Air Purification System for Buses

Thermo King Air Purification Solution for Bus HVAC

The key to increasing ridership is right under your nose.

Riders respond emotionally to their experience, and unpleasant odors are among the barriers to public transit use. That’s why Thermo King offers the Air Purification Solution (APS), an air purification system that effectively reduces odors on board without additional maintenance costs.

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The GPCO test of the Air Purification Solution reduced the concentration of the lemon scent VOC by approximately 80% after 20 minutes.

Reduces offensive odors by 80% over 20 minutes*

An independent study using an actual transit bus tested our APS with two different strong-smelling VOCs: D-limonene (lemon scent) and A-pinene (pine scent). Each VOC was injected into the bus and tested against the rate of natural decay.

Results showed that our solution reduces odor-causing VOCs in a relatively short period of time.

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Discover the Thermo King air purification solution, proven to reduce odors on commuter bus fleets

An air purification solution that enhances your existing bus HVAC system

2-piece system

MERV 7 pre-filter
GPCO purification device

Modular design for installation flexibility

Easy access maintenance switch

HMI controller integration – device activation with bus ignition

Optional status light available

Zero additional maintenance

Removes odor-causing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air

98% effective in viral inactivation within 20 minutes of operation**

In-duct solution keeps hardware out of the passenger compartment

UV-A light is safer for human interaction than UV-C light, which is used in other active solutions

infographic displaying how air flow from the passenger cabin flows through the merv7 pre-filter, GPCO device, and HVAC unit before returning clean air to the passenger cabin.

How it works

Specifically designed for transit buses with high airflow conditions, our APS is a fully contained system located within the existing bus HVAC unit. As air is circulated from the passenger cabin into the HVAC system, it passes first through a MERV 7 pre-filter to remove particulates.

It then moves through a graphene-enhanced photocatalytic oxidation (GPCO) device, which helps deactivate harmful viruses, bacteria and odor-causing volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The cleaned air is sent back into the passenger cabin, allowing for continuous air exchanges in the cabin. The Thermo King APS processes 100% of the airflow passing through the bus’s HVAC system.

Crowd inside the shuttle during peak travel

Effective against pathogens, too

Most riders understand that exposure to crowds can increase their risk of contracting seasonal flus and other common illnesses. With the Thermo King APS on board, you can help to improve indoor air due to its ability to deactivate pathogens. Designed to CDC and ASHRAE guidelines, our solution is 98% effective against viruses in 20 minutes.***

It also helps deactivate many bacteria and helps filter out common contaminants. In fact, our bus APS removes formaldehyde from the passenger space at rates that exceed the performance of many competitive technologies.

The Thermo King APS has been certified by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), a required standard for selling and/or operating an APS-equipped bus in that state. It’s just one of several certifications proving the safety and effectiveness of our APS.

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Safe and sustainable

If your organization has Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) goals, you’ll appreciate that our system is designed with UV-A LED bulbs. They’re safer than the UV-C lights found in competing solutions, and their long life means less waste.

Further, our APS does not use mercury bulbs, which contain hazardous material and require special disposal procedures.

bus passengers safely riding thanks to Thermo King's air purification system

Easy on your maintenance budget

Designed to plug-and-play with Thermo King bus HVAC systems, our APS is compatible with most of our units, including legacy models. Typically, it can be installed in about an hour, and there’s no additional maintenance needed outside of routine filter changes.

With an expected life of 50,000 hours, the APS will work quietly in the background for years to help eliminate odors and provide a more comfortable environment for your passengers. Be assured that you’ll have dealer service and parts support for the life of the transit bus.

Resources

Research behind our solution and different technologies available

Through independent, third-party testing, following CDC and ASHRAE guidance, combined with our expertise in air flow, we tested a variety of air purification technologies. Learn which technologies perform best in a bus environment.

We collaborate with leading experts to advance IEQ policy, strategies, and solutions

Rebuilding confidence in indoor environmental quality (IEQ)

Through the Trane Technologies Center for Healthy & Efficient Spaces, we collaborate with leading experts to advance IEQ policy, strategies, and solutions. This includes the area of public transit.

Learn more

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Looking to improve indoor air quality (IAQ) for your building?

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