JP2013149582A - Active species generating unit and active species generating apparatus using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an active species generating unit capable of achieving a high density and high output corona discharge to generate active species in a wide range while ensuring the safety by increasing the insulation between a needle electrode and a counter electrode to thereby increase the generating amount of the active species and to reduce the size of the apparatus.SOLUTION: An active species generating unit 8 comprises: a frame 22 having a plate member formed with an opening in a central area and plural supports attached thereto; a discharge electrode 17 including a metal plate having a needle 25 and a power source connection part 26 connected thereto; an insulation base plate 16 formed of a ceramic applied with a semiconductive material over the surface thereof and including a hole 21 in a central area; a counter electrode 23 of a metal plate including a power source connection part 19 having an opening in the center thereof; and a plate fixing part 24 that sandwiches the counter electrode 23 and the insulation base plate 16 overlapped with each other between the frame 22 and the same. The active species generating unit 8 generates active species by means of corona discharge by applying a voltage to the discharge electrode 17 and the counter electrode 23 from a power supply 20. The plate fixing part 24 is structured to seal the insulation base plate 16 and the counter electrode 23 excepting the power source connection part 26 thereof.

Description

  The present invention relates to an active species generator that uses corona discharge to sterilize and deodorize indoor spaces.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, devices that generate ozone, negative ions, etc. using corona discharge are known. The configuration includes a needle electrode and a ground electrode, and a high voltage is applied between the needle electrode and the ground electrode to cause a corona discharge at the tip of the needle electrode. By this corona discharge, ozone and negative ions are generated. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

JP 2004-18348 A

  In the conventional device described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to increase the distance between the needle electrode as the discharge electrode and the ground electrode as the counter electrode in order to prevent the spark of the discharge. In addition, since the needle electrode and the earth electrode are arranged in parallel, the direction of ionic wind generation and the site of corona discharge are shifted, and the generated active species such as ozone cannot be efficiently diffused. It was difficult to increase the amount of seeds generated.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an active species generating unit and an active species generating apparatus capable of increasing the amount of active species generated by reducing the distance between the discharge electrode and the counter electrode while preventing discharge sparks. .

  In order to achieve this object, the present invention includes a frame having an opening at the center and a plate member provided with a plurality of struts, and a discharge electrode configured by joining a needle and a sheet metal provided with a power supply connection portion. An insulating substrate made of ceramic and coated with a semiconductive material on its surface; a counter electrode that is a sheet metal having an opening in the center and provided with a power connection portion; and the counter electrode and the insulating substrate are stacked to form the frame In the active species generating unit that generates the active species by corona discharge by applying a voltage from the power source to the discharge electrode and the counter electrode, the portion where the counter electrode contacts the insulating substrate Has a leaf spring structure, thereby achieving the intended purpose.

  As described above, the present invention is composed of a ceramic frame having a central opening and a plate member provided with a plurality of support columns, a discharge electrode formed by joining a needle and a metal plate provided with a power supply connection portion, and ceramic. An insulating substrate having a semiconductive material applied to the surface, a counter electrode that is a sheet metal having an opening in the center and provided with a power supply connection portion, and a plate fixing portion that sandwiches the counter electrode and the insulating substrate with the frame body An active species generating unit for generating active species by corona discharge by applying a voltage from a power supply unit to the discharge electrode and the counter electrode, and a portion where the counter electrode unit contacts the insulating substrate is a leaf spring structure Therefore, while preventing the spark of discharge, the distance between the discharge electrode and the counter electrode can be reduced, the amount of active species can be increased, and the contact between the counter electrode and the insulating substrate can be ensured. Works by And it improves the stability.

  That is, in the present invention, by applying a voltage from the power supply unit to the semiconductive portion and the discharge electrode to generate active species by corona discharge, the distance between the semiconductive portion and the discharge electrode can be reduced. Since the discharge current increases, the amount of active species generated can be increased, and the contact resistance can be lowered and stabilized by ensuring the contact between the counter electrode and the semiconductive material applied on the surface of the insulating substrate. Therefore, a large discharge current can be generated stably, and the amount of active species generated can be output stably.

1 is a perspective view of an indoor where an active species generator is installed according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention Cross section of the active species generator Cross-sectional view of the same active species generation unit Exploded perspective view of the same active species generating unit Disassembled perspective view of conductive part and insulating substrate of same active species generating unit Graph showing the relationship between the surface resistivity of the semiconductive part and the spark distance in the same active species generator Graph showing the relationship between discharge distance and voltage in the active species generator

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an active species generator 3 is arranged on the floor 2 of the room 1. The active species generator 3 supplies the active species such as radicals to the air in the room, and thereby cleans the air by the cleaning action of the active species. In addition, by applying air containing active species to clothes, curtains, etc., effects such as deodorization and sterilization of clothes and curtains can be expected.

  FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the active species generator 3 in FIG.

  The active species generator 3 includes a main body case 6 having an intake port 4 and an exhaust port 5, a blowing means 7 and an active species generation unit 8 in the main body case 6.

  The main body case 6 is divided into an air passage portion 10 that communicates the intake port 4 and the exhaust port 5 and a space portion 11 by a partition plate portion 9 that is positioned substantially in the center.

  The air blowing means 7 is formed of an electric motor 12 fixed to the partition plate portion 9 of the main body case 6, a blade portion 13 rotated by the electric motor 12, and a casing portion 14 surrounding the blade portion 13. The suction port 15 of the casing part 14 faces the intake port 4 of the main body case 6. The air sucked from the intake port 4 by the blowing means 7 is blown to the exhaust port 5 through a part of the active species generating unit 8.

  In FIG. 3, the active species generating unit 8 is positioned so as to have an opening upward along the air blowing path. However, the active species generating unit 8 only needs to be blown into the room on the wind. The position and orientation of is not limited to this location. For example, the active species generating unit 8 itself may be disposed outside the air blowing path in the main body case 6 and may be provided with an active species discharge port in the air blowing path. The active species generating unit 8 may be arranged upstream of the air blowing means 7. A plurality of active species generating units 8 may be provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the active species generating unit 8 includes an insulating substrate 16, a discharge electrode 17 disposed on one surface of the insulating substrate 16 so as to face the hole portion 21, and the insulating substrate 16. A semiconductive portion 18 provided on the inner surface of the hole portion 21 and the surface of the insulating substrate 16 on the discharge electrode 17 side, a counter electrode 23 provided so as to cover the outer peripheral portion of the semiconductive portion 18, and the counter electrode 23 And a power supply unit 20 (described in FIG. 2) for applying a voltage to the power supply connection unit 19 and the discharge electrode 17. Here, the semiconductive portion 18 is constituted by a semiconductive coating on the insulating substrate 16.

  Here, when the counter electrode 23 has a leaf spring structure such as a wave washer, the contact between the counter electrode 23 and the semiconductive portion 18 is reliably performed, so that a large discharge current is stabilized by stabilizing the contact resistance low. The amount of active species generated can be stabilized.

  As described in the conventional patent document, when the needle electrode and the ground electrode are arranged in parallel, the corona discharge region is generated biased from the needle electrode to the ground electrode side, so the discharge region becomes small. On the other hand, when the discharge electrode 17 and the semiconductive portion 18 are arranged to face each other in the substantially vertical direction as in the present invention, a corona discharge region having a conical extension as viewed from the needle is formed. And more active species can be generated. When the hole portion 21 is provided, corona discharge is generated toward the end surface of the hole portion 21, and therefore, how the corona discharge spreads can be changed by changing the diameter of the hole portion 21.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the insulating substrate 16 has a flat plate-like hole portion 21 having an opening at the center, and the end portion of the insulating substrate 16 is partitioned by a frame 22 through the body case. It is fixed to the plate part 9.

  The shape of the frame 22 and the plate fixing portion 24 when assembled may be a cylindrical shape through which air can pass linearly, or a box shape having an opening through which air is introduced from the side surface and discharged from the upper surface. Good. FIG. 2 shows a configuration in which air is introduced from the lower surface and discharged from the upper surface as a cylindrical shape.

  In the component arrangement of FIG. 2, the hole 21 faces the exhaust port 5 of the main body case 6, and a part of the air sucked from the intake port 4 by the blower 7 passes around the discharge electrode 17. The air is sent to the exhaust port 5 through the hole 21.

  FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the active species generating unit 8. FIG. 4 shows an exploded perspective view of the active species generating unit 8. FIG. 5 shows an exploded perspective view of the counter electrode 23 and the insulating substrate 16 of the active species generating unit 8.

  As described above, the active species generating unit 8 includes the insulating substrate 16, the discharge electrode 17 disposed opposite to the hole 21 on one surface of the insulating substrate 16, and the holes 21 of the insulating substrate 16. A semiconductive portion 18 provided on the inner surface and the surface on the discharge electrode 17 side of the insulating substrate 16 and having an effect of increasing the amount of moisture in the vicinity by generating heat by passing a current, and an outer peripheral portion of the semiconductive portion 18 The counter electrode 23 is provided so as to be electrically connected so as to cover the power source, the power supply connection portion 19 electrically connected to the counter electrode 23, and the power source portion 20. The power connection 19 is made of stainless steel such as SUS, aluminum, gold, silver, copper, or the like. In addition, it is not restricted to these, What is necessary is just a conductive material.

  The active species generating unit 8 includes a frame 22 that holds the discharge electrode 17, an insulating substrate 16, and a plate fixing portion 24. The frame body 22 is fixed to the partition plate portion 9 (described in FIG. 2).

  As shown in FIG. 3, the plate fixing portion 24 covers the insulating substrate 16 and the counter electrode 23, and only the power connection portion 19 is exposed from the frame body 22 and the plate fixing portion 24. However, the rest is a shielded structure.

  Here, since the power supply connecting portion 19 is covered with insulation and is not directly affected by the discharge, there is no problem even if it is exposed to the outside of the frame 22, and the counter electrode 23 and the insulating substrate inside the plate fixing portion 24 are not affected. If dust adheres to the portion in contact with 16, the influence of the discharge may be hindered, so that it is shielded by the plate fixing portion 24 to prevent dust from entering.

  The frame 22 has a mating claw 27, and the plate fixing portion 24 is provided with a mating hole 28. By fitting the fitting claw 27 and the mating hole 28, the plate fixing portion 24 and the frame 22 are fixed. This helps to ensure the contact between the counter electrode 23 having the leaf spring structure and the semiconductive portion 18.

  The insulating substrate 16 has a rectangular flat plate shape, and has a hole 21 that is opened substantially at the center. Note that the shape of the insulating substrate may be circular or polygonal.

The insulating substrate 16 may be an inorganic substrate that is not easily corroded by ozone or radicals, or a fluororesin, and may be a ceramic substrate or a resin substrate such as fluorine. As the ceramic substrate, an oxide containing Si, Al, Zn, Ti, Mg, a composite oxide, a carbide, a nitride, or the like can be used. Alumina is preferable from the viewpoint of cost and availability. Note that the surface resistivity of the insulating substrate 16 is desirably 10 ¹⁰ Ω / □ or more.

  The discharge electrode 17 has a rod shape or a needle shape, extends in the vertical direction from the bottom surface of the frame body 22, and faces one surface of the insulating substrate 16. The frame body 22 may have a large number of openings and be ventilated. The tip of the discharge electrode 17 is located outside the hole 21 and on the substantially central axis of the hole 21 with a predetermined distance of several millimeters to several tens of millimeters from the insulating substrate 16. . The term “substantially on the central axis” refers to an axis that passes through the center of the hole 21 and is perpendicular to the insulating substrate 16. The material of the discharge electrode 17 is stainless steel such as SUS that causes corona discharge, tungsten, titanium, Ni—Cr alloy, or the like. If discharge is possible, an electrode containing carbon, tin, SiC, or the like may be used.

  The tip of the discharge electrode can use a sharp conical shape, a cylindrical shape, a hemispherical shape, or the like. When a sharp tip is used, since discharge concentration is likely to occur, corona discharge can be performed at a relatively low voltage. When the shape of the needle tip is cylindrical or hemispherical, charge concentration does not occur in a specific portion. Therefore, corona discharge does not occur unless a high voltage is applied compared to the needle shape, but since the corona discharge is continued with the charges dispersed, the discharge electrode should be less likely to deteriorate for a long time than the needle shape. Can do. This is because the sharp needle tip is likely to cause melting of the metal and concentration of dust due to the concentration of charges.

As shown in FIG. 5, the semiconductive portion 18 is provided on the surface on one side of the insulating substrate 16, that is, on the surface facing the discharge electrode 17 and the inner surface of the hole 21 of the insulating substrate 16. Yes. When viewed from the discharge electrode 17 side, the shape of the semiconductive portion 18 is a ring shape. The surface resistivity of the semiconductive portion 18 is preferably 10 ⁶ Ω / □ to 10 ¹⁰ Ω / □.

  There are the following two types of methods for measuring the surface resistivity. In this embodiment, method 1 was used.

In Method 1, a cylindrical main electrode and a ring-shaped counter electrode are placed on a test piece so as to surround the main electrode, and a contact resistance is set between the main electrode and the test piece. To reduce, sandwich conductive rubber. Next, the main electrode is applied to the ground side, and 1000 V is applied to the counter electrode, the current flowing between them is measured to calculate the surface resistance R, the distance L in the direction of current flow on the test piece, and the direction perpendicular to the current flow direction The surface resistivity ρs is obtained from the electrode length W.
ρs = R × L / W
The unit of surface resistivity is [Ω / □] or simply [Ω], but in this patent, [Ω / □] is used, which is easy to distinguish from a simple resistance value.

  Method 2 is to apply a conductive tape of the same length at a certain distance in parallel to both sides of the test piece, and each tape becomes the main electrode and the counter electrode in Method 1, and on the side that becomes the main electrode as well. Is applied to the ground and 1000 V is applied to the counter electrode side, and the surface resistance R is calculated from the surface resistance R calculated from the current flowing between them, the distance L between the conductive tapes, and the length W of the conductive tape. taking measurement.

  Here, a mechanism for increasing the amount of active species generated will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 6 shows the relationship between the surface resistivity of the semiconductive portion 18 and the spark distance when −8 kV is applied to the discharge electrode 17 and the power supply connecting portion 19 in the configuration of the active species generating unit of this embodiment. The surface resistivity is expressed in logarithm, and the spark distance is the shortest spatial distance between the discharge electrode 17 and the semiconductive portion 18. In the range where the surface resistivity is lower than 10 ⁶ Ω / □, the spark distance is 6 mm. That is, the active species generating unit needs to have a structure in which the discharge electrode 17 and the semiconductive portion 18 are separated from each other by 6 mm, and the apparatus cannot be reduced in size.

On the other hand, in the range where the surface resistivity is 10 ⁶ Ω / □ or more, the spark distance is 0 mm and no spark is generated. Therefore, the distance between the discharge electrode 17 and the semiconductive portion 18 can be 6 mm or less, and the active species generating unit can be downsized. The provision of the semiconductive portion 18 in the vicinity of the distal end side of the discharge electrode 17 is a configuration in which, for example, when −8 kV is applied, the distance between the discharge electrode 17 and the semiconductive portion 18 is 6 mm or less. It is set by the applied voltage.

  FIG. 7 shows the relationship of the discharge distance to the voltage when the discharge current is constant. The discharge distance is the shortest distance between the discharge electrode and the semiconductive portion. The discharge current indicates the intensity of discharge, and the amount of active species generated increases as the discharge current increases. Under conditions where the discharge distance is narrow, the discharge current can be increased and the amount of active species generated can be increased by slightly increasing the voltage. For example, at a discharge distance of 3 mm, the discharge current can be increased about 6 times from 5 μA to 30 μA by increasing the voltage from −3.5 kV to −4.0 kV by 0.5 kV. On the other hand, when the discharge distance is 10 mm, even if the voltage is increased from −6.1 kV to −6.6 kV by 0.5 kV, the discharge current only changes from 5 μA to 10 μA and increases only about twice.

That is, as described in FIG. 6, if the surface resistivity is 10 ⁶ Ω / □ or more and the discharge distance can be shortened, the discharge current can be greatly increased with a slight voltage change, and the corona discharge can be output at a high output. To increase the amount of active species generated.

  It is desirable that the tip of the discharge electrode 17 is disposed on the substantially central axis of the hole 21. When a high voltage is applied to the semiconductive portion 18 electrically connected to the discharge electrode 17 and the power supply connecting portion 19, the current flowing between the discharge electrode 17 and the semiconductive portion 18 is changed to the hole 21 of the semiconductive portion 18. The power connection 19 is reached from the outer peripheral surface via the counter electrode 23. That is, since the semiconductive portion 18 is located around the discharge electrode 17 in the circumferential direction, the current is distributed over a wide range of the semiconductive portion 18, and as described in the effect of the invention, the semiconductive portion In the air in the vicinity of 18, the amount of water increases due to heat generation in a wide range and is dispersed and discharged in the wide range. As a result, active species can be stably generated.

  The same shape may be sufficient as the cross-sectional shape of the front-end | tip of the discharge electrode 17, and the shape of the hole of the semiconductive part 18. FIG. For example, when a discharge electrode 17 having a cylindrical or hemispherical tip is used for a circular hole, the discharge electrode 17 is centered since the cross-sectional shape of the tip of the discharge portion is circular. As a result, the discharge occurs in a wide range in the circumferential direction. As a result, compared to the case where the needle-like discharge electrode 17 having a sharp tip is used, local discharge concentration is less likely to occur, the deterioration of the discharge electrode 17 can be suppressed, and as a result, active species are stably generated. It can be made to.

  Furthermore, since the current is dispersed over a wide range of the semiconductive portion 18, the amount of active species such as OH radicals generated increases. Further, since active species with high concentration are not generated intensively, the active species can be released continuously without causing deterioration of the semiconductive portion.

  In addition, since the amount of active species can be increased by effectively using moisture in the air, it is not necessary to use an adsorbent such as zeolite for collecting moisture, and the adsorbent is not deteriorated. The active species generating unit is excellent in safety and sustainability. The shape of the hole may be a square, a polygon, or an ellipse instead of a circle.

  In addition, although the structure which consists of the semiconductive part 18 which provided the semiconductive film on the insulating substrate 16, the counter electrode 23, and the power supply connection part 19 was demonstrated as an electrode which receives the discharge of the discharge electrode 17, semiconductive as an electrode. Only the unit 18 and the power source connection unit 19 may be used. In other words, the perforated flat plate-like semiconductive portion 18 having the same shape as the insulating substrate 16 may be electrically connected to the power supply connecting portion 19. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to provide an active species releasing unit that has a simple structure and is easy to assemble. Furthermore, by reducing the thickness of the conductive portion and the insulating substrate, a smaller active species generating unit can be obtained.

  In FIG. 5, a counter electrode 23 is provided at a position covering the outer peripheral portion of the surface near the periphery of the semiconductive portion 18, and this counter electrode 23 is electrically connected to the power supply connection portion 19 and the semiconductive portion 18. is there. At this time, the shortest distance from the discharge electrode 17 to the counter electrode 23 is longer than the shortest distance from the discharge electrode 17 to the semiconductive portion 18. In the example of FIG. 5, the counter electrode 23 is a rectangular metallic flat plate, and has a through-hole that is larger than the outer periphery of the hole portion 21 and smaller than the outer periphery of the semiconductive portion 18.

  With this configuration, the current flowing between the discharge electrode 17 and the electrode terminal 19 flows, for example, from the discharge electrode 17 through the semiconductive portion 18 that covers the inner surface of the hole portion 21 of the insulating substrate 16, and then the insulating property. It flows through the semiconductive portion 18 covering the one surface of the substrate 16, and then finally reaches the power supply connecting portion 19 through the counter electrode 23. That is, since the creepage distance is long, spark discharge does not occur as a result, and safety can be improved.

Here, the surface resistivity of the counter electrode 23 is smaller than the surface resistivity of the semiconductive portion 18. Specifically, the surface resistivity of the semiconductive portion 18 is 10 ⁶ Ω / □ or more and less than 10 ¹⁰ Ω / □, and the surface resistivity of the counter electrode 23 is less than 10 ⁶ Ω / □, The surface resistivity of the connecting portion 19 is desirably 10 ⁻¹ Ω / □ or less.

  As described above, the present invention is composed of a frame body having an opening at the center and a plate member provided with a plurality of columns, a discharge electrode formed by joining a metal plate having a needle and a terminal connection portion, and ceramic. An insulating substrate having a semiconductive material applied to the surface, a counter electrode that is a sheet metal having an opening at the center and provided with a terminal connection portion, and a plate fixing portion that overlaps the counter electrode and the insulating substrate and sandwiches the frame body An active species generating unit for generating active species by corona discharge by applying a voltage to the discharge electrode and the counter electrode from a power supply unit, and a portion where the counter electrode portion contacts the plate to be discharged is a leaf spring structure Therefore, the distance between the discharge electrode and the counter electrode can be reduced while preventing sparking of the discharge, and the amount of active species generated can be increased.

  That is, in the present invention, by applying a voltage from the power supply unit to the semiconductive portion and the discharge electrode to generate active species by corona discharge, the distance between the semiconductive portion and the discharge electrode can be reduced. Since the discharge current increases, the amount of active species generated can be increased.

  In addition, since the semiconductive portion has a hole at a portion facing the tip side of the discharge electrode, and the periphery of the hole is used as a discharge region and active species is generated around the hole, the air passing through the hole is The generated active species can be supplied, and the generated active species can be diffused by efficiently using the ionic wind. Further, it is not necessary to provide a plurality of semiconductive portions and discharge electrodes, and the apparatus can be miniaturized.

  Therefore, utilization as an active species generating unit and an active species generating apparatus using the same is expected.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Room 2 Floor 3 Active species generator 4 Intake port 5 Exhaust port 6 Main body case 7 Blowing means 8 Active species generation unit 9 Partition plate part 10 Air passage part 11 Space part 12 Electric motor 13 Blade part 14 Casing part 15 Inlet 16 Insulation Conductive substrate 17 discharge electrode 18 semiconductive portion 19 power supply connection portion 20 power supply portion 21 hole portion 22 frame body 23 counter electrode 24 plate fixing portion 25 needle 26 power supply connection portion 27 fitting claw 28 fitting hole

Claims (3)

A frame provided with a plurality of support columns on the opened plate member;
A discharge electrode configured by joining a metal plate with a needle and a power supply connection;
An insulating substrate having a hole in the center made of ceramic and coated with a semiconductive material on the surface;
A counter electrode that is a sheet metal having an opening in the center and a power supply connection;
A plate fixing portion that sandwiches the counter electrode and the insulating substrate with the frame body,
In an active species generating unit that generates active species by corona discharge by applying a voltage from a power supply unit to the discharge electrode and the counter electrode,
The active species generating unit, wherein the counter electrode has a leaf spring structure. The active species generating unit according to claim 1, wherein the plate fixing portion has a structure in which the insulating substrate and the counter electrode are shielded. A body case having an air inlet and an air outlet;
In the main body case, air blowing means and the active species generating unit according to claim 1 or claim 2 are provided,
The air sucked from the air inlet of the main body case by the blowing means is sent to the active species generating unit,
An active species generating apparatus characterized in that air containing active species generated by the active species generating unit is blown out from the exhaust port.

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