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BAE Systems and Quest International UK Lead the Way in Setting New Cabin Air Standards - "We have processed the AirManager through the full European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) verification and certification programme and cleared it for application on our BAe 146 and Avro RJ regional jetliners. ..."

15 September 2009 -- BAE Systems has joined forces with Quest International UK of Cheadle, Cheshire (a Small Medium Enterprise - SME) to introduce to the world’s airlines the AirManager, a radical new active air management system, which sets a new standard for exceptionally clean air on board aircraft.

In addition to introducing AirManager onto its own BAe 146/Avro RJ airliners, BAE Systems has signed an agreement with Quest International UK to bring the benefits of the breakthrough AirManager technology to the wider aviation market. Under this agreement BAE Systems will act as an authorised distributor for worldwide sales to airlines of the AirManager system for an initial period of five years.

Through its Regional Aircraft business BAE Systems has not only engineered and certificated the installation of AirManager onto its own aircraft, but has also designed and certificated a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC), for installation on the Boeing 757, with a trial unit now being evaluated. Contracts for future STC designs on other aircraft types will be determined by Quest International UK in the light of market demand.

Sean McGovern, Operations Director of BAE Systems’ Regional Aircraft business said today: "In embracing Quest International UK’s remarkable AirManager technology BAE Systems’ approach has been to raise the bar to a new level. At a time when there is increasing concern about the transmission of infections on aircraft, together with the continued debate about the quality of air on board aircraft, we are making available benchmark technology to the world’s airlines to allow them to address the widest possible challenges to cabin air quality."

Quest International UK’s AirManager system was developed in the late 1990s initially for use in the health sector. Since then some 5000 units have been supplied to hospitals, nurseries, veterinary premises, quarantine centres and many other sectors.

The internationally-patented AirManager uses a revolutionary development – CCFT (Close Coupled Field Technology) - which is a contained and safe electrical field that eliminates smells, and breaks down and destroys airborne pathogens, contaminants and toxins.

David Hallam, inventor of the technology and Director of Quest International UK explained: "the main strength of CCFT is its ability to destroy a wide range of contaminants very quickly. It achieves a single-pass kill rate of 99.999% of bio-hazards and removing particles down to below 0.1 micron [a micron is one millionth of a metre], which is equivalent to a single particle of cigarette smoke. Our active air treatment systems provide reduction of airborne contaminants to levels far in excess of those achieved by conventional passive HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Arrest) filters. The AirManager system maintains its superiority over other new technology air purification systems by virtue of its broad spectrum of operation – it is not just a point solution to a point problem."

Quest International UK approached BAE Systems Regional Aircraft in 2004 to investigate whether the AirManager could be engineered to work effectively on board commercial aircraft.

BAE Systems has undertaken a substantive four-year scientific research evaluation through its Advanced Technology Centre and supporting agencies to verify the technology and investigate and ensure that it could be safely installed in aircraft. The research included tests on pyrolised engine oils, hydraulic and de-icing fluids with startling results under laboratory conditions. The AirManager destroyed the tiny amounts of resulting Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in one pass by breaking the compounds down into single harmless anatomical parts.

Sean McGovern added: "We have processed the AirManager through the full European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) verification and certification programme and cleared it for application on our BAe 146 and Avro RJ regional jetliners. To further evaluate the system, this year we have installed the AirManager into the flight deck and cabin air systems of eight aircraft with five European airlines."

The service evaluation, which is coming to an end, includes pre and post installation cabin air measurement of VOCs, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, humidity and temperature. Mr McGovern said: "Our customers are delighted with the AirManager system as it does everything that Quest and ourselves said it would. In addition, we have identified potential fuel burn savings, as the AirManager system cleans the air allowing the air conditioning system to operate more fully in ‘re-circ’ mode. We believe the fuel burn savings are likely to at least cover the purchase cost of the AirManager in the first year."

For the BAe 146/Avro RJ two AirManager units will be required to provide full clean air coverage at a cost comparable with using existing conventional filters. Installation of the system is straightforward and can be achieved in stages across several days as part of overnight line maintenance activity. Replacement of the units will be carried out at ‘C’ Check intervals when the unit is exchanged for a new one, with the old unit being overhauled at a service centre. The system cost should be no more than a new replacement passive filter unit that is currently used in most aircraft.

For the Boeing 757, a passenger variant of the aircraft would require five AirManager units and a freighter aircraft one unit.

BAE Systems is marketing the AirManager to its BAe 146/Avro RJ customer base and has placed initial orders with Quest International UK for 25 ship sets. One of the trial airlines has now ordered the AirManager for its Avro RJ fleet and BAE Systems’ own Corporate Air Travel executive shuttle operation has also ordered the system.

The Asset Management and Support businesses of BAE Systems Regional Aircraft will be marketing the AirManager technology to airlines worldwide. Paul Stirling, Executive Vice President Asset Management said: "BAE Systems has a strong belief in AirManager and we will work hard to generate airline interest and orders. We are working closely with Quest International UK to determine the next STCs to be developed and it is likely that our efforts will focus on the popular Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 airliner families."

Throughout the four-year technology verification process and now at the start of bringing AirManager to the aviation market, BAE Systems has, and will continue to work in close collaboration with Quest International UK. Alex Parffitt, Principal Scientist, Emerging Technology Group of BAE Systems Advanced Technology Centre stated: "We increasingly see our role as fostering and nurturing the best technology from many different sectors and particularly from SMEs and academia. Our collaboration with Quest International UK is a good example of technology brokering and illustrates how open BAE Systems is to new and innovative ideas and products for the benefit of all."

About BAE Systems

BAE Systems is the premier global defence, security and aerospace company delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. With approximately 105,000 employees worldwide, BAE Systems' sales exceeded £18.5 billion (US $34.4 billion) in 2008.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – THE QUEST AIRMANAGER ACTIVE AIR TREATMENT SYSTEM

1) How does CCFT work?

CCFT (Close Coupled Field Technology) generates a ‘contained’ electrical field which has a huge destabilising effect on all compounds and materials in the air passing through it. A combination of high voltage, molecular forces and extreme oxidative stress within the field effectively denatures chemical compounds and kills microbes in the air passing through it.

The cell walls and internal structures of micro-organisms such as bacteria, moulds and yeasts are completely disrupted by the field, causing immediate loss of viability. Even the most resistant biological structures – bacterial endospores – are destroyed by the effects of the CCFT.

Viruses are similarly affected, with the plasma field breaking down the viral capsid (protective protein coat) when present, and denaturing the viral DNA or RNA.

All chemical compounds – organic and inorganic – in the air are subject to attack at a molecular level – and will be continuously degraded into smaller and smaller entities – ultimately even down to their component elements!

Any inert particulate materials are then passed through a HAF filter where particles down to below 0.1 micron in size can be trapped. HAF filters have an open channel structure that maximizes airflow while providing plenty of electrostatically charged surface area to attract, capture and retain more material. HAF filters provide efficient, highly effective filtration and a long service life.

The combination of the CCFT and HAF filter outperforms both HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Arrest) and ULPA (Ultra Efficiency Particulate Arrest) filter standards.

2) How quickly does it work and how effective is it?

CCFT has a cleaning rate of 25000CM/hour – in the BAe 146/Avro RJ it cleans in a maximum of 4 passes – a matter of minutes. All pathogens (germs, moulds and spores) are 99.999 % (log 5) destroyed in a single pass. Airborne viruses are destroyed to an astounding log 10 (99.99999999%)

Extensive trials and evaluations on air quality in buildings (domestic, commercial and healthcare premises), leisure facilities such as public houses, restaurants and sports centres, clean rooms and laboratories; and on emissions from industrial stacks, vehicles and solvent-degreasing equipment have shown a:

- greater than 99.999% removal of germs, bacterial spores, moulds and yeasts and all major families of viruses;
- almost complete removal of chemicals found in tobacco smoke (including ammonia, ethenylpyridine, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, nicotine, phenolics and cresols;
- almost complete removal of particulates;
- almost complete removal of VOCs; methylene chloride concentrations reduced from >2000 parts per million to zero in under 3 minutes operation;
- experimental work using pyrolised Mobil Jet Oil 11, skydrol hydraulic fluid and a de-icing fluid demonstrated a 97%-99% reduction in oil pyrolysis products (including hexanal, phenol, n-N dimethylacetamide, 4-methyloctane and n-dodecane) with 3 passes through the AirManager ’calibrated test unit’. Total VOCs were reduced by 99%.

3) What are the applications and credentials to date of the AirManager system?

AirManager has been developed over several years by David Hallam, the inventor and Director of Quest International UK, initially for the nursing and care home industry where biological odours were a chronic problem.

Since that time, AirManager has been developed for a wide range of markets including food technology, laboratories, quarantine areas, hospital and healthcare units – anywhere where a clean air environment is needed.

It is used for remediation of buildings following flood or fire, protection of food testing laboratories from cross-infection of test samples, has been applied to manufacturing operations where VOCs can cause problems – e.g. pharmaceutical, ink production and solvent utilisation. It is used in nursing homes, for veterinary establishments, for funeral services, in forensics laboratories, in the hospitality and leisure industries, including cruise ships, and also in retail establishments.

Ringing endorsements for the CCFT technology has come from the Department of Health Rapid Response Panel, the Microsearch Laboratory and Microbial Innovations.

In late January 2009, the Quest AirManager was selected as a winner out of 250 entries in a National Health Service (NHS) Smart Solutions for HCAI (healthcare-associated infections) competition to find new ways to help combat hospital bugs. Applications for the Smart Solutions for HCAI programme were received from across the UK, from Ireland, Holland, Italy, Germany, France, Canada and the USA. The Smart Solutions programme is a joint initiative between the Department of Health and NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency which aims to speed up the development and introduction of new technologies to help combat infections.

4) Why is CCFT so well suited to aircraft applications?

The environment in the aircraft cabin is similar to that found in other modes of transport such as ships, trains and buses, and to that of indoor air in homes and offices served by air-conditioning/air treatment equipment. The occupants are supplied with a blend of outside and re-circulated (‘recirc’= conditioned) air of acceptable quality. The aircraft cabin and the flight deck environment have some notable differences however from other modes.

The transmission of infections has been well documented on aircraft, but the most important factor is probably the high occupant density and proximity of passengers. Research indicates that bio-burden in the air in an aircraft cabin is similar in terms of microbial numbers and types to that in other indoor environments, and that during flight the microbial loading comes from the cabin environment and passengers – not the outside air. The bacterial population is representative of that normally associated with humans and soil, while the moulds are similar to those species found in the outside air on the ground and with other indoor environments.

Most microbes are harmless, however some concern has been expressed about pathogenic (disease-causing) viruses such as SARS, Influenzas (such as avian, swine etc) and Novoviruses, and bacteria such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis (which causes TB); all of which may be transmitted by the airborne route.

The AirManager units are well suited for use in aircraft to provide clean, contaminant-free cabin air. The combined CCFT/HAF technologies ensure almost complete removal of particulates, microbes and chemicals in the recirculated air in one pass through the unit, and subsequent passes through the system will maintain and continuously improve quality.

Fume events, if they occur, will be detectable by the crew and so there is no masking of safety issues, but they will be of very limited duration and the rapid destruction of airborne chemical contaminants will result in a much reduced risk of exposure to both passengers and crew. Similarly, airborne bio-burden (normally undetected) relating to shedding of infected skin flakes (a major component of dust) and microbes distributed in coughs and sneezes will be removed – reducing the risk of infection.

5) How much does the AirManager weigh and how much power does it require?

The unit on the BAe 146/Avro RJ weighs only 5 kg – slightly heavier than a standard filter used on aircraft.

The units connect into an existing suitable aircraft power supply. This is fed off a trip which is protected in the flight deck. The power requirement is negligible at only 9 milliamps. There is no need for a LED warning light in the cockpit as the LED itself draws 20 milliamps – more current than the unit it is trying to detect.

Power is scaled up by a transformer which itself only draws 3.7 watts. If for some reason the power goes off and the unit stops functioning, the HAF filter is there as a redundancy so the cabin air will remain filtered.

6) What warranty will be issued with the AirManager?

One year.

For more information contact:

David Dorman
Tel: +44 (0) 1582 488336
Fax: +44 (0) 1582 488447
Email: david@dorwaypr.co.uk

BAE Systems
Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 6YU, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1252 384605
Fax: +44 (0) 1252 383947
24hr media hotline: + 44 (0) 7801 717739

Ian Taylor
Group Sales Manager, Quest International UK
Tel: +44 161 491 0339
Mobile; +44 7969 394085
Email: iat@airmanager.com

Submitted by: LogisticsWorld
news@logisticsworld.com, 9/20/2009 3:39:29 AM

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