GB2503948A

GB2503948A - Insect trap

Info

Publication number: GB2503948A
Application number: GB201212567A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Keith Guerrier
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-07-14
Filing date: 2012-07-14
Publication date: 2014-01-15
Also published as: GB201212567D0

Abstract

An insect trap 1 comprising a high pressure air source to force air through a carbon dioxide adsorbent material contained in a pressure vessel 5. The temperature of the adsorbent material can be controlled with a heater 7. An inlet valve 4 and an outlet valve 8 of the pressure vessel control the airflow though the trap. CO2 enriched air is subsequently passed through an attractant diffuser 10 which is situated near to a powered bladed fan 11. Air and insects are subsequently forced into a filter element 14. Air passes easily though the filter element while insects are trapped. The carbon dioxide adsorbent e.g. zeolite adsorbs, collects and releases CO2 in response to changes in pressure and temperature.

Description

Insect Trap The present invention is concerned with the attraction and capture of insects that feed on humans or animals.

Insects are attracted by various sensory stimuli including: light of particular wavelengths, sounds at particular frcqucncics, heat sources, and various chcmicals. Mosquitoes (order: Diptcra, family: Culicadac) and midgcs (ordcr Diptcra, family Ceratopogonidae, gcnus Culicoides) are known to bite humans and animals. If the biting illsect is infected with a disease then this disease is often passed on to the human or animal that has been bitten. The bites themselves often cause skin irritation and swelling to the human or animal bitten. The bites are a nuisance and the disease passed on to the human or animal can be fatal.

Many mosquitoes and midges are attracted by emission of CO2. In most commercially available mosquito or midge traps CO2 is produced from the combustion of hydrocarbons or the release of CO2 stored from within a gas bottle. Periodically the hydrocarbon source or stored source of CO2 must be replenished. If this maintenance actions is not completed then CO2 emission will cease and the mosquitoes and midges will no longer be attracted and captured.

The present invention captures CO2 from thc atmospherc using a material onto which CO2 is adsorbed and releases it to create a locally CO2 rich atmosphere. CO2 can be captured or released from the adsorbent material via 2 methods. Either the temperature of the adsorbent materiel is varied. Or the partial pressure of CO2 in the gas surrounding the adsorbent material is varicd. Either one of these mcthods is sufflcicnt to capturc and rcleasc CO2. This rcmoves thc nccd to for gas bottic maintenance. ControHed rccase of CO2 attracts mosquitocs and midges close to the trap. An air blower then displaces nearby insects and air through a filter or high voltage area. The midges and mosquitoes are caught in the filter or killed in the high voltage area.

The invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the insect trap.

Figure 2 shows a partial cross section through the pressure vessel Figure 3 shows an alternate arrangement of the insect trap The insect trap 1 is shown in Figure 1.

The constitucnt clements of thc invention arc: an electric motor 2 that drives an air pump 3 an inlet valve 4 a pressure vessel 5 an adsorbent material 6 for capturing C02, such as but not limited to Zeolite A hcatcr attachcd to the prcssure vcsscl 7 A valve at outlet to thc pressurc vcsscl 8 a d iverter valve 9 an attractant diffuser 10 a multiblade fan 11 an electric motor 12 driving the fan 11 an air blower housing 13 an air filter element 14 an exhaust diffuser 15 sections of connecting pipework, 16 The alternate elements are a variable orifice 17, a fine electrically conducting mesh 18 and a coarse electrically conducting mesh 19.

In Figure 1 an electric motor 2 drives an air pump 3. Air then passes through an inlet valve 4 that allows air to enter the pressure vessel 5 and also seals air within the pressure vessel if closed. The air in the pressure vessel 5 mixes with an adsorbent material 6 for capturing C02, such as but not limited to Zeolite. The air then passes through a valve at outlet to the pressure vessel 8 that allows air to exit the pressure vessel. A heater 7 is attached to the pressure vessel that heats the pressure vessel including the air within and the adsorbent material 6. The air then passes through a diverter valve 9 either to the exhaust 15 diffuser or to the attractant diffuser 10. A multiblade fan 11 driven by an electric motor 12 is then arranged in an air blower housing 13 to displace insects and air towards an air filter clement 14.The air filter element 14 allows air to pass though but does not allow insects to pass The insect trap has 4 operating modes: pressure vessel fill, CO2 capture, CO2 release and pressure vessel purge. During all operating modes the electric motor 12 driving the fan 11 is electrically powered thus transporting nearby insects and air into the air filter clement 14.

During pressure vessel fill the electric motor 2 drives the air pump and valve 4 allows airflow into the pressure vessel 5. Valve 8 is closed and the pressure in the pressure vessel 5 rises During CO2 capture the electric motor 2 drives the air pump 3 and valve 4 allows airflow into the pressure vessel 5. Valve 8 is open allowing air out of the pressure vessel. Valve 9 diverts the air towards the exhaust diffuser 15. The heater 7 is not cncrgiscd and the adsorbent material 6 is cooled by the airflow through it.

During CO2 release the electric motor 2 drives the air pump 3 and valve 4 allows airflow into the pressure vessel 5. Valve 8 is open allowing air out of the pressure vessel 5 and lowering the pressure in the pressure vessel. Valve 9 diverts the air towards the attractant diffuser 10.

The heater 7 is energised thus causing the adsorbent material 6 to heat up. Due to the reduction in pressure and the increase in temperature CO2 is released.

During purge the electric motor 2 drives the air pump 3 and valve 4 allows airflow into the pressure vessel 5. Valve 8 is open allowing air out of the pressure vessel. Valve 9 diverts the air towards the exhaust diffuser 15. The heater 7 is energised thus causing the adsorbent material to heat up.

In an alternate arrangement the valve at outlet to the pressure vessel 8 can be replaced with a variable restrictor 17. In another alternate arrangement the air filter element 14 can be replaced with a fine electrically conducting mesh 18 and a coarse electrically conducting mesh 19. The meshes 18 and 19 are maintained at high voltage. The meshes 18 and 19 arc positioned close to each other and act to pass electrical current through insects and kill them.

Claims

Claims 1. An insect trap comprising: an adsorbent material a pressure vessel for containing adsorbent material a high pressure air source a heater connecting pipework a valve at outlet of the pressure vessel a filter and an airflow.
2. An insect trap according to claim 1 where a valve is placed at inlet to the pressure Is vessel for containing adsorbent material.
3. An insect trap according to claim 2 where the inlet valve to the pressure vessel takes the ibrm of a variable geometry restriction.
4. An insect trap according to claim 2 where the inlet valve to the pressure vessel takes the fbrm of a 2 position valve.
5. An insect trap according to claim 1 where the outlet valve to the pressure vessel takes the fbrm of a variable geometry restriction.
6. An insect trap according to claim 1 where the outlet valve to the pressure vessel takes the fbrm of a 2 position valve.
7. An insect trap according to claim 1 where the adsorbent material collects or releases CO2 in response to changes in pressure or temperature.
8. An insect trap according to claim 1 where the the material for collecting CO2 absorbs, collects or releases CO2 in response to changes in pressure or temperature.
9. An insect trap according to claim 1 where the heater controls the temperature of the adsorbent material.
10. An insect trap according to claim I where the heater controls the temperature of the air at entry to the pressure vessel.
II. An insect trap according to claim I where the outlet valve to the pressure vessel contrels the pressure in the pressure vessel.
12. An insect trap according to claim 1 where the inlet valve to the pressure vessel contrels the pressure in the pressure vessel.
13. An insect trap according to claim I where the supply of airflow from the high pressure air source into the pressure vessel controls the pressure in the pressure vessel.
14. An insect trap according to claim 1 where the filter contains elements maintained at high voltage and elements maintained at low voltage.
15. An insect trap according to claim 1 where the filter is a vortex separator
16. An insect trap according to claim 1 where the airflow is created by a powered fan.
17. An inscct trap according to claim 1 whcrc thc airflow is crcatcd by a tcmpcraturc differential and chimney.