Monday, April 06, 2020

UVC

How do you clean an aircraft? The trays are notorious, the seats aren't exactly designed for quick scrub-downs (just imagine trying to vacuum them), and is there anyone here who hasn't flown with sick passengers (or been one of them!)?

Enter the GermFalcon, which generates UVC to kill bacteria and viruses. They use a 100amp battery (I think they get about 300 watts) to power UVC lamps to bake the surfaces.

Unfortunately the story doesn't mention how long it takes, and given that you only see one side of the tray table at a time (and it shadows other things), you'd need 2 passes to get the upper surfaces. I didn't see any lights down low for the floor--mustn't forget the floor and all the passengers who take their shoes off. And the shield for the operator isn't enough--he needs safety goggles as well, and had better wear long pants.

It looks interesting, though.

We bought a UVC sanitizing lamp, mostly for fluorescence demonstrations, but under the circumstances we may find uses closer to its original purpose. Ozone stinks, by the way.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Thanks for the nod.

The GermFalcon requires 3-4 minutes for a narrow body aircraft and about 15-20 minutes for a wide body. These times include lavatories and galleys. That also includes 2 passes to get both sides of the tray tables, arm rests, window shades and overhead bins.

Coming to an aircraft near you...

Unknown said...

Thanks for the nod.

The GermFalcon requires 3-4 minutes for a narrow body aircraft and about 15-20 minutes for a wide body. These times include lavatories and galleys. That also includes 2 passes to get both sides of the tray tables, arm rests, window shades and overhead bins.

Coming to an aircraft near you...