Originally named for the mixture of smoke and fog in the air, smog is made up of a combination of air pollutants that have shown to significantly compromise human health, harm the environment, and even cause property damage.
Students at Howest University in Belgium had an idea how to tackle smog and they unveiled Airpal — a sustainable, modular smog tower that improves biodiversity and purifies the air, without any external energy source required.
Mehdi Zekri, Gregory Van der Donckt and Mohamed Hmeid, who developed the concept, were studying sustainable cities and communities. “After analyzing polluted locations in a city and the way we can solve air pollution and biodiversity, we ended up at a smog tower. Then we inspired ourselves on the air purifier in a Chinese city called Xi’an and the smog tower in Delhi,” the students said.
The design consists of a simple white concrete and only three basic parts: the cubicle, the foundation part, and the filter. In that sense, Airpal is easy to assemble — with cubicles stacked on top of each other and filters installed in place. Municipalities can assemble the design in different sizes according to their wishes, thanks to the modularity of the pieces.
The tower is made out of white concrete to keep the chimney cool, but the foundation and filters are of a dark color to absorb as much heat to enhance the draft effect. Smog emerges as a thick heavy warm layer, creating a higher pressure at the bottom. The cold air higher and the wind create a lower pressure and thus create a draft that sucks the smog into the filters.
For the installation, one only has to dig a pit, fill it and tamp down once the foundation is in place. The flexibility of the design also means that it can be moved over time and does not even have to be dismantled during work.
Takeaway
Airpal is easy to assemble, requiring a basic pre-foundation to be installed in a dug pit. The cubicles are stacked on top of each other and the filters are installed in place. The foundation and filters are of a dark color to absorb as much heat as possible and to enhance the draft effect.
The tower itself is made out of white concrete to keep the chimney cool. Smog emerges as a thick heavy warm layer that creates a higher pressure at the bottom. The cold air higher and the wind create a lower pressure and thus create a draft that sucks the smog into the filters.
Action point
Airpal is great for any city that has issues with pollution. While it won't solve all problems in that area, it could certainly help. Airpal is easy to assemble and it could be used wherever necessary. Furthermore, it lets local municipalities choose how they set up AirPal, for instance allowing artists to unleash their works on it — turning it into an art installation while also doing something good for the air we breathe. As such, it's a double win - hence, something that could help your career advance.
Airpal is great for any city that has issues with pollution. While it won't solve all problems in that area, it could certainly help. Airpal is easy to assemble and it could be used wherever necessary. Furthermore, it lets local municipalities choose how they set up AirPal, for instance allowing artists to unleash their works on it — turning it into an art installation while also doing something good for the air we breathe. As such, it's a double win - hence, something that could help your company score some business in the cities and towns you work in. You'll just need to contact Airpal's creators to see how to bring their tech to your area.