is fitted over wall or table fans using an elastic lining without the need for tools or adhesives. The filter uses electret filter media with electrostatically charged fibres to attract particles. When the fan is switched on, the airflow expands the filter into a balloon-like shape, increasing the filtration surface area to more than five square feet.
The manufacturing cost for each filter is approximately Rs 140, which includes the filtration material, elastic lining, stitching, and transportation. The initiative provides these filters to schools free of charge and provides a fan in classrooms where a suitable one is not available.
Project Vayu reported that in a 168 square foot room, PM2.5 concentration fell from 158 micrograms per cubic metre to 11 micrograms per cubic metre after 60 minutes of use. The project's pilot covered 295 classrooms and reached more than 8,000 students. The initiative now plans to expand to another 45 schools in New Delhi.