ES1279219U - Air purification device, by ionization, against the Sars-Cov-2 virus in vehicles (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Device for the purification of air contaminated with aerosols and pathogens (1), by ionization, for use in vehicles that comprises, at least: # - an air supply system (2) preferably composed of a (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

AIR PURIFICATION DEVICE, BY IONIZATION, AGAINST VIRUSES

SARS-COV-2 IN VEHICLES

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, as expressed in the wording of this specification, refers to a device for the reduction of viral load in air contaminated with aerosols loaded with pathogens inside vehicles, reducing the current dependence on natural ventilation, which It provides notable advantages over currently existing means for similar purposes.

Recurring pandemics, such as the influenza virus or SARS-CoV-2, generate situations of massive contagion in the population, despite numerous individual protection measures (eg masks, or hand cleaning). In general, respiratory pathogens highlight the insufficiency of technological means in the fight against contagion, especially in spaces and areas of shared use. This situation is mainly due to the scarcity of means of collective protection, which should be prioritized over means of individual protection. It is widely known that restrictions on the use of common spaces (eg restaurants or concerts) demonstrate high effectiveness in times of pandemic. However, due to economic infeasibility, it is not possible to apply restrictions on the use of means of transport such as automobiles (eg taxis), airplanes, trains or ships. In the absence of collective means of purifying the polluted air, in some of these means of transport it is recommended to force a natural renewal of the air, sacrificing air conditioning (heat and / or cold), but in other means of transport such as trains and airplanes, the structural change necessary to carry out this activity is very great or, simply, impossible.

The device presented has been specifically designed for use in vehicles, where the renewal of air in a natural way, when possible, has great disadvantages. Air purification is carried out by coupling ionization and air filtration systems that work synergistically thanks to a particular geometric configuration. Channeling the air flow is used to transport the air from ionizers to filters, but in addition, changes in the flow regime from laminar to turbulent are caused when necessary, for example, when you want to minimize shady areas that can protect pathogens in the airflow. Both the preferred configuration presented in this document, as well as the chosen system coupling, have the objective of maximizing the efficiency in air filtering with a minimum pressure drop, which has as a consequence a reduction in the power required in the turbines and its size. This volume limitation is of special relevance in confined spaces such as those of a car, without prejudice to the obvious advantages that the device provides to the collective air conditioning systems present in buses and aircraft. In these cases, the main advantage of the system is that it achieves high efficiency in filtering pathogens without requiring major structural adaptations in the vehicle, since it is easily coupled, and compatible, with the air conditioning systems of collective vehicles, mainly because it does not cause a high pressure drop over the previously implemented system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Numerous devices, or systems, are known for filtering air in vehicles, mainly in order to reduce the rate of particles within the different rooms. There are not so many systems capable of carrying out this task against pathogens such as bacteria, viruses and spores.

In this sense, mention can be made of the well-known HEPA filters, an acronym for High-Efficiency Particulate Absorbing filter, used in many systems, such as in aircraft. These systems are usually implemented to cause a high rate of air renewal in the passenger compartment, allowing the maintenance of an atmosphere with a low concentration of particles. The filtering system, either with HEPA filters or with other low-performance filters such as those used in automobiles (eg DPF -Diesel Particulate Filter-), have numerous disadvantages compared to pathogens, for which they have not been designed. The efficiency of these filtering systems usually relies, almost exclusively, on a physical system called a filter that, in addition, for its correct operation requires strict adherence to the deadlines and flow rates, predetermined by the manufacturer. Most of these systems are not capable of detecting manufacturing defects in the filter, or sudden losses in filtering capacity, as they do not have control systems over filtering efficiency during normal operation, beyond the alarms based on in uptime, typically only found in advanced, very recent, or single-use systems.

As already mentioned, air filtration systems in vehicles have not usually been designed against pathogens, and their efficiency depends on a purely steric question of the relationship between the volume occupied by the pathogen and the diameter of the filter passage. To demonstrate the inability of purification against pathogens of these systems, the higher category filters (HEPA) commonly used in collective vehicles such as aircraft can be considered. Its filtering efficiency is usually measured as a function of the most penetrating particle size (MPPS), which is typically between 0.1 and 0.25 microns (^ m). Pathogens (eg, bacteria, spores, and viruses) tend to have smaller diameters. As a reference, respiratory viruses usually have diameters between 80 and 120 nanometers (nm). In addition, it must be taken into consideration that filters do not eliminate the pathogen, but rather capture and maintain it in its matrix, creating a means of reproduction and propagation capable of increasing the probability of contagion, not only in catastrophic situations (eg breakage). filter) but also during maintenance processes.

In filters, three main mechanisms are generally considered for particulate trapping, see interception, impact, and diffusion. For classic filters, the three mechanisms require direct contact between the filtered particle and the filter fibers, only the third of these mechanisms (diffusion) considers the possibility of efficiently trapping pathogens smaller than the distance between fibers. Therefore, greater filtering efficiency, with classic systems, requires a tighter filter mesh or more filter meshes, both aspects have as a consequence a greater pressure drop in the air conditioning system and, consequently, the need for more powerful and bulky air propulsion systems. This situation also presents additional problems related to the dimensioning of the air conditioning system itself, not only because of the materials used, but also because of the increased risk of filter rupture, with the obvious catastrophic consequences on the filtering process, even more so if there is no continuous control over the purification process.

Numerous systems are also known that renew the air in the passenger compartment by introducing outside air through filters for collective use, as is usually the case in cars and buses through so-called pollen filters. In this case, the problem of the available systems lies in the shared use that is made of the air renewal and air conditioning system. In pandemic situations, such as the seasonal flu, in public transportation and based on experience, there is a reluctance of the population to follow health recommendations related to forcing a natural renewal of the air available inside the vehicle (eg opening windows). When this recommendation is possible to follow, reluctance is usually related to the loss of air conditioning inside the vehicle, both from heat in winter and cold in summer. Furthermore, in vehicles such as buses and trains, this forced air renewal is not possible, since windows and vents are not usually configurable on demand of the user (eg windows sealed for security).

In recent years, ozone (O3) generation air treatment systems for the elimination of pathogens have become fashionable. Recognized international organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), doubt its efficiency against viruses such as SARS-CoV-2. In addition, it is widely accepted that they are incompatible with human or animal presence, because they cause serious respiratory problems. In addition, the application of these treatments generates severe damage to plastic and rubber materials, widely used in air conditioning systems and, even more, in vehicle components, where they currently account for more than 20% of vehicles and almost 100% of the surfaces in contact with the passenger compartment where the treatment against pathogens should be focused.

Finally, the use of ionizing radiation for the treatment of pathogens in air, and on surfaces, is a well-known process used for the sterilization of, for example, surgical instruments or food. For safety reasons, except in highly controlled industrial or sanitary processes, the ionizing radiation that can be used for the elimination of pathogens is restricted to, at most, ultraviolet C (UV-C) with a wavelength between 100 and 280 nm. These teams, again, are incompatible with human presence, because they cause mutations in the skin and eye damage. In addition, due to the directional nature of electromagnetic radiation, together with the legal restrictions on the maximum energy usable in systems without confinement, these systems usually present severe problems in the form of direct damage to the treated surfaces (eg textiles, polymers and rubbers), such as those due to inefficiencies due to shady areas. These shadow areas can be as microscopic as those due to dust deposited on the pathogen, or as large as those due to a table or bed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The device of the invention presents a new configuration that allows coupling, to the necessary filter, other systems that improve its efficiency and increase the air conditioning safety in vehicles. For this, this device is based on a classic air channeling system, distributed in 4 cells that work in succession.

This system can work in any orientation, being preferred the horizontal orientation, parallel to the ground, at a height such that the affectation by dirt and dust deposits present on the ground or vehicle surfaces is minimized, while the treatment is maximized. of air contaminated by aerosols in the zone breathable by human beings in the position that they normally occupy in the vehicle. The polluted air is passed through each of these cells, redundant and consecutive, where the different systems act synergistically and concomitantly. The air to be filtered is obtained in a laminar regime to, firstly, be propelled inside the first cell, in the most efficient way possible. In this cell, due to the geometry of the canalization, the flow is transformed into turbulent flow, increasing the efficiency of the subsequent ionization systems. To transform the flow between these two regimes, it is desirable that the Reynolds number, Re, of the air entering the system is low, ideally with a value of Re <2000, although it is not essential. Subsequently, inside the equipment, two activities are carried out to make the flow turbulent: first, the value of the Reynolds number increases, ideally above 2300 in what is known as the unstable region of fluids (2000 <Re <4000 ), for this the increases in the diameter of the section are necessary, but not sufficient. The second action that is carried out is to appropriately design the geometry of the pipeline, using a geometry such as that of the well-known Tesla valve, where the inlet flow faces the existing one in the equipment.

The first ionization system encountered by the contaminated air flow is of the electrical type. By means of a high voltage potential difference (typically 6000 volts, or 6 kV with electrodes separated by more than 3 mm) it is possible to massively ionize both the molecules of the different gases present in the air and the particles in suspension. The chosen voltage is not random, an energy value lower than that of arc generation in air (2 kV / mm for dry air) should always be used in order to avoid oxygen ionization (ionization potential of 13.7 electron volts) and, therefore hence the undesirable generation of ozone.

This ionization aims to create aggregates, or clusters, by electrostatic attraction between particles and ions, taking into consideration that, although there are similar systems, most of these emit the clusters to the outside without post treatment. For its part, the system presented immediately filters these clusters, providing important advantages for the intended purpose. The aggregation process, or clustering, is equivalent to the well-known coprecipitation process in liquids, and in a similar way, they are very efficient processes to retain small particles such as viruses, bacteria or spores. Furthermore, it must be taken into consideration that the efficiency of the process for the electrostatic charge of particles is higher the smaller the diameter of the particle considered. This aspect has been widely proven and studied in the nanomaterials industry, where dusterization is a severe problem the smaller the particle is used.

After this first ionization stage, the filter works much more efficiently, since the air flow carries clusters with a diameter much larger than that of the original particles. In addition, these clusters are linked by electrostatic forces, which are very strong, especially when working with particles the size of viruses, as has already been justified.

The chosen configuration, where the filtration is immediately after ionization, increases the efficiency of the filtration and offers notable advantages compared to other systems that expel the clusters to the outside, mainly due to three aspects: a better behavior of the electrostatically charged filters, the natural decay of ion concentration with time and minimization of a possible resuspension of the clusters in the air. With regard to filters, their efficiency against small particles is higher if they work electrostatically charged. Regarding the second aspect, the concentration of ions with time, two aspects must be taken into consideration: first that the life time of ions in air is short and, secondly, the concentration of ions falls critically the further we move away from the source of generation of the ions. Therefore, the closer the filter is to the ionizer, the higher the rate of retained particles will be and, in a preferred construction, this distance is not more than 10 cm. Finally, the third aspect to consider is the possible re-suspension of the clusters when they are not retained in filters, but are emitted into the air with the intention that they fall by gravity. The pathogens thus retained are still active and can be re-suspended in air, either by loss of electrostatic force in the cluster due to the natural decay of the ions or, simply, by a process of forced resuspension by the simple sweep of the surfaces where these clusters are deposited.

Finally, the treatment within each of the individual cells is completed with an ionization system by electromagnetic radiation, which is strongly directional, so it is oriented towards the air flow in turbulent flow and, also, towards the surface. of the filter opposed to the air flow. In particular, it has been designed with UV-C radiation emitters, whose mission is to be bacterial / virucidal on the air and on the filter surface. In this way, the filters are sanitized and the growth of colonies or, where appropriate, the simple accumulation of pathogens (eg viruses unable to reproduce by themselves) is avoided. Due to the confined nature of this treatment, the energy that can be used in UV-C radiation is much higher than that used in classic surface treatments, with two clear limits: avoiding oxygen photoionization, due to the aforementioned problem with the ozone, and minimize direct damage to the filter due to the cumulative effect of ionizing radiation.

The implementation of the process, previously described, can be carried out consecutively the number of times desired, depending on the rate of reduction of pathogens sought. In preferred, but not limiting, designs of the present invention, with 4 consecutive cells, pathogen reduction rates in air are achieved greater than 3 orders of magnitude, that is, for every 1000 colony-forming units (CFU) present in air, the system ensures that no CFU is detected at the exit of it.

Additionally, the system is equipped with control systems for both particles and ozone, CO2 concentration and air flow in order to guarantee the quality of the filtration at the outlet of the equipment and that of the air under control. This system is capable of detecting undesirable situations such as damage to the filters, a sudden reduction in the filtration capacity due to their plugging, accidental breaks in a treatment cell or an overload in the air conditioning system. All of the above is done in real time, without detriment to the necessary cyclical maintenance processes, providing greater security, both for the user of the technology and for the maintenance technician or the waste treatment company generated.

Finally, the entire air flow channeling system, in a preferred embodiment, is manufactured in a material that contains a high concentration of copper nanoparticles with proven bacterial / viricidal capacity, so that the absence of pathogens accumulation is guaranteed. within its structure.

In conclusion, this invention offers significant advantages over current systems designed for the same purpose, that is, the purification of air by eliminating pathogens present in the aerosols that humans generate naturally when we speak, cough or breathe inside. vehicles. The system presented, in the preferred but non-limiting configuration, manages to reduce the concentration of pathogens in aerosols by more than 3 orders of magnitude, without the need to resort to a natural renewal of the air inside the vehicle. The proposed configuration, previously described, offers a series of advantages, among which the following stand out: a functioning of the system compatible with the human presence and the materials usually used in vehicles since the device performs the treatment inside and the emitted air does not contains substances that are harmful, corrosive or harmful to materials such as plastics or rubbers; Furthermore, the system can be easily adapted to the current air conditioning systems present in most vehicles. Finally, the system has been equipped with controls on the quality of the air emitted, which guarantee both the correct operation of the equipment and the detection of possible emergency situations. In this way, it is not only possible to improve safety in vehicles with human presence, but it also reduces the dependence on natural air renewal when it is not possible or undesirable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1.- Shows a diagram, in elevation view, of the operation of the complete filtration system for vehicles with 4 cells.

Figure 2.- Shows two views, in isometric perspective, of a preferred configuration, but not limiting, of the complete filtration system for vehicles with 4 cells, (a) realistically rendered and (b) exploded wire structure.

Figure 3.- Shows two views, in isometric perspective of a preferred, but non-limiting, configuration of an individual cell with the position of sensors and ionizers in (a) realistic rendered view and (b) exploited wire structure.

Figure 4.- Shows two views, in isometric perspective, of a preferred configuration, but not limiting, of an individual cell with the particular geometry in the air duct for the change of regime in the air flow, in view (a) realistic rendered and (b) exploded thread structure.

Figure 5.- Shows two views, in isometric perspective, of a preferred configuration, but not limiting, of the coupling between cells, in this case, 4, in view (a) rendered realistic and (b) exploded wire structure.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In view of the aforementioned figures, it can be seen in Figure 1 how the complete device is constituted by successive stages, all of them necessary, in a configuration of independent and consecutive cells, the number of which is configured at will depending on the filtering efficiency (FFP) desired.

The equipment for purifying air contaminated with pathogens in aerosols (1) for vehicles according to the invention is provided with, at least, one air drive system (2) (11) by propulsion (12, 18) and / or suction (19) of air by fans, or turbines, of radial or axial type that drive the air inside the system for its treatment, where the air (3) (20) is electrically ionized with the pathogens (4), which are channeled from the inlet to the outlet of the cell with a particular geometry (5) to maximize the efficiency of the purification systems. In the first place, the ionization of the air (3) occurs within the cell in two stages, the first electrically (3), without the generation of an electric arc and, energetically, below the threshold necessary to generate ozone and, a second , photonic (7) that fulfills a double function, the aforementioned contribution to ionization and that of eliminating pathogens both in air and on the surface of the filter with low pressure drop (8) where clusters with pathogens, mainly by electrostatic effect. The aforementioned photonic ionization (7) (21) is carried out by means of ionizing radiation of the UV-C type, preferably but not exclusively, with a wavelength of 254 nm. In addition, in addition to the various cells configured as described, the equipment will have at the outlet an air quality control system (9) by hybridized selective sensors in the form of e- noses or electronic noses, capable of quantifying the air quality. concentration of particles at the outlet (fig 3-15), ozone (fig 3-16) and carbon dioxide (fig 3-17), allowing control of both the health status of the system and the safety of the emitted air (10 ), providing a stream of air at the outlet, clean and without the addition of chemical compounds directly or indirectly.

By using this purification equipment in vehicles, it is possible to reduce the rate of pathogens present in aerosols (1) with a system that allows a safe replacement of filters (8) without additional protection measures; These filters are located between cells, without the need to adopt special security measures. protection, beyond the usual in any air treatment system.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, disclosed in Figure 1, the machine is provided with an air quality measurement system (9), (15), (16) and (17) by means of selective sensors that ensure the quality of the air. emitted air (10) using a system based on high-temperature semiconductors or any other system focused on the atmosphere to be treated. The invention is focused on treating the interior air of vehicles.

In this preferred embodiment of the invention, it is carried out with 4 consecutive cells (14 and figure 5). The equipment is equipped with the necessary electronic systems to make it completely autonomous (13), that is, it is capable of reducing the burden of pathogens in the air without human intervention, once the system has been correctly arranged and the systems that they compose it have had adequate preventive maintenance.

Claims (7)

1. Device for the purification of air contaminated with aerosols and pathogens (1), by ionization, for use in vehicles characterized in that it comprises, at least: - an air drive system (2) that introduces air into a treatment chamber by suction and / or drive of the gaseous fluid; - a high voltage ionization system (3) capable of ionizing the particles, and molecules, present in the aerosol, as well as the pathogens (4) - its own geometric system (5) of the Tesla valve type, which allows the flow to be reconverted towards a turbulent regime, to increase the efficiency of subsequent treatments; - a UV-C ionizing radiation treatment system (7) focused on both the turbulent air stream and the rear low pressure drop filter (8); - a filtration system (8) that, at least, consists of a filter with low pressure loss where the particles are trapped, mainly by electrostatic attraction and where they are superficially sterilized by UV-C radiation (7); - an air quality control system (9) capable of continuously monitoring the involuntary emission of some unwanted chemical compound to finally emit clean air (10). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it works in a horizontal orientation, parallel to the ground. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the air drive system is composed of a radial or axial fan. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electrical ionization system (3) is at the beginning of the purification process, allowing the treatment to be carried out completely within the equipment. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the geometry of the system (5) that favors a turbulent flow is located after the electrical ionization system, maximizing the efficiency of the subsequent treatment by UV-C radiation systems (7) and filtration (8). Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the UV-C ionizing radiation treatment system (7) is carried out internally within the equipment, over a turbulent air flow (6) and before the filtration system (8) . Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is provided with the electronic systems necessary to carry out the treatment autonomously.