Tandem HEPA filter tests

Current methods for evaluating the performance and reliability of high-efficiency air cleaning systems use forward light-scattering photometers and DOP aerosol. This method is limited to measuring protection factors of 10(4) or 10(5) and has poor sensitivity to particles less than .3 micron. More accurate determination of system performance could be made by measuring two filter stages with a single test. Because of the large protection factors of a two-stage system, it is necessary to use high challenge aerosol concentrations and long downstream sampling times. Concentrations were measured using an intra-cavity laser light-scattering aerosol spectrometer which is capable of detection of single particles ranging in size from 0.07 to 3.00 micron diameter. The results of several tests with challenge aerosols of both NaCl and DOP yielded protection factors ranging from 1.4 x 10(7) to 3.0 x 10(9) for two HEPA filters in series.