Clean Air Acoustics – Acoustically optimized compact ventilation systems and air purification devices

An increasing number of modern residential and commercial buildings are fitted with compact or decentralized ventilation systems. Due to the Corona crisis, mobile antiviral air purification devices have become particularly popular. In addition to the established big players in this market segment, many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) also offer innovative solutions and products - often without spending much time on optimizing their acoustics.

In the "Clean Air Acoustics" project, four Fraunhofer Institutes have formed a competence cluster to offer SMEs a unique range of services related to optimizing the acoustics of compact ventilation and air purification units; especially in cases where companies have to meet tight deadlines.

The participating institutes bundle a broad spectrum of expertise in technical acoustics and in the design of innovative active and passive noise control measures.

With the SME Acute program (KMU akut), the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft aims to increase the innovative capacity of SMEs. The funding program centers around the current needs of SMEs in this regard. The goal is to reduce innovation hurdles such as high R&D costs coupled with high risks. SME Acute thus complements the existing SME program and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft’s SME transfer strategies, which back up the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research's SME Innovative program (KMU-innovativ) and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy’s Central Innovation Program for SMEs (ZIM).

Within the scope of the project, market analyses and preliminary investigations will be carried out to determine the specific needs of SMEs. Based on this, feasibility studies and validation projects will be conducted to develop hybrid active/passive noise control concepts for ventilation and air purification systems.

• Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP, Stuttgart
• Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU, Dresden
  
• Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF, Darmstadt

Fraunhofer internal funding program "KMU akut"

March 2021 – December 2021