JP2014133028A - Air cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air cleaner having a deodorizing function with use of an oxidant-containing liquid, which allows the oxidant to deodorize odor material by oxidation without discharging the odor of the oxidant to the outside.SOLUTION: The air cleaner includes a first storage tank in which an oxidant-containing liquid is stored, a second storage tank in which a reductant-containing liquid is stored, introduction means which introduce air to be cleaned into the liquid in the first storage tank, air feeding means which feed air in contact with the liquid in the first storage tank into the liquid in the second storage tank, and exhaustion means which exhaust the air in contact with the liquid in the second storage tank to the outside.

Description

  The present invention relates to an air purifier that removes dust and odors floating in the air, and more particularly to an air purifier that has a function of trapping odor components with liquid components to deodorize and deodorize them.

As a conventional air cleaner, various types such as a fan type, an electric dust collection type, and an ion type are known.
The fan-type air cleaner is a system in which air is forcibly sucked by a fan, filtered by a filter, and cleaned air is blown out. A fan-type air purifier usually uses a fine non-woven filter called HEPA (hepa) to collect and filter fine particles, and the odor is adsorbed with activated carbon. Some of them use electric dust collection (mostly called plasma) in the same principle as the ion type. In addition, there are models that use plasma generated in the discharge part (low temperature plasma; the substance is various radicals) for deodorization, bacteria and allergen decomposition. Alternatively, instead of activated carbon, there are models that employ deodorization by a photocatalyst such as titanium dioxide, and those that employ a filter that is finer than HEPA (ULPA). Such a fan-type air cleaner has a large body size and power consumption, and is disadvantageous in terms of noise. On the other hand, the filter must be replaced when it becomes dirty, and there is a problem in that it requires a running cost.

  As an air cleaner for business use (especially for industrial use), an electric dust collector air cleaner (dust collector) called “dirty filter” that does not generate industrial waste is often used. It is the same as the ion type in that it uses a discharge, but in many cases, the polarity of the electrode is reversed, and the number of electrodes is large in order to increase dust collection efficiency, and the part that charges dust and the part that collects dust are separated. It has become a multistage type. Unlike the ionic type, a fan is usually used.

  An ion-type air purifier generates a flow of ions (discharge) in the air by applying a high voltage to a pair of electrodes at a certain distance, and charges fine particles that enter between the electrodes. This is a method of collecting dust on the oppositely charged electrode. This method is insufficient in deodorizing / deodorizing performance even in principle, and usually does not include a fan, so only very close particles around the air purifier can be captured.

  On the other hand, in recent years, an air cleaner that captures dust and odor components with a liquid has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this method, ultrafine cluster-like water particles are jetted indoors and flowed indoors by ultrafine water jetting means, thereby trapping contaminant particles in the atmosphere with ultrafine cluster-like water particles. And the contaminated water particle which caught the contaminated particle is collect | recovered by a suction | inhalation collection | recovery means, and it isolate | separates into air and a water | moisture content and collect | recovers with a dehumidifier. Furthermore, air purifiers and humidifiers of the type that inject and discharge aqueous solutions containing chlorine-based oxidizing agents (hypochlorous acid water, chlorine dioxide water, etc.) with a high bactericidal effect instead of water are known. . However, these aqueous solutions containing chlorinated oxidants have a high deodorizing effect because they can oxidize various substances, but they themselves have a odor that is unique to chlorinated systems and cannot achieve an odorless space. Absent.

In addition, there has been proposed an air purifier that takes in and removes contaminants contained in the air into the water in the reservoir (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
In addition, a liquid containing chlorine-based oxidant and ascorbic acid (reducing agent) in one liquid is used to oxidize and deodorize various substances with chlorine-based oxidant, and remove chlorine odor by the action of ascorbic acid. Has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

JP 2005-21808 A JP 2003-322371 A JP 2006-130234 A

  However, in the invention described in Patent Document 3, considering only the presence of a chlorine-based oxidant, it is described in Patent Document 2 in which the oxidant oxidizes the odorous substance to remove the odorous substance only with water. The odorous substance can be removed efficiently compared to the invention of the present invention, but since the oxidation of the odorous substance is inhibited by the presence of ascorbic acid present in the same liquid, the odorous substance cannot be removed efficiently after all. There was a problem.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and the object thereof is to oxidize odorous substances with an oxidizing agent in an air cleaner having a function of deodorizing using a liquid containing an oxidizing agent. The object is to provide an air purifier that eliminates the odor caused by the oxidizing agent while eliminating the odor.

Means for solving the problems are as follows.
(1) a first storage tank in which a liquid containing an oxidizing agent is stored;
A second storage tank in which a liquid containing a reducing agent is stored;
Introducing means for introducing the air to be cleaned into the liquid in the first storage tank;
An air supply means for supplying air in contact with the liquid in the first storage tank into the liquid in the second storage tank;
Exhaust means for exhausting the air in contact with the liquid in the second storage tank to the outside;
The air cleaner characterized by having.

(2) The air cleaner according to (1), wherein the oxidizing agent is a chlorine-based oxidizing agent.

(3) The air cleaner according to (1) or (2), wherein the reducing agent is at least one selected from ascorbic acid, sulfite, and thiosulfate.

  According to the present invention, in an air purifier having a function of deodorizing using a liquid containing an oxidant, the odor due to the oxidant is not released to the outside while deodorizing by oxidizing the odor substance with the oxidant. An air purifier can be provided.

It is a conceptual diagram which shows one Embodiment of the air cleaner to which this invention is applied.

  The air cleaner of the present invention includes a first storage tank in which a liquid containing an oxidant is stored, a second storage tank in which a liquid containing a reducing agent is stored, and the first storage of air to be cleaned. Introduction means for introducing into the liquid in the tank, air supply means for supplying air in contact with the liquid in the first storage tank into the liquid in the second storage tank, and the second storage And exhaust means for exhausting the air in contact with the liquid in the tank to the outside.

  FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the vicinity of a first storage tank and a second storage tank arranged in a housing of an air cleaner to which the present invention is applied. The 1st storage tank 10 and the 2nd storage tank 30 are arrange | positioned in parallel, The liquid component 12 containing an oxidizing agent is stored in the 1st storage tank 10, and a reducing agent is stored in the 2nd storage tank 30. FIG. The liquid component 32 containing is stored. In the first storage tank 10, as an introduction means for introducing dirty air from the outside into the liquid component, a fan 14 for sending air from the outside to the inside and air sent by the fan 14 are supplied. An air supply pipe 16 that leads into the first storage tank 10 is provided. The tip of the air supply pipe 16 on the downstream side in the air supply direction is located in the liquid component 12, and the air flowing through the air supply pipe 16 is guided into the liquid component 12. Further, as an air supply means for supplying air in the first storage tank 10 into the liquid component 32 in the second storage tank 30 between the first storage tank 10 and the second storage tank 30. An air supply tube 20 is provided. Further, the second storage tank 30 is provided with an exhaust pipe 34 as exhaust means for exhausting internal air to the outside. The air in the space above the liquid component 32 is exhausted to the outside by the exhaust pipe 34. As the exhaust means, not only the exhaust pipe 34 as shown in FIG. 1 but also a simple through hole provided in the second storage tank 30 and communicating with the outside may be used.

  In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, dirty air to be cleaned that has been taken into the air cleaner from the outside is sent to the air supply pipe 16 by the fan 14, and liquid components are supplied from the opening at the lowermost end of the air supply pipe 16. 12 is introduced. In FIG. 1, the air introduced into the liquid component 12 through the air supply pipe 16 is shown as bubbles (indicated by small circles). Since the liquid component 12 contains an oxidizing agent, the oxidizable component in the air introduced into the liquid component 12 is oxidized to the oxidizing agent. That is, when the odor component is oxidizable (ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, etc.), it is oxidized to an oxide, and when the oxide has no odor or low odor, a deodorizing effect is exhibited. Further, components in the air introduced into the liquid component 12 and soluble in the liquid component 12 are dissolved in the liquid component 12. That is, an odor component (ammonia or the like) soluble in the liquid component is trapped in the liquid component 12, and the odor component in the sent air is removed, thereby exhibiting a deodorizing effect. The bubbles from which the odor components inside the liquid component 12 are removed in this way reach the space above the liquid component 12. Then, the liquid is introduced into the liquid component 32 in the second storage tank 30 through the air supply pipe 20.

The air introduced into the liquid component 32 in the second storage tank 30 as described above contains an oxidant in the liquid component 12 in the first storage tank 10 or an odor component derived from the oxidant. There is. For example, when sodium hypochlorite is used as the oxidant, there is a odor of chlorine, and since there is no meaning of deodorizing with the oxidant, the oxidant or the odor component derived from the oxidant is removed. There is a need to. Therefore, the liquid component 32 in the second storage tank 30 contains a reducing agent, and the oxidizing agent is removed by this reducing agent.
The oxidant in the air or the component derived from the oxidant introduced into the liquid component 32 in the second storage tank 30 through the air supply pipe 20 is reduced by the reducing agent in the liquid component 32 to become another substance, The space above the liquid component 32 is reached. Then, it is exhausted to the outside through the exhaust pipe 34.
As described above, the odor component is removed from the dirty air from the outside, that is, the deodorized and deodorized air is released to the outside.
Needless to say, both liquid components in the first storage tank 10 and the second storage tank 30 capture not only odor components but also other components (such as fine particles).

The liquid component in the first storage tank contains an oxidizing agent. Examples of the oxidizing agent include halogen-based oxidizing agents (chlorine-based oxidizing agents) such as hypochlorous acid, sodium hypochlorite, and chlorine dioxide. It is done. The solvent of the liquid component is not particularly limited as long as it can dissolve the oxidizing agent, and water is preferable.
The reaction with each odor component (ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan) when sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) is used as the oxidizing agent is shown below.
Ammonia: 2NH ₃ + 3NaClO → N ₂ + 3H ₂ O + 3NaCl
Hydrogen sulfide: H ₂ S + 4NaClO → H ₂ SO ₄ + 4NaCl
Methyl mercaptan: CH ₃ SH + 3NaClO → CH ₃ SO ₃ H + 3NaCl
That is, in any reaction, each odor component changes into another substance that does not emit an odor.
The concentration of the oxidizing agent is preferably 10 to 10000 ppm, more preferably 20 to 1000 ppm, and even more preferably 30 to 200 ppm, although it depends on the component to be added.

On the other hand, the liquid component in the second storage tank contains a reducing agent, and the reducing agent may be any as long as it can reduce the oxidizing agent. Specifically, ascorbic acid, sodium sulfite, calcium sulfite And thiosulfates such as sodium thiosulfate. Ascorbic acid and calcium sulfite are preferred for safety and suppression of odor generation due to side reactions. As ascorbic acid, L-ascorbic acid is preferable because it can be easily obtained as vitamin C. In addition, since the air that has passed through the second storage tank is exhausted to the outside, it is preferable that the reducing agent is harmless to the human body and highly safe from the viewpoint of not containing harmful substances in the exhausted air. . Water is preferred as the liquid component solvent. The reducing agent may not be completely dissolved in the solvent.
The reaction when sodium hypochlorite is used as the oxidizing agent and ascorbic acid is used as the reducing agent is shown below.
NaClO + C ₆ H ₈ O ₆ → NaCl + C ₆ H ₆ O ₆ + H ₂ O
The concentration of the reducing agent is not particularly limited as long as it is ascorbic acid or calcium sulfite, and may be any concentration that can remove the oxidizing agent. Moreover, although other reducing agents, such as a sulfite and a thiosulfate, depend on the component to be added, it is preferably 10 to 10000 ppm, more preferably 100 to 1000 ppm, and more preferably 150 to 700 ppm from the viewpoint of safety. Is more preferable.
As described above, by providing the second storage tank in which the liquid component containing the reducing agent is stored, unlike the case where both the oxidizing agent and the reducing agent are contained in one liquid component, the oxidizing agent depends on the oxidizing agent. The deodorizing effect is not hindered. Further, even if the odorous substance to be deodorized is oxidized by the oxidizing agent and changed to another substance, the reverse reaction does not occur by the reducing agent. For example, since ammonia is oxidized to chemically stable nitrogen, the reducing agent does not react with nitrogen and return to ammonia.

  In the liquid components in the first storage tank and the second storage tank described above, storage stability of anti-freezing agent deodorant liquid such as preservatives, pH adjusters, buffers, surfactants, etc., as necessary. Additives that enhance the properties can be added.

  Although the above description centered around the storage tank which stores a liquid component, the air cleaner of this invention can be set as the structure which has various functions of a well-known air cleaner other than that.

  EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[Example 1]
As shown in FIG. 1, 150 ml of 100 ppm hypochlorous acid water is put in a first storage tank 10 having a capacity of 200 ml, and 0.05 mass% L-ascorbic acid aqueous solution is put in a second storage tank 30 having a capacity of 200 ml. 150 ml was added. 1600 ppm of ammonia was sucked from the fan 14, the concentration of ammonia odor at the exhaust port of the exhaust pipe 34 after passing through the air cleaner was measured, and the deodorization efficiency was measured. In addition, chlorine concentration was collected from the exhaust port and compared with normal indoor air by sensory evaluation. The results are shown in Table 1. In addition, as for the chlorine smell, the case where it does not smell was set as (circle), and the case where it does not smell was set as x.

[Example 2]
Example 1 except that 150 ml of an aqueous suspension containing 0.05 mass% calcium sulfite was added to the second storage tank 30 instead of 150 ml of 0.05 mass% L-ascorbic acid aqueous solution. Evaluation was performed in the same manner.

[Example 3]
Into the first storage tank 10, 150 ml of 200 ppm sodium hypochlorite aqueous solution was put instead of 150 ml of 100 ppm aqueous hypochlorite water, and in the second storage tank 30, 0.05 mass% of L -Evaluation was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1 except that 150 ml of 0.07% by mass L-ascorbic acid aqueous solution was added instead of 150 ml of ascorbic acid aqueous solution.

[Comparative Example 1]
Sensory evaluation of ammonia and chlorine odor was performed in the same manner as in Example 1 except that ion-exchanged water was used as the liquid component in the second storage tank 30. The results are shown in Table 1.

  From Table 1, it can be seen that Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Example 1 have the same deodorization efficiency of ammonia, but differ in chlorine odor. That is, in Examples 1 and 3, the chlorine component is reduced by L-ascorbic acid (reducing agent) in the liquid component in the second storage tank. In Example 2, the liquid in the second storage tank is reduced. It is considered that the chlorine component was reduced by the calcium sulfite (reducing agent) in the component, and the chlorine odor was not released.

10 first storage tank 12 liquid component 14 fan 16 air supply pipe 20 air supply pipe 30 second storage tank 32 liquid component 34 exhaust pipe

Claims (3)

A first storage tank in which a liquid containing an oxidant is stored;
A second storage tank in which a liquid containing a reducing agent is stored;
Introducing means for introducing the air to be cleaned into the liquid in the first storage tank;
An air supply means for supplying air in contact with the liquid in the first storage tank into the liquid in the second storage tank;
Exhaust means for exhausting the air in contact with the liquid in the second storage tank to the outside;
The air cleaner characterized by having.   The air cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the oxidizing agent is a chlorine-based oxidizing agent.   The air cleaner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the reducing agent is at least one selected from ascorbic acid, sulfite, and thiosulfate.

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