The dissertation as the completed scientific work provides the solution of the urgent scientific and applied task, which consists in ensuring protection of workers' respiratory organs from the action of aerodisperse particles by developing and implementing the universal design of filtering dust and gaseous respirator, half-mask of which is suitable for use by workers with the anthropometric features of the face, i.e. it is firmly and tightly adjacent to the face along the obturation line during operation as well as means of indicating a tight and uniform fit of the obturator to the face without dents.
The analysis of literary data was carried in relation to development, production mastering, introduction, exploitation, and storage of respirators. Significant shortcomings are shown as associated with the estimation of their quality, in particular, their potential danger for users, when possibility of penetration of harmful aerosols into the submask space is neglected, and, more precisely, necessity of the legislatively set prophylaxis of breathing by the use respirators of only proper type and class with functional objectives corresponding to working environments, ergonomics and sanitary-hygienic requirements. It is shown that respirators design is currently based mainly on erudition, intuition and experience of designers in relation to the use and data bases covering the well-known analogues. This rather complex process is characterized as a set of actions to find ideas, conduct research and calculations aimed at developing technical documentation necessary for the creation and manufacture of products with specified in accordance with the technical task technical characteristics – requirements for the following indicators: functional purpose of filtering elements or / and respirators (penetration rate, dust content, and gases); ergonomics of inhalation and exhalation valve assemblies, half-mask, obturator, headband (inhalation and exhalation resistance, conformity of half-mask to anthropometric dimensions of the face, carbon dioxide content in inhaled air, field of view, possibility to negotiate); reliability (stability of time of protective action, and also indicators of ergonomics during the declared term of storage and operation.
A quick method for estimating the tightness of the half-mask to the face using thermography of the obturator surface is proposed. It enables calculating of the coefficient of RPD tightness to the face, taking into account the force of tension of the headband by processing and comparing the image with the reference image of the obturation band using the mathematical environment Mathlab, which allows you to pre-determine the coefficient of RPD protection.
The method for determining the suction coefficient of the test aerosol on volunteers in the obturation band of the half-mask was proposed. It takes into account the tension of the respirator headbands, using a special flexible sensor Conductive Rubber Cord Stretch Sensor, made in the form of an elastic cord with electric resistance changing linearly in case of stretching.
