The engineers at Ford’s Project Apollo team have found a cheap way to help mitigate the risks of Covid-19 transmission in indoor spaces. The “Scrappy Filtration” system just got the seal of approval in the scientific journal Physics of Fluids.

The air purifier uses just a few parts and has been designed as a low-cost way to help people who need to be indoors, like school children. The system requires just a 20-inch box fan, a filter (one that is 4-inches thick and has a minimum efficiency reporting value of 13), and some cardboard.

It’s a kit that, by design, can be assembled cheaply and easily. To ensure that underserved communities can make use of the air filter, though, Ford is donating 20,000 of them to school districts in Los Angeles, New York, and throughout southwest Michigan.

Read More: Ford Develops Clear N95 Masks And Cheap Air Filtration Kit In Battle Against COVID-19

“We wanted to help underserved communities reduce the risk of airborne COVID-19 in poorly ventilated areas, and it’s great to not only develop something that can meet that goal, but has the data to back it up,” said Dr. Cynthia Flanigan, director, vehicle research and technology, Ford research and advanced engineering. “We engaged with technical leads from University of Minnesota, as well as other scientists doing research in this space, such as Well Living Lab to make sure our research was rock-solid.”

Indeed, in an article entitled “Airborne Transmission of COVID-19 and Mitigation Using Box Fan Air Cleaners in a Poorly Ventilated Classroom,” research using supercomputer airflow analysis is outlined.

The study found that the filter is a useful measure in curbing the spread of covid-19 in poorly ventilated rooms. The research is supported by a study from the Delos and the Mayo Clinic, which found that air purifiers are effective tools in the fight against the pandemic.

“Low-cost portable air purifiers, similar to those used in our testing, are impactful at improving indoor air quality when appropriately matched to a room’s size,” said Dr. Meng Kong, research scientist, Well Living Lab. “Portable air purifiers may be beneficial as one component of a layered approach of precautions, such as distancing, handwashing, and mask-wearing, to protect individuals from respiratory virus transmission.”

Ford has also published a template for its air purifier that you can download for free or just check the images below.

Instructions To Build Ford’s Air Purifier