CN110997152A

CN110997152A - Particle purifier

Info

Publication number: CN110997152A
Application number: CN201880038663.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: P.福里伯格; I.弗里舍; M.瓦勒
Original assignee: Namipas Co Ltd
Current assignee: Namipas Co Ltd
Priority date: 2017-04-12
Filing date: 2018-04-12
Publication date: 2020-04-10
Also published as: SE540923C2; SE1750441A1; WO2018189280A1; EP3609621A1

Abstract

There is provided a device (10) for purifying air or liquid, wherein the device comprises: a power unit (1); a transmitter part (3) electrically connected to the power unit; and wherein the emitter component is a composite component comprising a matrix material reinforced with electrically conductive fibres, the composite component being adapted to generate charged particles in an ambient environment when electrified. A method for purifying air or liquid by means of such a device is also presented. Thus, a cost effective and robust device and method for purifying air or liquid that is capable of removing nano-scale particulate contaminants from the surrounding environment.

Description

Particle purifier

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of air and liquid purification. More precisely, the invention relates to a device for purifying air or liquid by means of emitting charged particles, and to a method of purifying air or liquid.

Background

Airborne particles in the sub-micron class constitute a health problem in virtually any indoor environment. Especially in larger cities, where pollutants from traffic severely degrade air quality, there is a great need for: air purification for protecting people from inhalation of smoke or other forms of air pollution. In particular, for protecting people against an increasing number of PM1 particles (particles smaller than 1 μm in size), which are known to contribute to a number of fatal diseases, such as heart disease, lung cancer, dementia, emphysema, and the like.

The most common way today to get rid of these ultra fine particles is through air filters, where the air in the indoor environment is circulated by means of a fan and treated through filters designed to filter out the particles in the air. This solution is combined in some systems with an ionizer that charges particles in the air before the air is directed via a filter adapted to extract ionized particles from the air flowing through the filter. The drawbacks in the case of any solution using filters and fans are: the fan generates noise, which is inconvenient because the system is typically placed in rooms such as bedrooms and living rooms, and the filter becomes less efficient over time because of the particles that collect therein. Furthermore, it is known that purifiers relying on filter technology tend to have certain general drawbacks in terms of dynamic range (i.e. an appropriate filter must be selected for a particular particle size) and also in terms of removing PM1 particles.

GB 2304576 describes a type of air ionizer, which is a device for generating electrons and emitting them into a microenvironment. The apparatus disclosed herein utilizes a carbon filament in order to ionize the air of the microenvironment, i.e. as an emitter assembly, and to cause the particles, which are thus negatively charged, to rest on the positively charged surface of the microenvironment. However, such solutions are associated with manufacturing complexity and robustness issues, as they are prone to malfunctions due to the transmitter solution, where the carbon wire is sensitive and generally associated with manufacturing complications. Thus, there is a need for a new solution that is robust, simple to manufacture, and still efficient.

Although different types of air purification devices are available on the market today, there is accordingly still a need for a device for purifying air as follows: the apparatus enables the decontamination of particles of various sizes and in the total volume of the microenvironment in an efficient and reliable manner.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a particle purifier which provides a good distribution of charged particles in a microenvironment for purifying air or liquid, and which alleviates all or at least some of the above discussed drawbacks of the currently known solutions.

This object is achieved by means of a device and a method for purifying air or liquid as defined in the appended independent claims.

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus comprising: a power cell and an emitter component electrically connected to the power cell, wherein the emitter component is a composite component comprising a matrix material reinforced with electrically conductive fibers, and wherein the composite component is adapted to generate charged particles in an ambient environment when electrified.

Thus, an energy efficient and versatile particle purifier is presented that is capable of reducing contaminants and pollutants in air or liquid. Furthermore, the particle purifier of the present invention is even capable of removing more than 90% of the ultra-fine particles down to 20 nm in the ambient environment without generating any dangerous amount of ozone in the process.

The transmitter element is preferably connected to the power unit by means of a suitable electrical conductor, such as for example copper, silver or gold wire. Preferably, the electrical conductor is arranged to have a resistance in the range of 0.1 to 30 ohms. This can be achieved by suitably controlling the cross-sectional area (i.e. the thickness or diameter of the wire).

Furthermore, the term power unit is to be interpreted as a device for supplying electrical operating power to the transmitter element. For example, the power unit may be a battery, a super capacitor, an electrical adapter configured to convert a voltage or current from an external source (e.g., a power outlet) to an operating voltage or current, or the like.

The term composite component will be understood as a matrix material combined with electrically conductive fibres so as to form a composite material, i.e. a material having a matrix/binder material (e.g. polymer or ceramic) reinforced with fibres of an electrically conductive material (e.g. carbon fibres, graphene fibres, carbon nanotubes, aluminium fibres). Thus, combination may be understood as a polymer mixed with fibres and/or which is moulded or integrated into a single piece of fibre-reinforced matrix material. In other words, the conductive fibers and the matrix material (binder material) may be considered as constituent materials that together constitute the composite part. In more detail, the matrix material surrounds and supports the reinforcing fibers by maintaining their relative positioning in the composite component.

The invention is based at least in part on the following implementation: in order to increase the efficiency of the particle purifier, the electrical and material properties of the emitter member (which may also be referred to as a conveyor member) used to emit electrons towards surrounding molecules, thereby generating negative ions, must be carefully considered. Thus, the present inventors realized the following: emitter components in the form of composite components (such as for example carbon fibre reinforced polymer, CFRP) may lead to an efficient particle purification device. In more detail, said composite part proves to be an excellent ionizing assembly (ionizing emitter), whereby a number of unexpected and advantageous effects in terms of reliability, efficiency and cost can be achieved. The inventors furthermore have learned that: as compared to previously known particle purification solutions, the composite part has an unprecedented high fiber end concentration per volume unit, which makes the composite part particularly suitable as an emitter part in a device for purifying air or liquid. More particularly, the high concentration of fiber ends makes it possible to generate charged particles at a very high rate at relatively low power levels (voltage levels) and with relatively small emitter elements, resulting in an overall reduced size of the device and increased cost efficiency.

Furthermore, the device of the present invention is capable of purifying air at high purity levels, removing more than 90% of particulate contaminants down to 20 nanometers in size, without generating any hazardous amounts of ozone.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the composite part has a resistance in at least one direction in the range of 5-30 MOhm. Resistance in one direction will be understood as the resistance along a substantially straight line through the body of the composite part from the first end to the opposite end. Furthermore, the electrical resistance of the composite part is preferably in the range of 10-30 MOhm, or more preferably in the range of 19-26MOhm, and most preferably in the range of 20-25 MOhm in at least one direction. In an embodiment, the resistance in at least two directions is in the range of 5-30 MOhm. The inventors have realized that the electrical properties of the emitter member are an important aspect of the device, and that the above mentioned resistance range leads to a surprising effect in terms of the ratio of particle contaminants removed from the surrounding environment without exceeding the recommended threshold for ozone formation.

Thus, according to another embodiment of the invention, the matrix material is an electrically insulating material. Furthermore, the matrix material of the composite part may be a polymer, preferably a thermosetting polymer, such as for example an epoxy resin. Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, the proportion of the conductive fiber with respect to the matrix material in the composite is 25% to 80% by volume. In other words, the ratio by volume of the conductive fibers to the matrix material in the composite part is 25-80%, such as, for example, 40-60%, 50-70%, or 35-65%. By having a fiber to matrix material ratio within these ranges, a surprising and advantageous effect in terms of particle soil reduction can be achieved.

Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the invention, the emitter element is cuboidal. In embodiments where the transmitter element is cuboidal, the resistance in the transmitter element in all three orthogonal directions may be in the range of 15-30MOhm, or preferably in the range of 19-26 MOhm. In some embodiments, the component may be three-dimensional polygonal or have a spherical shape. Further, the first side of the emitter element may be 1-50mm, the second side of the emitter element may be 1-50mm, and the third side of the emitter element may be 1-50 mm. The cubic shape of the composite component provides for the edges of the component in which the sought properties relating to the emission of charged particles are achieved. The cubic shape has been demonstrated to achieve a reduction in particles up to sizes below 0.1 μm in the surrounding environment. Alternatively, the composite part may be a 3D polygon of any other shape for achieving similar properties.

Still further, the composite part may include at least one treated surface having a roughened surface structure. This may for example be the result from cutting a larger disc into smaller parts by e.g. water jet cutting. The roughened surface structure provides sharper edges that enhance properties related to emission/generation of charged particles. This is a further advantage of the composite part, since the surface can be roughened by relatively simple and cost-effective production means in order to further increase the efficiency of the device. The surface roughness of the at least one treated surface may, for example, have a roughness value of Ra >6.0 μm.

Furthermore, in a further embodiment of the invention, the at least one treated surface of the emitter element may furthermore be treated such that a plurality of wires of the composite element is exposed. This may for example be the result from cutting larger discs into smaller parts by e.g. water jet cutting, from subsequent processing in the form of abrasive blasting or chemical abrasion/etching. The surface of the emitter component is treated such that the surface structure is roughened and the loosened lines or at least line portions are exposed further enhancing the properties related to the emission of charged particles. In other words, a large number of individual wire ends protrude from the surface of the composite part, resulting in a very large number of "sharp edges" which enhance the properties related to the emission/generation of charged particles. The length of the exposed line portions may be, for example, a few micrometers (e.g. 1-5 μm) up to 1mm (e.g. up to 500 and 1000 μm).

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the transmitter element is connected to the power cell by means of a first electrode having a first polarity, and wherein the device further comprises a housing for containing at least a part of the first electrode and the power cell; and wherein a point located outside the housing is connected to a second electrode having a second polarity opposite to the first polarity, so as to polarize a region around the point such that the polymerized charged particles attach to the region. This point may be, for example, a point on the collection plate. Thereby, a compact and easy to handle solution is provided, wherein all particulate dirt is collected in a general area for easy cleaning and maintenance.

The electrically conductive fibers may be carbon fibers arranged in a random structure in the composite part. Alternatively, the electrically conductive fibers may be carbon fibers arranged in a fabric structure in the composite component. Thus, the emitter element may comprise a carbon fibre reinforced polymer. The electrically conductive fibers may also be (other) carbonaceous fibers, such as graphene fibers or carbon nanotube fibers, or a combination of any of the mentioned fibers. However, other non-carbonaceous fibers are feasible, such as for example non-conductive/poorly conductive substrate fibers coated/embedded with metallic or carbon elements or aluminum fibers.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for purifying air or liquid, comprising: there is provided an apparatus according to any of the embodiments discussed in relation to the previous aspects of the invention, and electrifying the emitter elements via a power cell such that the emitter elements are charged so as to generate charged particles in a surrounding environment.

In the case of this aspect of the invention, there are similar advantages and preferred features as in the previously discussed aspect of the invention, and vice versa.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be further elucidated below with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

Drawings

For purposes of illustration, the invention will be described in more detail below with reference to embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 is a perspective view schematic illustration of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective schematic illustration of an emitter element according to an embodiment of the invention;

fig. 3 is a schematic flow chart representation of a method according to an embodiment of the invention.

The skilled reader will readily appreciate that the size of layers, elements and/or regions may be exaggerated for purposes of illustration and, thus, may be provided to illustrate the general structure of embodiments of the present invention.

Detailed Description

In the following detailed description, examples of the present invention will be described. It will be understood, however, that features or specific elements and details of the apparatus may be readily interchanged by equivalent means unless otherwise indicated. While in the following description numerous specific details are set forth to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures or functions have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

Fig. 1 schematically illustrates a partially through-cut cross-sectional view of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention. The apparatus typically comprises a power source 1, which power source 1 is connected to the transmitter element 3 and arranged to supply power to the transmitter element 3 via the electrode 4. The device 10 according to this embodiment has two electrodes in the form of a cathode 4 and an anode 6, where the cathode 4 is connected to the emitter element 3. The device here has a single emitter element 3 (composite element), here in the form of a carbon fibre-reinforced epoxy, however the device may comprise a plurality of emitter elements (not shown) in other embodiments to the invention.

The power source 1 is here a converter which is plugged into the power grid via a power cable 9 to get an 230/120V, 50/60 Hz AC input and convert the input into a 12V DC output, which 12V DC output is provided to the transmitter element 3. However, the power source 1 may be designed to provide power at various voltages and use various different solutions, e.g. from battery power. The power is then converted into a voltage across the transmitter part 3 which is high enough to achieve proper generation of negatively charged particles into the microenvironment, yet low enough that the process does not substantially cause hazardous levels of ozone in the surrounding air. The voltage range used in this embodiment is between 5-10kV, preferably 7kV, since voltages above 12kV are known to cause a considerable amount of ozone in the surrounding air.

The power source 1 is here arranged in a housing 5, with the cathode 4 connected to the emitter element 3 via a conductive column through an aperture in the housing 5, and the anode 6 connected to a point 7 outside the housing 5 through a separate aperture in the housing 5. This enables the point 7 outside the housing to be in contact with a surface of the microenvironment in which it is located, such as a wall or ceiling. By positively charging the surface of the microenvironment, impurity particles that become negatively charged from combining with the generated negative particles (which have not become large enough to be influenced by gravity) will be collected at the surface, thus not only purifying the impurity particles but also freeing the air in the microenvironment from the purified particles.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic perspective view illustration of the emitter element 3 of the device according to an embodiment of the invention. The transmitter element 3 is, as mentioned, a composite element, here in the form of a carbon fibre-reinforced epoxy resin, having a rectangular cuboid shape with sides of lengths 15mm, 30mm and 4 mm. However, composite components comprising a matrix material reinforced with electrically conductive fibres of virtually any size are feasible. For example, the shape of the composite part 3 may be a 3D polygon with any number of sides, a sphere, or a diamond. The sides of the cuboid or 3D polygon may be separate parts of carbon fibre reinforced epoxy attached to each other by using an adhesive to form the transmitter element 3, or the transmitter element 3 may alternatively be made in a single part of carbon fibre reinforced epoxy. Fibrous material (e.g., carbon fibers) is typically placed in a mold to which a polymer (e.g., epoxy) is added. After the polymer has set, the composite part is removed from the mould and cut, if necessary, according to the desired dimensions. However, as the skilled person will readily appreciate, there are various other applicable manufacturing techniques and several moulding techniques that may be applied to produce the composite part 3.

The surface of the emitter element 3 is preferably treated to achieve a rough surface structure (e.g. with a surface roughness value Ra of more than 6.0 μm), which may be performed by blasting (blasting) but alternatively also by using various other techniques. The action of roughening the surface of the emitter component 3 loosens the structure of the conductive fibre filaments and thus creates looser threads and ends which enhance the effect widely known as "corona discharge" and thus the distribution of the emitted negatively charged particles into the microenvironment. This furthermore offers the possibility of: making small emitter elements 3 with appropriate ionization capacity, e.g. less than 1 cm³The volume of (a).

Fig. 3 is a schematic flow diagram representation of a method for purifying air or liquid according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method comprises providing S301 an apparatus 10 according to any of the previously discussed embodiments of the present invention, such as the apparatus 10 discussed with reference to fig. 1. Furthermore, in use, the emitter elements 3 are electrified via the power cells such that the emitter elements 3 are charged and thus enabled to generate charged particles in the surrounding environment.

The person skilled in the art realizes that the present invention by no means is limited to the embodiments described above. On the contrary, many modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims. For example, the device may include any number of electrodes and transmitter elements in combination to amplify the system. In addition, variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality.

Claims

1. An apparatus for purifying air or liquid, wherein the apparatus comprises:

a power unit (1);

a transmitter part (3) electrically connected to the power unit; and is

Wherein the emitter component is a composite component comprising a matrix material reinforced with electrically conductive fibres, the composite component being adapted to generate charged particles in an ambient environment when electrified.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the composite member has a resistance in at least one direction in the range of 5-30 MOhm.

3. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the proportion of electrically conductive fibres relative to the matrix material in the composite part is from 25% to 80%.

4. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the matrix material of the composite part is a polymer.

5. The device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the polymer is a thermoset polymer.

6. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the composite part (3) is cubic.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the first side of the composite part (3) is 1-50mm, the second side of the composite part (3) is 1-50mm and the third side of the composite part (3) is 1-50 mm.

8. The device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the composite part (3) comprises at least one treated surface having a roughened surface structure.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the at least one treated surface of the composite part (3) is treated such that a plurality of lines of the electrically conductive fibers are exposed.

10. The device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the transmitter means are connected to a power unit (1) by means of a first electrode (2) having a first polarity, and wherein the device further comprises a housing (5) for containing the first electrode (2) and the power unit (1); and is

Wherein a point (7) located outside the housing (5) is connected to a second electrode having a second polarity opposite to the first polarity, so as to electrically polarize a region around the point (7) such that the polymerized charged particles attach to the region.

11. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the electrically conductive fibres are carbon fibres arranged in a random structure in the composite part.

12. The device of any of claims 1-10, wherein the electrically conductive fibers are carbon fibers arranged in a fabric structure in the composite component.

13. The device of any one of claims 1-10, wherein the electrically conductive fibers are graphene fibers.

14. The device of any one of claims 1-10, wherein the electrically conductive fibers are carbon nanotube fibers.

15. A method for purifying air or liquid, comprising:

providing a device according to any one of the preceding claims; and

-electrifying the emitter elements (3) via the power cell (1) such that the emitter elements are charged so as to generate charged particles in the surrounding environment.