The intent of this project was to design a product that would function as a sustainable alternative to an existing product. I chose to develop light fixtures that work in conjunction with new air purifying compact fluorescent lamp technology. Because these CFLs purify air with negative ion technology I coined them Ion Lamps. 

These Ion lamps achieve superior sustainability by using less energy. They achieve this by acting as a substitute for traditional electricity guzzling air purifiers, as well as by being 80% more energy efficient than standard incandescent bulbs. On top saving energy and thus pollutants, they would also be manufactured with sustainable materials.

ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION:

“Indoor air pollution contributes to lung disease, including respiratory tract infections, asthma and lung cancer. Lung disease claims close to 335,000 lives in America every year and is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Over the last decade, the death rate for lung disease has risen faster than for almost any other major disease.”

“Poor indoor air quality can cause or contribute to the development of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. In addition, it can cause headaches, dry eyes, nasal congestion, nausea and fatigue. People who already have respratory diseases are at greater risk.”

“Biological pollutants, including molds, bacteria, viruses, pollen, dust mites, and animal dander promote poor indoor air quality and may be a major cause of days lost from work and school. In office buildings, heating, cooling, and ventilation systems are frequent sources of biological substances that are inhaled, leading to breathing problems.”

There are many benefits to using existing air purifying technologies, unfortunately there are also many drawbacks.

ENERGY USAGE:

Like all appliances, different air purifiers use different amounts of energy for operation. Unlike most appliances, air purifiers run continuously. The typical mechanical air filters can use anywhere from 50 watts on low to 300 watts on high. (In comparison, a typical incandescent lamp uses about 60 watts, while a typical air conditioner uses about 365 watts). Given the amount of rooms in the home or apartment it is likely that multiple air purifiers will be needed for optimum air purification. This can amount to a lot of energy usage over the year, which in turn amounts to higher spending for the user and higher CO2 emissions for all of us.

PRICE:

Air purifiers range from affordable units for small spaces to expensive units for large rooms. As it stands the more money spent on a purifier the better it will purify. Also most purifiers require filters, which need to be replaced often.

NOISE:

Some air purifiers, such as the Blueair units, are extremely quiet, while others can be quite loud when operating at high power.

Air purifying CFL technology is relatively new and its emergence into mainstream usage has been slow to catch on.

EFFECTIVENESS:

A single CFL has been found to purify a 10 cubic meter room in minutes, ridding the air of smoke, pollutants, dust, pollen, allergins and odors.

STRENGTHS:

Negative ion technology removes pollutants in the air. 

75% reduction of lighting energy costs. 

Uses 23 watts of energy, with a light output comparable to 100 watt incandescent.

Guaranteed to last 10,000 hours (13 times longer than a standard 100 watt incandescent bulb). 

Begins eliminating odors in just 10 minutes.

WEAKNESSES:

Relies on a passive process of air purification. ( Air must pass by naturally to be exposed to the negative ions/ purified.)

Once the exposed particles have become negatively charged and are drawn to the positively charges surfaces of the home. The particles are no longer airborne, however they accumulate on surfaces in the home, adding to household dust, which can in time lose its negative charge and be reintroduced into the air.

Like all CFLs, APCFLs contain a small amount of mercury, which is toxic and must be disposed of properly through commercial or municipal services.

The most energy efficient way to create an airflow is to take advantage of the heat given off by the light bulb. Through research and experimentation a form for the fixture was developed to optimize air intake by way of convective. Through experimentation it was visually confirmed that air was accelerated through the fixture.

Through experimentation with paper machete forms it was visually confirmed that air was accelerated through the fixture.

Using convection a directional airflow is created, driving airborne particles to the collector. The ionizing bulb gives airborne particles a negative charge. The particle collector will be positively charged and will attract the particles. An orb-shaped collector maximizes static resonance, which means the pull of the collector will be as strong as possible relative to the energy consumed. The other benefit of having an orb-shaped collector is that it is easy to clean.

Through research I understood what the form must be to enable the function. In ideation I explored what the form could be. Along with form, I explored materials, processes, assemblies and various uses. It was through these studies that I was able to refine my design. The ultimate goal being to make the air purifying CFL technology as accessible as possible to modern day consumers.

INSTALLATION

Simply screw pendant light fixture into standard 5 inch diameter recessed light unit.

SETTING

Pull fixture down to desired height. Then simply attach height regulating clip by snapping it onto the vertical cord at the base of the unit.

CLEANING

Pulling the hanging orb softly activates the ON/OFF function. To clean, pull with more force until the collecting orb is within reach. Use a dry cloth to remove dust from collector. Release cord to allow the fixture to retract to its original height.