Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
  • F24F12/00—Use of energy recovery systems in air conditioning, ventilation or screening
  • F24F12/001—Use of energy recovery systems in air conditioning, ventilation or screening with heat-exchange between supplied and exhausted air
  • F24F12/006—Use of energy recovery systems in air conditioning, ventilation or screening with heat-exchange between supplied and exhausted air using an air-to-air heat exchanger
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
  • F24F8/00—Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying
  • F24F8/10—Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying by separation, e.g. by filtering
  • F24F8/108—Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying by separation, e.g. by filtering using dry filter elements
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
  • F24F3/00—Air-conditioning systems in which conditioned primary air is supplied from one or more central stations to distributing units in the rooms or spaces where it may receive secondary treatment; Apparatus specially designed for such systems
  • F24F3/12—Air-conditioning systems in which conditioned primary air is supplied from one or more central stations to distributing units in the rooms or spaces where it may receive secondary treatment; Apparatus specially designed for such systems characterised by the treatment of the air otherwise than by heating and cooling
  • F24F3/14—Air-conditioning systems in which conditioned primary air is supplied from one or more central stations to distributing units in the rooms or spaces where it may receive secondary treatment; Apparatus specially designed for such systems characterised by the treatment of the air otherwise than by heating and cooling by humidification; by dehumidification
  • F24F3/153—Air-conditioning systems in which conditioned primary air is supplied from one or more central stations to distributing units in the rooms or spaces where it may receive secondary treatment; Apparatus specially designed for such systems characterised by the treatment of the air otherwise than by heating and cooling by humidification; by dehumidification with subsequent heating, i.e. with the air, given the required humidity in the central station, passing a heating element to achieve the required temperature
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
  • F24F8/00—Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying
  • F24F8/10—Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying by separation, e.g. by filtering
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
  • F24F8/00—Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying
  • F24F8/10—Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying by separation, e.g. by filtering
  • F24F8/15—Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying by separation, e.g. by filtering by chemical means
  • F24F8/158—Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying by separation, e.g. by filtering by chemical means using active carbon
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
  • F24F8/00—Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying
  • F24F8/20—Treatment, e.g. purification, of air supplied to human living or working spaces otherwise than by heating, cooling, humidifying or drying by sterilisation
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F26—DRYING
  • F26B—DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM
  • F26B21/00—Arrangements or duct systems, e.g. in combination with pallet boxes, for supplying and controlling air or gases for drying solid materials or objects
  • F26B21/003—Supply-air or gas filters
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F26—DRYING
  • F26B—DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM
  • F26B21/00—Arrangements or duct systems, e.g. in combination with pallet boxes, for supplying and controlling air or gases for drying solid materials or objects
  • F26B21/06—Controlling, e.g. regulating, parameters of gas supply
  • F26B21/08—Humidity
  • F26B21/086—Humidity by condensing the moisture in the drying medium, which may be recycled, e.g. using a heat pump cycle
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
  • F24F11/00—Control or safety arrangements
  • F24F11/0001—Control or safety arrangements for ventilation
  • F24F2011/0002—Control or safety arrangements for ventilation for admittance of outside air
  • F24F2011/0004—Control or safety arrangements for ventilation for admittance of outside air to create overpressure in a room
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
  • F24F2203/00—Devices or apparatus used for air treatment
  • F24F2203/10—Rotary wheel
  • F24F2203/1016—Rotary wheel combined with another type of cooling principle, e.g. compression cycle
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
  • F24F2203/00—Devices or apparatus used for air treatment
  • F24F2203/10—Rotary wheel
  • F24F2203/104—Heat exchanger wheel
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
  • F24F2203/00—Devices or apparatus used for air treatment
  • F24F2203/10—Rotary wheel
  • F24F2203/1068—Rotary wheel comprising one rotor
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
  • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
  • F24F2203/00—Devices or apparatus used for air treatment
  • F24F2203/10—Rotary wheel
  • F24F2203/1084—Rotary wheel comprising two flow rotor segments
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
  • Y02B30/00—Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC]
  • Y02B30/56—Heat recovery units
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
  • Y02P70/00—Climate change mitigation technologies in the production process for final industrial or consumer products
  • Y02P70/10—Greenhouse gas [GHG] capture, material saving, heat recovery or other energy efficient measures, e.g. motor control, characterised by manufacturing processes, e.g. for rolling metal or metal working

Definitions

• the invention relates to a device for treating air according to the preamble of claim 1, a system for treating air according to the preamble of claim 6, and a method according to the preamble of claim 9.
• Such devices, systems and methods for treating air are used for treating the air of many types of spaces and premises, such as residential houses or industrial buildings by dehumidifying and purifying the air, and for producing negative pressure in the space being treated as well as for heating the air, if required.
• Systems according to the invention are used, in particular, when repairing buildings damaged by moisture or mould.
• microbial growth such as moulds, bacteria and yeast and rot fungi
• such consequences include eye and skin symptoms as well as symptoms of the respiratory tract, repeated respiratory infections and allergic illnesses. While repair work is under way, the microbe concentrations in the working space air may rise to even one hundred times the concentrations prior to the repairs.
• the outside environment of a working space is protected by isolating the working space and also maintaining a negative pressure within. If it has not been possible to remove a sufficient amount of moisture via the negative pressurizer by exhausting outdoors e.g. during the period the building is heated, a separate air dehumidifier has been used.
• the prior art is hampered by a number of disadvantages: the moisture released during the drying of the structures is conveyed to the air in the space under repair work, where it can then be removed by leading the exhaust air of the negative pressurizer outdoors.
• This is, however, in practice often not possible particularly while the buildings are heated, whereby the air must be subjected to dehumidification by a separate air dehumidifier.
• This poses problems if space is scarce because separate equipment is required both for creating the negative pressure and for the dehumidification.
• the equipment used today for treating air during repair work is not very well suited for use when water damage in residential buildings is being repaired. This is because such damage often occurs in bathrooms which are too small for the equipment to fit in.
• a device for treating air e.g. for work involving asbestos comprises a movable unit having a HEPA filter, an air dehumidifier and blowers for circulating air, as well as air passages for conveying air from the space where work is being done to the device, further to open air or back to the air inside the space where work is under way.
• the device described in the document is, due to its structure, not particularly well suited for repair work involving damage caused by moisture or mould, because in the device the HEPA filter is arranged before the air dehumidifier.
• the HEPA filter When used in buildings suffering from mould damage the HEPA filter has to function in damp conditions, whereby the filtration and throughput properties of the filter are impaired, and, worst of all, the filter risks contracting mould.
• the device described in the document solves a wholly different type of problem.
• the purpose of the air dehumidifier is to participate in adjusting the air humidity in the working space such that it is optional for the asbestos removal process and for the working conditions of the workers.
• the present invention aims at eliminating the above- described drawbacks and at achieving an entirely novel type of device, system and method for treating air.
• the invention is based on arranging and dimensioning the elements of the device or system for treating air such that the relative humidity of air taken to the HEPA filter does not exceed 50 % while the device is in operation. In practice, this is achieved by placing the air dehumidifier before the HEPA filter in the flow path of air.
• the invention is also based on taking the air treated in the air treatment method from the space where work is being done to the HEPA filter dehumidified in a corresponding manner.
• the device for treating air according to the invention is characterized by what is stated in the characterizing part of claim 1, and the system for treating air is characterized by what is stated in the characterizing part of claim 6.
• the method for treating air according to the invention is characterized by what is stated in the characterizing part of claim 9.
• the invention offers considerable benefits.
• the relative humidity of air filtered by means of a HEPA filter can be controlled such that it is less than 50 % while the system is in operation, whereby an essentially insignificant growth of microbes on the surface of the HEPA filter is attained. This makes it possible to use the invention to improve the result of air filtration and to extend the service life of HEPA filters.
• the device or system is advantageously equipped with a gas filter.
• Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a device for treating air according to the invention.
• Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of a system for treating air according to the invention.
• HEPA filter refers to a particle filter capable of filtering at least 99.97 % of particles having a size of 0.3 ⁇ m, or any other filter device which can be used to almost completely remove particulate impurities such as microbes from air.
• the gas filter 20 for its part is a filter which is used to remove volatile organic compounds.
• the adsorbent of the gas filter 20 may comprise, e.g. activated alumina impregnated with potassium permanganate, impregnated activated carbon, or preferably activated carbon.
• the device according to the example depicted in Fig. 1 which is suited for single, separate targets consists of a body 6, to which an air dehumidifier 8, 9, 10 constituted by the combination of an evaporator 8, a condenser 9 and a compressor 10, is fixed, and to which a HEPA filter 2, a gas filter 20, a blower 3, a prefilter 5 and a hygrostate (not shown) are fixed.
• the operation of the device of Fig. 1 is based on circulating the air being treated through the device such that most of the microbes are first removed from the air by taking it through the prefilter 5. In this manner it is possible to significantly reduce the fouling of the cooling coil 8 and clogging of the HEPA filter 2, thereby reducing the need for maintenance of the device and extending the replacement interval of the expensive HEPA filters 2.
• the air is dehumidified in the air dehumidifier 8, 9, 10 so efficiently that its relative humidity remains below 50 % whereby the multiplication of microbes on the surface of the HEPA filter 2 is prevented.
• the condensing dehumidifier 8, 9, 10 is used connected such that the air being treated is cooled in the evaporator 8 to a temperature below its dew point and is thereafter drawn through the condenser 9 whereby thermal energy bound by the coolant is returned to the air being treated. Condensed moisture from the evaporator 8 is taken to e.g. the drain system.
• the air is drawn to the HEPA filter 2 which removes practically all particles in the microbial size range, that is, having a size of about 2 to 5 ⁇ m.
• the dimensions of the filter 2 are approximately 450 x 450 x 100 mm.
• the HEPA filter 2 must be fastened in position in a well-sealed manner in order for all the air to be filtered and for no by-pass leakage to take place.
• the air is drawn to a gas filter 20, preferably an activated carbon filter.
• the gas filter 20 is advantageously arranged after the air dehumidifier 8, 9, 10 in the flow direction of the air being treated. This is because the great humidity of the filtered air impairs the performance of most gas filters.
• the gas filter 20 is also advantageously placed after the HEPA filter 2 in the air flow direction, whereby the air reaching the gas filter 20 is dust free. Naturally, this will result in a longer replacement interval for the gas filter 20.
• the residence time of the filtered air through the filter 20 is sufficiently long. This can be guaranteed by selecting the thickness of the filter material and the cross-section of the filter such that they are sufficient with regard to the air flow rate through the filter. If the filter is not sufficiently thick for the air flow being treated, some of the gas meant to be filtered will penetrate the filter. On the other hand, the pressure loss caused by the gas filter 20 must not be too great.
• the dimensions of the gas filter 20 may be for instance about 450 x 450 mm and its thickness may be 150 to 200 mm.
• Air from the gas filter 20 is drawn to a blower 3 whose task it is to effect the circulation of the air. After the blower part of the exhausted air is diverted from the space being treated, whereby the required negative pressure is generated in the space where work is being done. The rest of the air is returned to said space.
• the air treatment device of the present invention can be used to reach a total flow of about 450 to 550 m 3 /h when electric power of about 1 kW is used.
• the external dimensions of the exemplifying device are about 0.50 x 0.50 x 0.90 m and it is provided with fixing means for connecting air supply and discharge hoses.
• An advantageous position for the blower 3 in the air flow being treated is after the HEPA and gas filters 2, 20, because it is then easier to prevent the air to be treated from passing the filters 2 and 20 unfiltered.
• the arrangement makes sealing of the device easier because the negative pressure sucks the filters against their backing surfaces.
• the phenomenon is due to the fact that when the blower 3 is arranged after the filters 2, 20 the filters 2, 20 operate in a negative pressure environment with respect to the surrounding air, whereby small leaks, if any, do not cause leaking of air into the space external of the device but on the contrary give rise to air flow from outside into the device.
• a system can be connected to the device which monitors and controls the operation of the device.
• Such a system may comprise, for example, means for measuring and controlling air flow, temperature, humidity, and differential pressure. Pressure losses caused by the filters 2, 20, for example, are advantageously monitored by means of differential pressure instruments. This makes it easy to notice when the filters 2, 20 need replacing.
• the exemplifying device may also be connected to an exhaust air passage along which the amount of air required to create the negative pressure is exhausted from the space being treated.
• This passage may comprise a lead-through which exploits standard dimensioning of windows and doors.
• the lead-throughs may also facilitate the arrangement of ventilation without draught during the repair work.
• the principle of the exemplifying embodiment intended for repairing large targets, for instance all the sanitary spaces in an apartment building at the same time, is shown in Fig. 2.
• the body 6 of such a system for treating air may consist of e.g. a container.
• Both medium pressure fans 3, which are used to take care of the continuous ventilation of the various spaces under repair work, and a high- pressure exhaust fan 11, which is used to remove by suction the contaminated waste formed during repair of the work space, are mounted in the body.
• both systems form their own entity inside the system.
• Connections are provided in the body 6 for a system of passages 12 through which air is supplied into and extracted from the work space.
• the purpose of ventilation is to remove microbes and other impurities formed in the work space and to dehumidify the air by means of heated and, if necessary, dehumidified incoming air.
• the dehumidification of air can be performed by means of an air dehumidifier 1.
• the connections for the passage system 12 are furnished with gate valves 13.
• the medium pressure fans 3 are controlled steplessly by means of a frequency changer (not shown) , and thus the required air flow can be selected flexibly according to the size of the repair target.
• a heat recovery unit 4 is installed into the system, by means of which heat from exhaust air is transferred to incoming air. If energy released from heat recovery is, e.g. during severe frost spells, not enough to heat the air being supplied, an air preheater 7 is used.
• the filtered and heated incoming air is supplied back into the work space without draught.
• the exhaust air is efficiently purified by means of the filters 2 before the regenerator, whereby microbial contamination is prevented as well as the drifting of impurities along with leakage air flows back into the space being repaired.
• the maximal air flow rate is 7000 m 3 /h, which will take care of the ventilation of about 20 average-size apartments at the same time.
• the apparatus of Fig. 2 supplies air from the space external of the space under repair work through the system into the space being repaired and further through the system back to the space external of the space being repaired.
• the flow path of air comprises a first section through the system, the space being repaired and a second section through the system.
• the flow path of air is arranged such that both the air dehumidifier 1 and the space being repaired are arranged before the high-efficiency filters 2 in the flow path of air.
• the air dehumidifier 1 is arranged in the first section of the path of air flow through the system and the high-capacity filter 2 in the second section through the system.
• the operation of the arrangement is monitored and controlled by means of a system (not shown) comprising measurement and control systems for air flow, temperature, humidity and pressure difference.
• a similar control system can also be used in apparatuses similar to the embodiment concerning devices for treating air in one single target space.
• the system according to the example also has lead-throughs which make use of standard dimensions for windows and doors.
• lead-throughs By means of such ready-made lead-throughs the time required for installing the system of passages is considerably reduced.
• the lead-throughs make it easier to arrange ventilation during ongoing repair work without any draught.
• a high-pressure exhauster 11 is used for local exhaust during a dusting step as pick dressing.
• the finely divided waste is removed into the space external of the space being repaired directly by suction, whereby there is no need to handle the waste indoors.
• the air filtration of the high-pressure exhauster 11 takes place in multiple steps such that most of the exhausted material is collected by the preseparator 14. Next, dust is removed by means of filters furnished with cleaning means 15, and is then exhausted outdoors.
• a dust collector tank is arranged under the preseparator 14, which tank is emptied at a dump area.
• the air circulating device 3 could be arranged between the air dehumidifier 8, 9, 10 and the filters 2, 20 or before them.
• the device is also operable such that the amount of air exhausted from the space being repaired is led entirely to the space external of the space being repaired. This could be considered e.g. when the work space is divided into sections.
• the device could be adjusted to exhaust air e.g. from a first section and to lead the filtered exhaust air into a second section.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Drying Of Gases (AREA)
• Filtering Of Dispersed Particles In Gases (AREA)

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• 1997
  • 1997-11-11 FI FI974205A patent/FI974205A/fi unknown
• 1998
  • 1998-04-28 EP EP98917169A patent/EP0979379A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1998-04-28 JP JP54663898A patent/JP2001522448A/ja active Pending
  • 1998-04-28 WO PCT/FI1998/000371 patent/WO1998049510A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1998-04-28 AU AU70478/98A patent/AU7047898A/en not_active Abandoned
• 1999
  • 1999-10-25 NO NO995193A patent/NO995193L/no not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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