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Electrostatic Cyclone: The Ultimate Indoor Pollution and Duster Buster

CSEF · 2026 Environmental Engineering (Junior Division)

Shreyas Garg

Overview

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), indoor air pollution causes about 2.9 million deaths annually. This include over 309,000 deaths of children under the age of 5, making it a second-leading risk factor for child mortality globally. In the developed countries, Air purifiers & Vacuum cleaners are widely used in homes, schools, and workplaces to remove dirt and allergens. Traditional models rely on High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters to capture 99.97% of particles 0.1 microns or larger, but these filters are expensive and require regular maintenance. High-end air purifiers & vacuum cleaners, costing $300 to $700, are often unaffordable even for citizens of developed countries, and neglecting filter changes reduces their efficiency, exposing users to allergens and respiratory risks. This project proposes a novel affordable, low maintenance combo prototype, combining Cyclone Dust Separator (CDS) and Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP) principles for efficient, high efficiency air filtration or floor cleaning. The design, costing under $50, uses a three-stage process (Air Cyclone, Electrostatic charge, and ionization wind) to remove particles without the need for expensive filters or maintenance. Tests show it achieves 99.57% efficiency for less than 0.1 micron to 6.0 micron particles and 100% for more than ~6.0 micron to 20 mm particles and appears to achieve nearly 100% efficiency for filtering 0.1 microns or bigger particulate matter from smoke. By eliminating regular part changes and costly upkeep, this innovative solution provides an accessible, effective alternative to traditional air purifiers and vacuum systems. In this science project, I tried to understand variables that help make efficient and cheaper design using only readily available material. I used Design of Experiment (DoE) methodology to test and optimize the working prototype. Three different design variables were identified: ESP metallic tube length, different voltage in the ESP, and positive terminal electrode type (wire and metallic bottle brush). Each design was tested three times to account for material and fabrication variation and check for repeatability of the test. The test data from prototype shows that the design with 68.83mm tube length, 24kV applied voltage, and 12mm diameter stainless steel bottle brush is the most efficient and optimized design. The prototype was finally tested using a homemade Air Quality test chamber for air quality checks and vacuum capabilities using five different size particulate matter (puff lotus seeds, chia seeds, dust, fine flour, and incense smoke). The tests show that the prototype successfully cleaned the Hazardous level on AQI to Good level on AQI within ~7minute time frame. The Air Quality Indicator (AQI) requirements per Air Clean Act standards and measured using a calibrated gage.

Competition history

  • CSEF 2026 Environmental Engineering (Junior Division) · Entry J-11-10

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