Device innovator leverages SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation to optimize airflow, validate performance, and design a recyclable LED-based air purification system.
Create an air purification device that could neutralize airborne bacteria using advanced LED technology to eliminate bacteria without relying on traditional bulbs.
Using Dassault Systèmes SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation to identify ways to improve the internal airflow. This would allow modifications of the design to be made easily.
The COVID-19 pandemic spurred Dave Crofts, CEO of Filtr8 and inventor of the company’s signature air purification device, to create a solution that could neutralize airborne bacteria using advanced LED technology. The team began with a simple prototype—a box and a fan—but they had a clear goal: Design a product that would eliminate bacteria without relying on traditional bulbs.
Crofts and his team knew that efficacy depended on controlling how long air stayed inside the device. “We had to somehow create a residence time within the device to make it efficient in neutralizing bacteria and anything else that went through the device,” explains Croft. The concept evolved with the integration of smart sensors that enabled monitoring of particle levels and adjustment of system behavior in real time. The sensors could also detect the types of bacteria or particulates within a room.
Julian Feick, Filtr8’s Technical Manager, spearheaded bringing the prototype to production. Feick realized immediately on joining the company that although the physical design was promising, the team lacked the ability to validate its performance. An initial third-party lab test, which cost nearly £30,000, yielded disappointing results, prompting a strategic pivot.
3DEXPERIENCE Works Simulation can help SOLIDWORKS designers validate designs and make informed decisions throughout the product development process, even in the earliest design stages.
SOLIDWORKS
SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation was a fantastic eye-opener. Seeing something we created come to life in simulation—and watching others use those tools to describe and demonstrate how it works—was amazing.
The next logical next step was to reevaluate the design in the virtual world.
Using Dassault Systèmes SOLIDWORKS® Flow Simulation, the team identified opportunities for improving the internal airflow. “We had to tweak things, constantly calculating the airflow,” details Crofts. These changes boosted the overall system efficiency by more than 20%. “We were able to make modifications and see the benefits [in SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation] straight away,” enthuses Crofts.
Filtr8 also modeled the device’s performance in real-world environments, allowing them to track how contaminated air moved through a room and how best to recapture it. Using SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation, the development team was able to calculate how long it would take to change the quality of the air within a certain-size room. According to Crofts, this capability “transformed our whole thinking,” and from that point forward the product quickly moved to the final design phase.
Filtr8 chose an industrial design firm that uses SOLIDWORKS that could review the actual simulation results, interpret them, and incorporate them into the product. These insights informed the final design, which emphasized both performance and sustainability. The industrial designers also built a product that was both modern and timeless. The front panel is made of bamboo and its plastic casing includes bamboo filler, resulting in a unit that is 89% recyclable.
Crofts was particularly impressed by the design insights unlocked through simulation: “SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation was a fantastic eye-opener. Seeing something we created come to life in simulation—and watching others use those tools to describe and demonstrate how it works—was amazing.”
“We now know we’ve achieved the maximum performance we can from this device, and that it works,” concludes Crofts. “Thanks to [Dassault Systèmes] SOLIDWORKS, we have the final product and are looking for investment to take it to the next level.”
What You Need to Know about 3DEXPERIENCE Works Simulation
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Great ideas can come from many places. Product developers must find ways to bring their best people together so they can effectively collaborate as an ongoing part of development process, but must do this without incurring the cost of bringing everyone to a single location, installing more software, or purchasing additional hardware.To make collaboration more effective in generating innovation, product developers must be able to connect and collaborate without negatively impacting development cycles. They simply need to work smarter, not harder, and collaborate more, not less.This eBook shows how two companies used tools on the Extended SOLIDWORKS Portfolio to:Boost productivity and foster innovation with cloud-based toolsTake advantage of built-in data management capabilities with zero IT overheadConnect and gather feedback in a way that doesn’t delay development cyclesSafely collaborate on designs in real time with colleagues, partners, and suppliersLeverage SOLIDWORKS design tools to connect design teams any time, from anywhere and on any deviceDownload the eBook to discover the benefits of adopting a cloud-based approach to product design.
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SOLIDWORKS drastically reduce prototypes by 70 percent, improve product performance, and cut machine delivery times in half.
Customer Story
Nearly half (44%) of manufacturers say design decisions have become more difficult. If engineering wasn’t hard enough, economic fallout from COVID-19 will likely result in more responsibility falling on engineers who have fewer resources at their disposal. Business must go on; and for engineers to complete their work effectively, they need to be empowered with powerful tools to solve problems faster. As this report details, simulation, particularly cloud-enabled analysis, is a must-have tool. Here’s what cloud simulation users are reporting: 71% more computing power/faster solver 50% frees up engineers’ computers 42% easier access to experts 42% easier collaboration 42% lowers hardware cost of ownership and maintenance
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SOLIDWORKS solutions enable you and your team to quickly transform new ideas into great products.
