The association of aluminium with environmental sustainability has come a long way. Right from making the smelting process less CO2-spitting to recycling used aluminium for maximum conservation of energy, researchers across the world are leaving no stone unturned to extract the true value of the 'green' metal as much as possible. Recently, Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde has come up with yet another one-of-a-kind use of aluminium which aims at protecting environment in a way not heard or seen before. Roosegaarde installed the Smog Free Tower, a seven-meter high aluminium structure in Beijing that removes smog from the air just like an air purifier.
The prototype of the aluminium tower was first tested in Rotterdam, Netherlands. In Beijing, the pilot project is located near Vierhavensstraat 52, a community greenspace. The Smog Free Tower installed in the now converted industrial park can process around 30,000 cubic meters of air in an hour, and pump it back into the adjoining areas creating a clean-air oasis. Towering amid the city high-rises the aluminium structure symbolises "a sign of hope for a whole city."
The aluminium tower is a novel and more importantly, a critical addition to Beijing's skyline. This is because, the air in the capital city routinely exceeds World Health Organization standards for safety at levels reaching nine times the recommendation. So far, independent tests on the Smog Free Tower's performance have proved that it can remove about 60 per cent of the particulate matter from the air.
Roosegaarde designed the unique air-purifying aluminium Tower to work using a positive ionization process. The tower releases positive ions into the air, which causes them to attach themselves to dust particles. A negatively charged surface inside the Tower then attracts the positive ions loaded with air particles. Finally, the tower system pumps purified air back into its surroundings.
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The aluminium Smog Free Tower stands out not only because of its functionality but also due to its attractive design. Its aluminium exterior wraps the hexagonal structure in slats that protect the purification systems inside the tower.
The unique air purifying metal structure won the Dutch designer the prestigeous Airbnb Design Innovation Medal at this year's London Design Festival. Such innovations are sure to work wonders for global cities where pollution is estimaed to claim hundreds of life in the next few years.
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