JP2001276193A - Photocatalytic deodorizing apparatus and method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform efficient deodorization in spite of being a compact arrangement by assuring contact between a gas to be processed and a photocatalyst and allowing light rays from the sources to efficiently reach the photocatalyst. SOLUTION: At least a portion of each of lines 11 through which a gas G to be processed is passed, is constructed of a translucent wall face and the photocatalyst 50 is efficiently disposed inside the lines within a range which corresponds to the translucent wall face. The light source 1 to 6 are disposed outside the lines to irradiate the photocatalyst 50 in the lines through the translucent wall faces. When passing through the lines 11, the gas G to be processed repeatedly makes contact with the photocatalyst 50 to assure the effect of efficient deodorization. For efficiency, the lines 11 with the translucent wall faces are arranged in parallel so that the light rays from the common light sources are applied to the insides of the plurality of lines. The light sources 1 to 6 are provided outside of flow passage of the gas to be processed so as to prevent the flow of the gas to be processed from being impeded by the light sources, while avoiding uneven contact between the gas to be processed and the photocatalyst.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a photocatalyst deodorizing apparatus and method for deodorizing a gas to be treated using a photocatalyst.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional deodorizing apparatus using a photocatalyst, as shown in, for example, JP-A-11-262340, both a light source (ultraviolet lamp) and a plate-shaped photocatalyst are arranged in a passage of a gas to be treated. The plate-shaped photocatalyst is disposed across the passage so as to be substantially perpendicular to the passage direction of the gas to be treated, and the light source lamp is disposed so as to extend in the lateral direction so as to cross the passage before the plate-shaped photocatalyst. ing. in this case,
The deodorizing effect by the photocatalyst is mainly obtained only on one surface side of the plate-shaped photocatalyst irradiated with light from the light source. Therefore, a sufficient deodorizing treatment can be performed only on the gas to be treated in contact with the surface of the plate-shaped photocatalyst. Therefore, in order to perform a sufficient deodorizing treatment, it is necessary to install a combination of a plurality of light sources (ultraviolet lamps) and a plate-shaped photocatalyst in the passage in multiple layers.

[0003]

Therefore, in the conventional apparatus, there is a problem that in order to perform a sufficient deodorizing treatment, the apparatus configuration is inevitably increased in size, and instead, the deodorizing efficiency is low. There was a disadvantage. In addition, in the passage of the gas to be treated, not only the plate-shaped photocatalyst but also the light source is arranged, so that when the gas to be treated comes into contact with the light source lamp when passing through the space where the light source is arranged, a backflow or a turbulent flow occurs, and It is difficult to perform uniform deodorization due to uneven contact of the gas to be treated with the gas. The present invention has been made in view of the above points,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a photocatalyst deodorizing apparatus and a method capable of improving the above-mentioned various drawbacks by devising that a light source is not arranged in a flow path of a gas to be processed.

[0004]

According to the present invention, there is provided a photocatalytic deodorizing apparatus having at least a portion of a light-transmitting wall surface, a pipe through which a gas to be treated passes, and a photocatalyst disposed inside the pipe. And a light source that is disposed outside the conduit and irradiates light to a photocatalyst in the conduit through the translucent wall surface.

Further, in the deodorizing method using a photocatalyst according to the present invention, the gas to be treated is passed through a conduit having at least a part of a light-transmitting wall surface, and a photocatalyst is arranged inside the conduit, and A light source disposed outside the light path irradiates light to the photocatalyst in the conduit through the translucent wall surface.

According to the present invention, by forming at least a part of the pipe through which the gas to be processed passes through as a light-transmitting wall surface, the photocatalyst can be disposed in the pipe and come into contact with the gas to be processed flowing therethrough. On the other hand, the light source is arranged outside the pipeline so that light can be applied to the photocatalyst in the pipeline via the light-transmitting wall surface, so that the light source is disposed in the flow path of the gas to be treated. It is characterized by being able to be separated and arranged outside. As a result, even for one light source, a sufficient amount of photocatalysts can be arranged in a range corresponding to the translucent wall surface inside the conduit, and all of these photocatalysts can be disposed via the translucent wall surface. Light from the light source. Then, in the process in which the gas to be treated passes through the range corresponding to the light-transmitting wall surface inside the pipeline, the gas comes into contact with a sufficient amount of the photocatalyst disposed in the range many times, so that a sufficient photocatalytic deodorizing effect is obtained. It can affect the gas to be treated. Further, since there is no useless space in which the gas to be treated just passes without contacting the photocatalyst as in the conventional apparatus, the configuration of the entire apparatus can be made compact.

Therefore, according to the present invention, a large number of photocatalysts can be irradiated with light and the gas to be treated can come into contact with many photocatalysts in a compact device configuration. An excellent effect that the deodorizing effect can be expected and the deodorizing efficiency is improved is exhibited.
Further, since the light source is not disposed in the space in the flow path of the gas to be treated, the gas to be treated does not flow backward or turbulent due to the contact with the light source lamp as in the conventional apparatus. Uniform deodorization can be expected without causing contact unevenness of the processing gas.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an embodiment of a deodorizing apparatus according to the present invention, wherein FIG. 1A is a schematic side view showing the entire configuration, and FIG. 1B is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of an ultraviolet lamp and a light transmitting tube. Pipe line 31 extending straight
An intake port 30 is provided at the lower end, from which the gas to be processed G is taken. The upper end of the conduit 31 is connected to an upper conduit 32 extending laterally, and one or a plurality of transparent fluororesin tubes provided in parallel between the upper conduit 32 and the lower conduit 33. (Transparent tube) 11. The terminal end of the lower pipe 33 communicates with the exhaust port 34. As a result, the gas to be processed G taken in from the intake port 30 passes through the pipe 31, the upper pipe 32, the translucent tube 11, and the lower pipe 33, and is discharged from the exhaust port 34.

One or a plurality of ultraviolet lamps 1 to 6 are arranged outside and parallel to the light-transmitting tube 11 outside the flow path of the gas to be treated. Each UV lamp 1
Reference numeral 6 irradiates the inside of each translucent tube 11, activates the photocatalyst 50 installed therein, and deodorizes the gas to be treated passing through the tubes 11 by the action of the photocatalyst 50. The length direction of the ultraviolet lamps 1 to 6 is along the length direction of the light-transmitting tube 11, so that the ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet lamp is efficiently radiated into the light-transmitting tube. ing.

In the arrangement example shown in FIG. 1B, ten light-transmitting tubes 11 are arranged in parallel in two rows of five tubes, and six ultraviolet lamps 1 to 6 are arranged in the middle between them. Are located. In the example shown in the drawing, the space surrounded by the four light-transmitting tubes 11 arranged in correspondence with the positions of the vertices of the square so that more light-transmitting tubes 11 can be efficiently irradiated with fewer lamps. One ultraviolet lamp is arranged substantially at the center. In this case, since the ultraviolet rays can be applied to the inside of the four fluororesin tubes by one ultraviolet lamp, the deodorizing treatment or the like can be efficiently performed using the light source. Therefore, in a two-row arrangement of ten light-transmitting tubes 11, it is preferable that at least four ultraviolet lamps 2, 3, 4, and 5 are arranged as shown in the figure. The ultraviolet lamps 1 and 6 provided at both ends of the arrangement of the four ultraviolet lamps 2 to 5 can be omitted, but in order not to lower the light irradiation efficiency to the light transmitting tube 11 at the end, Preferably, they are arranged as shown.

It is preferable that a dehumidifying section 41 is provided inside the pipe 31 so that excess moisture of the gas to be processed can be removed. Further, the space on the opposite side of the conduit 31 is an empty space in which the conduit is not provided, and therefore, it is preferable to install the power supply unit 42 here.

Next, an example of the internal configuration of the light transmitting tube 11 will be described. A SUS rod 53 is provided in the center of the interior of the light-transmitting tube 11 over a length substantially the same as that of the tube. A large number of photocatalysts 50 are arranged along the SUS rod 53 in a multilayer at appropriate intervals. The photocatalyst 5 is disposed over substantially the entire area in the length direction of the light-transmitting tube 11.
0 is distributed. FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial view of the internal configuration of the light-transmitting tube 11.
As shown in FIG. 2, as an example, a layer of one photocatalyst 50 is provided with an appropriate amount of granular activated carbon 51 supporting the photocatalyst 50 on a collar-shaped thin wire mesh 52 attached around a SUS rod 53. Consisting of The layer of the photocatalyst 50 supported on such granular activated carbon 51 is a tube 11
Are arranged at appropriate intervals along the length direction (the flow direction of the gas to be treated). Tube 11
The thickness of one layer of the photocatalyst 50 may be small so that the light from the ultraviolet lamps 1 to 6 installed outside the photocatalyst 50 can be applied to all the photocatalysts 50 in the tube 11 as uniformly as possible. Further, if the distance between the layers of the photocatalyst 50 is too small, there is a possibility that a shaded portion may come out and the photocatalytic effect may be insufficient. Therefore, the distance between the layers is preferably as small as possible. Of course, the photocatalyst 50 may be carried on the wire mesh 52, or the layer of the granular activated carbon 51 carrying the photocatalyst 50 may be sandwiched between the upper and lower two wire meshes 52. Further, the metal net 52 is not limited to metal, and may be a non-metal net such as a resin.

Next, the operation of deodorizing the gas to be treated according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. The gas G to be treated, which is taken in from the intake port 30 and is branched from the pipe 31 through the upper pipe 32 into each of the translucent tubes 11, is shifted toward the outer periphery of the tube 11 by the presence of the SUS rod 53. It flows through each layer of the photocatalyst 50 sequentially. Since the tube 11 is transparent, the ultraviolet lamp 1
6 can sufficiently penetrate into the inside thereof, and the light is uniformly applied to the photocatalysts 50 of the respective layers provided therein, so that all the photocatalysts 50 are sufficiently activated. A sufficient deodorizing effect can be obtained for the gas G to be processed that comes in contact with the photocatalyst 50 and passes therethrough.

According to this embodiment, the light-transmitting tube 11
Since the SUS rod 53 is installed at the center of the inside of the tube 11, the gas passage in the tube 11 has a ring-shaped cross section, a flow path for the gas G to be processed is formed near the outer periphery of the tube 11, and the photocatalyst 50 Will be arranged. As a result, the photocatalyst 50 is not disposed near the center of the tube where ultraviolet light incident from the outside is difficult to reach, and the gas G to be treated does not flow, and the deodorizing treatment by the photocatalyst 50 is effectively and efficiently performed. Will be able to do it.

The type of the photocatalyst 50 to be used may be appropriately selected according to the type and amount of the gas G to be treated, or the purpose of treatment other than deodorization, such as decomposition, sterilization, and oxidation. For example,
A known photocatalyst such as titanium dioxide can be used. For example, even if the same gas is used for deodorization, the target gas G to be treated according to the purpose of deodorization, such as an unpleasant odor from garbage, a phenol-based gas emitted from a factory, or an indoor odor.
Are different (for example, specific odorants include:
Ammonia, methyl mercaptan, hydrogen sulfide, methyl sulfide, methyl disulfide, trimethylamine, acetaldehyde, styrene, propionic acid, normal butyric acid, normal valeric acid, isovaleric acid, etc.) What is necessary is just to use the photocatalyst which does.

As in the above-described embodiment, the method of placing the granular activated carbon 51 carrying the photocatalyst 50 on the wire mesh 52 can be performed by freely adjusting the amount of the granular activated carbon 51 carrying the photocatalyst 50 according to the type and amount of the gas G to be treated. This is advantageous because it can be adjusted, and the photocatalyst 50 can be used efficiently to perform processes such as deodorization and decomposition, and the type of the photocatalyst 50 can be easily changed. However, the structure for installing the photocatalyst 50 is not limited to this, and any structure may be used. For example, without using the granular activated carbon 51 and the wire mesh 52,
It is conceivable to use a structure having a predetermined relatively complicated or large surface area, such as a honeycomb-shaped structure, as a carrier and having the photocatalyst 50 supported thereon, and to use other structures. There may be. In addition, the method of installing the photocatalyst 50 in the light-transmissive tube 11 is not limited to the above-described multilayer structure having an appropriate interval.
A structure in which the substance (carrier) carrying the photocatalyst 50 is substantially uniformly filled or dispersed in the inner space 1 may be employed. In this case, the filling of the substance supporting the photocatalyst 50 does not mean, of course, a dense filling, but a loose filling that allows transmission of light from the outside.

The light source is not limited to an ultraviolet lamp, but may be any light source capable of exerting its effect on a photocatalyst. For example, a low-pressure mercury lamp, a high-pressure mercury lamp, a black lamp, a chemical lamp, a fluorescent lamp, a sodium lamp, etc. may be used. May be. The material of the light-transmitting tube 11 is not limited to the fluororesin, and any material having a light-transmitting property such as glass, quartz, acrylic, vinyl chloride, and ceramics may be used. Also. The entire tube 11 may not be transparent, and at least a part of the wall surface may be transparent or translucent so that light from an external light source can enter the internal photocatalyst. Further, the cross-sectional shape of the tube 11 is not limited to a circle, but may be any shape such as a square. Further, the shape of the translucent tube 11 in the longitudinal direction is not limited to a straight line, but may be an irregular shape such as a curve or a spiral. It may be something.

The rod 53 provided in the translucent tube 11 is S
The rod is not limited to the US rod (SUS stainless steel rod) and may be any other rod. In that case, if the surface of the rod 53 has light reflectivity or light diffuse reflectivity, more light can be applied to the photocatalyst 50 by reflecting or irregularly reflecting the ultraviolet light entering the tube 11. So
The photocatalytic effect can be enhanced. In addition, tube 11
The structure itself may be a structure in which the amount of the gas to be processed passing through the central part is suppressed. For example, tube 1
1 may itself have a donut (ring) -shaped cross section. In that case, the inner wall may be transparent, and the light source lamp may be inserted into the outer space inside the ring. In this case, the outer wall of the tube 11 may not be made transparent, or the outer wall of the tube 11 may be made transparent and the light source lamp may be installed in the outer space outside the ring as in the above embodiment.

Number and arrangement of the ultraviolet lamps 1 to 6,
Alternatively, the number and arrangement of the tubes 11 having light-transmissive wall surfaces, the number of layers of the photocatalyst 50, and the like may be designed and changed as appropriate.

Further, the method of forming the flow path of the gas to be processed G in the apparatus is not limited to the one shown in the above-mentioned embodiment, but may be designed arbitrarily. For example, as a reciprocating path that rises and descends the pipeline 31 connected to the intake port 30, the dehumidifying unit 41 is installed on both the outward route and the return route to sufficiently perform dehumidification, and the return exit of the pipeline 31 is connected to the lower pipeline. 33, and a flow path may be formed so that the gas G to be treated flows upward from the lower pipe line 33 toward the upper pipe line 32 through each tube 11. In that case, of course, the exhaust port 34 is provided on the side of the upper conduit 32.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, the photocatalyst is disposed in the conduit and the flowing gas flows through at least a portion of the conduit through which the gas to be treated passes is formed as a light-transmitting wall surface. While being capable of contacting the processing gas, the light source is arranged outside the conduit so that light can be applied to the photocatalyst in the conduit via the translucent wall surface. It is characterized in that it can be arranged separately outside the flow path of the gas to be treated. As a result, even for one light source, a sufficient amount of photocatalysts can be arranged in a range corresponding to the translucent wall surface inside the conduit, and all of these photocatalysts can be disposed via the translucent wall surface. Light from the light source. Then, in the process in which the gas to be treated passes through the range corresponding to the light-transmitting wall surface inside the pipeline, the gas comes into contact with a sufficient amount of the photocatalyst disposed in the range many times, so that a sufficient photocatalytic deodorizing effect is obtained. It can affect the gas to be treated. Further, since there is no useless space in which the gas to be treated just passes without contacting the photocatalyst as in the conventional apparatus, the configuration of the entire apparatus can be made compact.

Therefore, according to the present invention, since a large number of photocatalysts can be irradiated with light and the gas to be treated can come into contact with many photocatalysts in a compact device configuration, it is sufficient. An excellent effect that the deodorizing effect can be expected and the deodorizing efficiency is improved is exhibited.
Further, since the light source is not disposed in the space in the flow path of the gas to be treated, the gas to be treated does not flow backward or turbulent due to the contact with the light source lamp as in the conventional apparatus. Uniform deodorization can be expected without causing contact unevenness of the processing gas.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing one embodiment of a photocatalytic deodorizing apparatus according to the present invention, wherein (a) is a schematic side view and (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram partially showing an enlarged example of an internal configuration of a tube having a light-transmitting wall surface in FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1-6 Ultraviolet lamp 11 Translucent tube 30 Intake port 31-33 Pipe line 34 Exhaust port 41 Dehumidifying section 42 Power supply section 50 Photocatalyst 51 Granular activated carbon carrying photocatalyst 52 Wire mesh 53 SUS rod

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) B01J 35/02 B01D 53/36 ZABJ F-term (Reference) 4C080 AA07 BB02 CC02 CC03 CC04 CC05 CC08 CC09 CC15 HH05 JJ03 JJ04 KK08 LL03 QQ17 4D048 AA22 BA07X BA41X CC29 CC31 EA01 4G069 AA12 AA15 BA48A CA17 FB58

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A pipe having at least a portion of a light-transmitting wall surface and through which a gas to be treated passes, a photocatalyst disposed inside the pipe, and a photocatalyst disposed outside the pipe, A light source for irradiating light to a photocatalyst in the conduit through an optical wall surface. 2. The photocatalyst deodorizing device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the conduits are arranged in parallel, and light from a common light source is applied to the plurality of the conduits. 3. The photocatalyst deodorization according to claim 1, wherein the inside of the pipe is formed such that a flow path of the gas to be processed is formed near a wall near the light source. apparatus. 4. The photocatalyst is arranged in a multilayered form at an appropriate interval or is almost uniformly loosely filled within a range corresponding to the light-transmitting wall surface inside the pipe, and the photocatalyst is passed through the pipe. 4. The process gas according to claim 1, wherein the processing gas can come into contact with many photocatalysts, and light irradiation from the light source is secured to the many photocatalysts through the light-transmitting wall surface. The photocatalytic deodorizing device according to any one of the above. 5. A process gas is passed through a conduit having at least a part of a light-transmissive wall surface, a photocatalyst is disposed inside the conduit, and a light source disposed outside the conduit is used to transmit the light. A method for deodorizing using a photocatalyst, which comprises irradiating light to a photocatalyst in the conduit through a functional wall surface.