Performance Testing of Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaners

Abstract The cordless handheld vacuum cleaner (CHVC) is a compact variation of the full-sized vacuum cleaner designed to remove dust and dirt in tight, indoor spaces such as cars and under stairwells. Vacuum cleaning activities generate and re-suspend particulate matter (PM) within enclosed spaces,...

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Main Authors: Jason Lin, Yu-Mei Kuo, Maxie Lin, Cindy Lin, Pei-Yao Tsai, Chih-Wei Lin, Sheng-Hsiu Huang, Chih-Chieh Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Springer 2024-07-01
Series:Aerosol and Air Quality Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.240082
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author Jason Lin
Yu-Mei Kuo
Maxie Lin
Cindy Lin
Pei-Yao Tsai
Chih-Wei Lin
Sheng-Hsiu Huang
Chih-Chieh Chen
author_facet Jason Lin
Yu-Mei Kuo
Maxie Lin
Cindy Lin
Pei-Yao Tsai
Chih-Wei Lin
Sheng-Hsiu Huang
Chih-Chieh Chen
author_sort Jason Lin
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The cordless handheld vacuum cleaner (CHVC) is a compact variation of the full-sized vacuum cleaner designed to remove dust and dirt in tight, indoor spaces such as cars and under stairwells. Vacuum cleaning activities generate and re-suspend particulate matter (PM) within enclosed spaces, raising concerns regarding indoor air quality. Despite growing popularity and known health risks associated with elevated PM concentration, there is limited research regarding aerosol emission from CHVCs. Our study aimed to investigate PM emission from CHVC and identify the key contributing factors. Two custom-built test systems were designed to quantify the suction pressure and aerosol penetration of the filter cartridge. We tested six popular CHVC models under different conditions and found that filter cartridge sealing, motor design, and dust load can affect PM emissions. Brushed motors emit more particles than brushless motors and interfere with the filter performance. We also found that some filter cartridges did not tightly seal the filter to the housing, significantly increasing PM emission especially as more dust collects on the filter media. While leaky cartridges might result in higher suction and clean air delivery rates at the same power, we still recommend guidelines for airtight filter cartridge design due to the risk posed by elevated PM emissions. Our findings also suggest the need for guidelines concerning motor assembly, motor type, and design standards. For immediate mitigation, users should ventilate areas and use respiratory protection.
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2071-1409
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series Aerosol and Air Quality Research
spelling doaj-art-0880931c51b74c4da2e73e33a7761c3d2025-08-20T02:13:07ZengSpringerAerosol and Air Quality Research1680-85842071-14092024-07-01241011210.4209/aaqr.240082Performance Testing of Cordless Handheld Vacuum CleanersJason Lin0Yu-Mei Kuo1Maxie Lin2Cindy Lin3Pei-Yao Tsai4Chih-Wei Lin5Sheng-Hsiu Huang6Chih-Chieh Chen7California Institute of TechnologyDepartment of Occupational Safety and Health, Chung Hwa University of Medical TechnologyJohns Hopkins UniversityTaipei American SchoolInstitute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Taiwan UniversityInstitute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Taiwan UniversityInstitute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Taiwan UniversityInstitute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Taiwan UniversityAbstract The cordless handheld vacuum cleaner (CHVC) is a compact variation of the full-sized vacuum cleaner designed to remove dust and dirt in tight, indoor spaces such as cars and under stairwells. Vacuum cleaning activities generate and re-suspend particulate matter (PM) within enclosed spaces, raising concerns regarding indoor air quality. Despite growing popularity and known health risks associated with elevated PM concentration, there is limited research regarding aerosol emission from CHVCs. Our study aimed to investigate PM emission from CHVC and identify the key contributing factors. Two custom-built test systems were designed to quantify the suction pressure and aerosol penetration of the filter cartridge. We tested six popular CHVC models under different conditions and found that filter cartridge sealing, motor design, and dust load can affect PM emissions. Brushed motors emit more particles than brushless motors and interfere with the filter performance. We also found that some filter cartridges did not tightly seal the filter to the housing, significantly increasing PM emission especially as more dust collects on the filter media. While leaky cartridges might result in higher suction and clean air delivery rates at the same power, we still recommend guidelines for airtight filter cartridge design due to the risk posed by elevated PM emissions. Our findings also suggest the need for guidelines concerning motor assembly, motor type, and design standards. For immediate mitigation, users should ventilate areas and use respiratory protection.https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.240082Handheld vacuum cleanerMotor aerosolFilter cartridgeSuction pressureAerosol emission
spellingShingle Jason Lin
Yu-Mei Kuo
Maxie Lin
Cindy Lin
Pei-Yao Tsai
Chih-Wei Lin
Sheng-Hsiu Huang
Chih-Chieh Chen
Performance Testing of Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaners
Aerosol and Air Quality Research
Handheld vacuum cleaner
Motor aerosol
Filter cartridge
Suction pressure
Aerosol emission
title Performance Testing of Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaners
title_full Performance Testing of Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaners
title_fullStr Performance Testing of Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaners
title_full_unstemmed Performance Testing of Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaners
title_short Performance Testing of Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaners
title_sort performance testing of cordless handheld vacuum cleaners
topic Handheld vacuum cleaner
Motor aerosol
Filter cartridge
Suction pressure
Aerosol emission
url https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.240082
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