Cost Analysis of Activated Carbon versus Photocatalytic Oxidation for RemovingVOC's from Indoor Air

摘要

A cost comparison has been conducted of 1 cu m/s indoor air cleaners usinggranular activated carbon (GAC) vs. photocatalytic oxidation (PCO), for treating a study-state inlet volatile organic compound (VOC) concentration of 0.3 mg/cu m. The commercial GAC unit was costed assuming that the inlet VOCs had an average carbon sorption affinity. A representative model PCO unit for indoor air application was designed and costed, assuming an above-average VOC oxidation rate from the literature. The analysis shows that, for the assumptions used here, the PCO unit would have an installed cost more than 12 times greater, and an annual cost more than 6 times greater, than the GAC unit.