Modeling the Effectiveness of Portable Air Cleaners with Open Windows

Portable air cleaners have demonstrated their effectiveness in reducing indoor PM concentrations. Common rating systems assume the air cleaner is in a room having limited air exchange with ambient air and the rest of the building. In this analysis, we model conditions in which people operate air cleaners in rooms with some natural ventilation. METHODS: A simplified mass balance model was developed for a 50 m3 room within a 350 m3 home, assuming well-mixed spaces, homogeneous infiltration, and applying the LBLX ventilation model.