JP2018174984A - Light processing device, and light processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize a light processing device excellent in sterilization and deodorant performance as compared with a prior art.SOLUTION: A light processing device includes a body, an intake port for introducing gas to be processed containing oxygen into the body, and an excimer lamp including a body arranged in the body and consisting of silica glass in which gas for discharge containing Xe is sealed, and emitting first light with a main light emitting wavelength of 172 nm, and second light with a wavelength exhibiting intensity in at least a part of a wavelength range of 250 nm to 560 nm, an outlet for exhausting processed gas containing ozone, generated by irradiating the first light discharged from the excimer lamp to the gas to be processed introduced into the body, and a photocatalyst arranged at a position where the second light discharged from the excimer lamp and including a material which can be excited by the second light.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to light processing devices, and more particularly to devices including excimer lamps. The present invention also relates to a light processing method using an apparatus including an excimer lamp.

  In recent years, technology for deodorizing and sterilizing using light has been developed. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a process using a mercury lamp that generates light with wavelengths of 185 nm and 365 nm. According to this document, odor deodorization is performed by utilizing decomposition processing by ozone generated using light of wavelength 185 nm and decomposition processing using photocatalytic action using light of wavelength 365 nm. It has been described.

JP, 2001-009241, A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-78591

  The technique of Patent Document 1 utilizes a mercury lamp. A mercury lamp is not preferable because it has a large environmental load because it uses mercury as a discharge medium. The applicant has already developed an excimer lamp as a lamp capable of generating ultraviolet light without using mercury (see Patent Document 2 above).

  Since the light of 185 nm disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a low ability to generate ozone, the present inventors use light (for example, 172 nm) having a wavelength shorter than 185 nm in order to generate ozone more efficiently. We examined that we perform sterilization, deodorization. For example, according to an excimer lamp using xenon (Xe) gas as in Patent Document 2 described above, light with a main emission wavelength of 172 nm can be generated. Therefore, the present inventors considered that ozone can be efficiently generated by irradiating the light to be treated (for example, air) containing oxygen with the light emitted from the excimer lamp.

  However, according to the intensive studies of the present inventors, it has been confirmed that the light intensity of the 172 nm wavelength light decreases with the passage of time as the excimer lamp continues to emit light. This means that the generation capacity of ozone decreases with time, and the sterilization / deodorization processing capacity decreases.

  An object of this invention is to implement | achieve the light processing apparatus and light processing method which were excellent in the disinfection and the deodorizing ability conventionally, in view of said subject.

The light processing device according to the present invention is
And
An intake port for introducing a gas to be treated containing oxygen into the housing;
A first light having a main emission wavelength of 172 nm and at least a portion of a wavelength range of 250 nm to 560 nm inclusive, including a tube made of quartz glass disposed in the housing and in which a discharge gas containing Xe is enclosed; An excimer lamp for emitting a second light indicating an intensity;
An exhaust port for releasing a treated gas containing ozone generated by irradiating the first light emitted from the excimer lamp with respect to the gas to be treated introduced into the housing;
And a photocatalyst which is disposed at a position where the second light emitted from the excimer lamp can be incident, and includes a material excitable by the second light.

  As described above, it was confirmed that when the excimer lamp continues to emit light, the illuminance of light with a wavelength of 172 nm decreases with the passage of time. The present inventors consider this cause as follows. By irradiating the light having a wavelength of 172 nm to the quartz glass constituting the tube of the excimer lamp, a part of the bonds constituting the quartz glass is cut off, and a defect is formed at the relevant position. Then, a part of the light with a wavelength of 172 nm is absorbed by the defect, which lowers the illuminance of the light with a wavelength of 172 nm emitted from the excimer lamp.

  On the other hand, according to the light processing device of the present invention, the main light emission wavelength is at least a part of the wavelength range of 250 nm or more and 560 nm or less longer than this first light along with the first light of 172 nm. Is emitted. The second light is located on the longer wavelength side than the first light, and is not easily absorbed by the defects formed on the quartz glass. For this reason, the intensity of the second light emitted from the excimer lamp does not decrease with the passage of time, or the speed of the decrease is extremely low, as compared with the first light.

  The light processing device includes a photocatalyst made of a material that can be excited by the second light emitted from the excimer lamp. Therefore, even if the concentration of the first light decreases with the passage of time, even if the concentration of ozone contained in the treated gas decreases, the photocatalytic action is exhibited by the second light being irradiated to the photocatalyst. Be done. That is, the decrease in the ozone treatment capacity can be compensated by the photocatalytic action. Therefore, a light processing device having superior sterilization and deodorizing ability as compared with the conventional device is realized.

In the tube, oxygen gas is enclosed together with the discharge gas,
The second light may exhibit an intensity in at least a part of a wavelength range of 500 nm to 550 nm.

  In general, quartz glass contains various impurities derived from raw materials and production methods. As a specific example, an OH group may be contained in quartz glass. In this case, light having a wavelength of 172 nm is irradiated to the quartz glass, and when the bond in the quartz glass is broken, OH groups are released into the tubular body. Then, this OH group reacts with Xe gas enclosed in a tube made of quartz glass to generate XeO. When XeO is discharged, light is generated that exhibits intensity in at least a part of the wavelength range of 500 nm to 550 nm.

  At this time, the photocatalytic action by the second light derived from XeO is realized by making the photocatalyst body a material that can be excited by the light exhibiting the intensity in at least a part of the wavelength range of 500 nm to 550 nm. In this case, even if the illumination intensity of the first light decreases with the passage of time, the illumination intensity of the second light increases, and therefore the sterilization / extinguishing by the photocatalytic action exerted by the irradiation of the second light to the photocatalyst body The odor ability rises. The generated XeO is converted to oxygen gas after the discharge and remains in the tube.

As a material of the photocatalyst capable of being excited by such second light, for example, titanium dioxide (TiO ₂ ) carrying a sensitizer composed of a metal salt such as iron chloride (FeCl ₃ ), palladium, and a copper compound It is possible to use kneaded tungsten oxide (WO ₃ ) or the like.

The tube partially contains an anoxic defect,
The second light may exhibit an intensity in at least a part of a wavelength range of 250 nm to 450 nm.

  When the first light having a main emission wavelength of 172 nm is irradiated to the material constituting the quartz glass, the bond may be broken and an oxygen deficient center (ODC) may be formed in part. The oxygen deficient defect is excited upon absorbing the first light, and emits light (luminescence) that shows intensity in at least a part of the wavelength range of 250 nm to 450 nm.

  Therefore, the photocatalyst includes a material that can be excited by light exhibiting an intensity in at least a part of a wavelength range of 250 nm to 450 nm, whereby the photocatalyst by the second light derived from luminescence emitted from the oxygen deficiency defect The action is realized. In this case, even if the illumination intensity of the first light decreases with the passage of time, the illumination intensity of the second light increases, and therefore the sterilization / extinguishing by the photocatalytic action exerted by the irradiation of the second light to the photocatalyst body The odor ability rises.

As a material of the photocatalyst capable of being excited by such second light, for example, titanium dioxide (TiO ₂ ) carrying a sensitizer composed of a metal salt such as iron chloride (FeCl ₃ ), palladium, and a copper compound It is possible to use kneaded tungsten oxide (WO ₃ ) or the like.

  The intensity of the second light may be 0.5% or more of the intensity of the first light.

The present invention relates to a light processing method using an ozone generator, and
The ozone generator is
And
An intake port for introducing a gas to be treated containing oxygen into the housing;
A tube disposed in the housing and containing a discharge gas containing Xe and sealed therein, the first light having a main emission wavelength of 172 nm and the intensity showing at least a part of the wavelength range of 250 nm to 560 nm. An excimer lamp for emitting a second light;
An exhaust port for releasing a treated gas containing ozone generated by irradiating the first light emitted from the excimer lamp with respect to the gas to be processed introduced into the housing; Equipped
The treated gas containing ozone is released from the ozone generator into the target space to perform ozone processing, and the second light emitted from the excimer lamp to the photocatalyst disposed in the target space To conduct photocatalytic treatment.

  According to the above method, even if the concentration of ozone contained in the treated gas is lowered, the photocatalytic action is exhibited by irradiating the photocatalyst with the second light. That is, the decrease in the ozone treatment capacity for the target space can be compensated by the photocatalytic action. Therefore, a light processing method having superior sterilization and deodorizing ability is realized.

In the above method,
Installing the ozone generator in a first one of the target spaces;
Installing the photocatalyst in a second space of the target space adjacent to the first space;
A boundary between the first space and the second space may be shielded, and a window transmitting the second light may be provided at the boundary.

  Since ozone is a toxic material to the human body, it is preferable that the space (first space) where the gas to be treated containing ozone is released is unmanned during processing. On the other hand, since the second space is shielded from the first space, a gas to be treated containing ozone does not flow into the second space, and therefore, the second space may be manned. And since the window which can permeate | transmit 2nd light is formed in the boundary part of 1st space and 2nd space, in the 2nd space, 2nd light injects through this window. As a result, the sterilizing / deodorizing action in the second space can be realized by the second light being incident on the photocatalyst installed in the second space.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the light processing apparatus / light processing method excellent in sterilization and the deodorizing ability compared with the past is implement | achieved.

It is drawing which shows typically the structure of one Embodiment of the light processing apparatus of this invention. It is drawing which shows the spectrum of Xe excimer light typically. It is drawing which compared the spectrum of the light emitted from a tubular body in the lighting initial stage, and after predetermined time progress after lighting start. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating one Example of the light processing method of this invention. It is drawing which compared the spectrum of the light emitted from a tube in the case where XeO does not exist, and the case where XeO exists. It is drawing which shows typically the structure of another embodiment of the light processing apparatus of this invention.

  One embodiment of the light processing apparatus and the light processing method of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each of the drawings, the dimensional ratio of the drawings and the actual dimensional ratio do not necessarily coincide.

[Constitution]
FIG. 1 is a drawing schematically showing the configuration of a light processing apparatus according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the light processing device 1 according to the present embodiment includes an ozone generator 10 and a photocatalyst 20.

(Ozone generator 10)
The ozone generator 10 is provided with a light emitting tube 2. The light emitting tube 2 includes a tube 21 made of quartz glass. The ozone generator 10 includes an external electrode 3 disposed outside the tubular body 21 and an internal electrode 4 disposed inside the tubular body 21.

  The ozone generator 10 is provided with the housing 5 which accommodates the tube body 21 and each electrode (3, 4). The ozone generator 10 includes an inlet 6 and an outlet 8. The intake port 6 introduces the processing gas G1 containing at least oxygen into the inside of the housing 5. By irradiating the light emitted from the light emitting tube 2 to the gas to be treated G1, a treated gas G2 containing ozone is generated. The exhaust port 8 discharges the treated gas G2 to the outside of the housing 5. In the present embodiment, the intake port 6 is provided with a fan 61. For example, by controlling the rotational speed of the fan 61, the flow rate of the processing gas G1 taken in from the intake port 6 can be adjusted. In the present embodiment, the gas to be treated G1 is, for example, air.

  The ozone generator 10 includes a power supply 7 for applying a voltage (for example, high voltage of alternating current) between the external electrode 3 and the internal electrode 4.

  The light emitting tube 2 is provided at both ends with a first sealing portion 22 and a second sealing portion 23 that make the inside of the tubular body 21 airtight. The discharge gas is sealed in the tubular body 21. The discharge gas contains xenon (Xe). As a more detailed example of the discharge gas, it is composed of a gas in which Xe and Ne are mixed at a predetermined ratio (for example, 3: 7).

  The light emitting tube 2 includes a metal foil 24 embedded in the first sealing portion 22 and an external lead 25 partially embedded in the first sealing portion 22. The metal foil 24 is connected to the internal electrode 4 and the external lead 25. Thus, the internal electrode 4, the metal foil 24 and the external lead 25 are electrically connected to one another.

  In the present embodiment, the external electrode 3 is formed in a tubular shape, and the tubular body 21 is inserted into the external electrode 3. The external electrode 3 includes an optical path portion 31 which transmits or transmits light emitted from the inside of the tubular body 21. In the present embodiment, the optical path portion 31 is configured by a through hole.

  For example, the external electrode 3 may be formed so as to have a plurality of through holes in a plate-like member, or may be formed by arranging a plurality of rod-like members in a grid shape or a mesh shape. Members may be disposed in a spiral shape. The light path part 31 may be comprised by the member which has translucency.

  In the present embodiment, the internal electrode 4 is formed in a rod shape and disposed inside the tube body 21. Since the end portions of the internal electrode 4 are embedded in the sealing portions (22, 23) of the light emitting tube 2 respectively, the internal electrode 4 is fixed to the light emitting tube 2.

  In the present embodiment, the housing 5 is configured to be capable of transmitting or transmitting the light L2 having a wavelength of at least a part of the wavelength range of 250 nm or more and 560 nm or less. For example, the housing 5 may be made of a material having transparency to the light L2, or may have a window that transmits the light L2. The light L2 corresponds to the second light described later.

(Photocatalyst 20)
In the present embodiment, the photocatalyst 20 is made of a material that exhibits photocatalysis by being excited and ionized when light having an intensity in at least a part of a wavelength range of 250 nm or more and 560 nm or less is incident. The photocatalyst 20 is made of, for example, a material containing titanium dioxide (TiO ₂ ) supporting a sensitizer made of a metal salt such as iron chloride (FeCl ₃ ).

[Effect]
Hereinafter, the operation of the light processing device 1 will be described.

A voltage is applied between the external electrode 3 and the internal electrode 4 by the power source 7. As described above, the tube 21 is made of quartz glass, which is a dielectric. A discharge plasma is generated in the tube 21 made of a dielectric, and the discharge gas sealed in the tube 21 is excited by the plasma. Specifically, Xe atoms are excited to generate excimer excited molecule Xe ₂ ^* . When this excited molecule Xe ₂ ^* returns to the ground state, an excimer emission L 1 is generated. FIG. 2 schematically shows the spectrum of Xe excimer light. As shown in FIG. 2, Xe excimer light shows a spectrum having a peak at 172 nm. In the present embodiment, the Xe excimer light L1 corresponds to the "first light".

  When the to-be-treated gas G1 is introduced into the inside of the housing 5 from the air inlet 6, the to-be-treated gas G1 is irradiated with the first light L1 emitted from the inside of the tubular body 21 and passing through the optical path portion 31. Ru. The first light L1 having a main emission wavelength of 172 nm breaks bonds of oxygen molecules contained in the gas to be treated G1 and generates ozone. That is, the to-be-processed gas G1 is converted into the processed gas G2 containing ozone. The processed gas G2 is exhausted from the exhaust port 8. Thereby, the inside of the space where the treated gas G2 containing ozone is discharged is sterilized and deodorized by ozone.

  By the way, a part of 1st light L1 whose main light emission wavelength is 172 nm is irradiated to the tube body 21. As shown in FIG. At this time, the bond contained in the quartz glass constituting the tube body 21 is cut to generate a defect in the quartz glass. Specifically, an anoxic defect (ODC) is formed in the tubular body 21. And this oxygen deficiency defect is excited when the first light L1 is absorbed, and emits the second light (luminescence) which shows intensity in at least a part of the wavelength range of 250 nm or more and 450 nm or less.

  As the excimer emission state continues, the amount of this anoxic defect increases. Along with this, the amount of absorption of the first light L1 increases, so the intensity of the first light decreases. On the other hand, the intensity of the second light generated by the oxygen deficiency defect being excited by the first light increases with the passage of time.

  FIG. 3 is a drawing comparing the spectrum of light emitted from the tubular body 21 at the initial stage of lighting and after a predetermined time has elapsed after the start of lighting. According to FIG. 3, it is confirmed that as time passes, the light intensity in the vicinity of the wavelength 172 nm decreases while the light intensity in the range of the wavelength 250 nm or more and 450 nm or less increases. The light in the wavelength range of 250 nm to 450 nm corresponds to the luminescence (second light L2) derived from the oxygen deficient defect.

  The light in this wavelength band (second light L2) has no energy for binding oxygen in the gas to be treated G1. Therefore, the second light L2 is emitted to the outside through the housing 5 without being absorbed by the gas to be processed G1. The second light L 2 is emitted to the photocatalyst 20 disposed outside the housing 5. When the second light L2 is incident, the photocatalyst 20 achieves photocatalytic action by exciting the constituent material. That is, the photocatalytic action of the photocatalyst 20 realizes the sterilization / deodorization processing on the surroundings.

  That is, according to the light processing device 1 of the present embodiment, even if the amount of ozone contained in the treated gas G2 decreases, the photocatalytic action by the photocatalytic member 20 is increased. Can be complemented.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing for explaining one embodiment of the light processing method of the present invention. In FIG. 4, the ozone generator 10 is installed in the first space 71, and the photocatalyst 20 is installed in the second space 72. The first space 71 and the second space 72 are adjacent to each other, and are mutually shielded by the boundary portion 73. However, a light transmission window 74 is provided in at least a part of the boundary portion 73. The light transmission window 74 is made of a material capable of transmitting the second light L2.

  According to such a configuration, the sterilization / deodorization process is realized by the treated gas G2 containing ozone emitted from the ozone generator 10 in the first space 71 in the target space. Further, in the target space, the second light L 2 emitted from the light emitting tube 2 included in the ozone generator 10 is irradiated to the photocatalyst 20 to the second space 72, whereby the photocatalyst by the photocatalyst 20 is produced. The action realizes sterilization and deodorization treatment.

[Another embodiment]
Another embodiment will be described below.

  <1> The quartz glass constituting the tubular body 21 may contain an OH group. In this case, when the tube 21 is irradiated with the first light L1 having a wavelength of 172 nm, the bond in the quartz glass is cut, and the OH group is released into the discharge space. Then, it reacts with Xe gas enclosed in the tubular body 21 to generate XeO. When XeO is discharged, light (green band light) having an intensity in at least a part of a wavelength range of 500 nm or more and 560 nm or less is generated.

  FIG. 5 is a drawing comparing the spectrum of light emitted from the tubular body 21 with and without XeO present in the tubular body 21. As shown in FIG. According to FIG. 5, when XeO exists in the tubular body 21, it is confirmed that the light intensity in the wavelength range of 500 nm or more and 560 nm or less is increased. In addition, according to FIG. 5, it is confirmed that the intensity | strength of the light of the wavelength range 500 nm-550 nm is rising especially.

  For this reason, the photocatalytic function by the second light derived from XeO is realized by including a material that exhibits photocatalytic activity by being excited when light in the wavelength range of 500 nm or more and 560 nm or less is incident as the photocatalyst 20. Be done.

  In addition, the photocatalyst 20 is a material capable of realizing the photocatalytic action on both the second light (wavelength 250 nm to 450 nm) derived from the oxygen deficiency defect and the second light (500 nm to 560 nm) derived from XeO. It may be configured to include.

  <2> A small amount of oxygen gas may be introduced into the tubular body 21 in advance. As a result, as shown in the above another embodiment <1>, XeO is contained in the tubular body 21, so that the second light in the wavelength band of 500 nm or more and 560 nm or less is generated.

  <3> In the embodiment described above, the light emitting tube 2 is described as having the single-layered tube body 21 in the ozone generator 10, but this is merely an example. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the light emitting tube 2 may be configured to have a double tube body 26 having a double structure having an outer tube 26a which is a dielectric and an inner tube 26b which is a dielectric. Absent. FIG. 6 is a drawing schematically showing the structure of the ozone generator 10 according to another embodiment.

  In the ozone generator 10 shown in FIG. 6, the light emitting tube 2 is disposed between the outer tube 26a and the inner tube 26b, and the double tube 26 having the outer tube 26a which is a dielectric and the inner tube 26b which is a dielectric. And an annular sealing end 27 for sealing. The discharge gas described above is enclosed between the outer tube 26a and the inner tube 26b.

  The internal electrode 4 is formed in a tubular shape. And since the internal electrode 4 is arrange | positioned inside the double pipe body 26 (inner pipe 26b), the double pipe body 26 (the outer pipe 26a and the inner pipe 26b) is disposed between the internal electrode 4 and the external electrode 3 ing. The internal electrode 4 is fixed to the luminous tube 2 so as to be in contact with the double tube body 26 (inner tube 26b). In the case of this configuration, the processing gas G1 also flows inside the inner pipe 26b, and the first light L1 emitted from the light emitting tube 2 is irradiated to generate the processed gas G2 containing ozone. I do not care.

  <4> In the ozone generator 10 according to the above-described embodiment, the intake port 6 includes the fan 61. However, for example, the fan 61 may be provided on the exhaust port 8 side, or may be provided on both the intake port 6 and the exhaust port 8.

  <5> In the ozone generator 10, the photocatalyst 20 may be installed on the inner side of the housing 5 as well. As a result, the photocatalytic action is applied to the gas to be treated G1, so that the treated gas G2 containing ozone with high purity is generated.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1: Light processing apparatus 3: External electrode 4: Internal electrode 5: Housing | casing 6: Intake port 7: Power supply 8: Exhaust port 10: Ozone generator 20: Photocatalyst 21: Tube body 22: First sealing part 23: Second sealed portion 24: Metal foil 25: External lead 26: Double tube 26a: Outer tube 26b: Inner tube 27: Sealed end portion 31: Optical path portion 61: Fan 71: First space 72: Second space 73: Boundary 74: Light transmission window G1: Gas to be treated G2: Processed gas

Claims (6)

And
An intake port for introducing a gas to be treated containing oxygen into the housing;
A first light having a main emission wavelength of 172 nm and at least a portion of a wavelength range of 250 nm to 560 nm inclusive, including a tube made of quartz glass disposed in the housing and sealed with a discharge gas containing Xe. An excimer lamp for emitting a second light indicating an intensity;
An exhaust port for releasing a treated gas containing ozone generated by irradiating the first light emitted from the excimer lamp with respect to the gas to be treated introduced into the housing;
A light processing device, comprising: a photocatalyst body disposed at a position where the second light emitted from the excimer lamp can be incident, and containing a material excitable by the second light. In the tube, oxygen gas is enclosed together with the discharge gas,
The light processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second light exhibits an intensity in at least a part of a wavelength range of 500 nm or more and 550 nm or less. The tube partially contains an anoxic defect,
The light processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second light exhibits an intensity in at least a part of a wavelength range of 250 nm or more and 450 nm or less.   The light processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the intensity of the second light is 0.5% or more of the intensity of the first light. A light processing method using an ozone generator, comprising
The ozone generator is
And
An intake port for introducing a gas to be treated containing oxygen into the housing;
A tube disposed in the housing and containing a discharge gas containing Xe and sealed therein, the first light having a main emission wavelength of 172 nm and the intensity showing at least a part of the wavelength range of 250 nm to 560 nm. An excimer lamp for emitting a second light;
An exhaust port for releasing a treated gas containing ozone generated by irradiating the first light emitted from the excimer lamp with respect to the gas to be processed introduced into the housing; Equipped
The treated gas containing ozone is released from the ozone generator into the target space to perform ozone processing, and the second light emitted from the excimer lamp to the photocatalyst disposed in the target space A photocatalytic treatment is performed by making the light incident. Installing the ozone generator in a first one of the target spaces;
Installing the photocatalyst in a second space of the target space adjacent to the first space;
The light processing according to claim 5, wherein a boundary between the first space and the second space is shielded, and a window transmitting the second light is installed at the boundary. Method.

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