JP2019083089A - Plasma generator and home appliance equipped with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

To perform stable discharge even when a plasma generator that generates a discharge by plasma vibrates.SOLUTION: A plasma generator 1 includes a container 10 for containing a processed water, a high voltage electrode 20 and a ground electrode 30 for generating a discharge by plasma, which is disposed in the container 10, and a sealed case 40 installed in the container 10, and the sealed case 40 is fixed to the container 10, and sealed by the surface of the processed water when the processed water is stored in the container 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a plasma generation device and a home appliance equipped with the device.

  A floating member floating on the surface of the water stored in the storage tank or in the water, and disposed above the water surface in the storage tank and attached to the floating member to generate active species for purifying water A discharge member that discharges, a partition member that divides the inside of the storage tank into a water supply region to which water is supplied from the outside, and a discharge region in which the discharge treatment device is disposed to perform discharge; The processing means moves in the vertical direction while maintaining a substantially constant distance from the water surface in synchronization with the movement of the floating member in the vertical direction according to the increase or decrease of water in the storage tank, and discharge is performed toward the water surface A humidifier configured as described above and having a communicating hole for communicating the water supply region and the discharge region in the partitioning member is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP, 2009-216327, A

  Here, in the case of adopting a configuration in which the partial container is floated on the water surface in the container and the discharge by the plasma is generated in the partial container, when the device generating the discharge by the plasma vibrates, the water surface in the partial container becomes a wave. It will stand and it will become impossible to perform stable discharge.

  An object of the present invention is to enable stable discharge even if the plasma generator that generates discharge by plasma vibrates.

  To this end, the present invention comprises a container for containing water to be treated, an electrode provided in the container for generating a discharge by plasma, and a partial container provided in the container, The partial container is fixed to the container, and provides a plasma generator which is sealed by the surface of the water to be treated when the water to be treated is contained in the container.

  Here, the electrode is an electrode pair consisting of at least a first electrode and a second electrode, and the first electrode is a water surface of the treated water in the partial container when the treated water is accommodated in the container. The second electrode may be disposed in the water to be treated, and the discharge by the plasma may be generated between the first electrode and the water surface of the water to be treated.

  In addition, the water surface of the treated water in which the partial container is in a sealed state may be at the same height or at a lower height than the water surface of the treated water stored in the container.

  Furthermore, at least one side of the container and at least one side of the partial container may be integral. In that case, at least one surface of the container may be the upper surface of the container and at least one surface of the partial container may be the upper surface of the partial container.

  Also, the first electrode may be fixed to the partial container.

  Furthermore, the second electrode may be disposed on the lower surface of the container and have a planar shape. In that case, the second electrode may be disposed at a position not vertically overlapping with the partial container on the lower surface of the container.

  In addition, the second electrode may be disposed on the upper surface of the container and may have a bar shape elongated in the vertical direction.

  Furthermore, when the water to be treated is contained in the container, the distance between the tip of the first electrode and the water surface of the water to be treated may be 1 mm to 5 mm.

  Furthermore, the plasma generator has a water supply pipe for supplying the water to be treated to the container, and a water surface of the water to be treated outside the partial container in the container when the water to be treated is accommodated in the container. It may further comprise an overflow pipe for adjusting the flow rate and a drainage valve for controlling drainage of the treated water from the container. In that case, the momentum of the water supplied from the water supply pipe may be such that the amount of water is 20 liters per minute or less. In addition, the plasma generator may further include a screen for reducing the force of the water supplied from the water supply pipe.

  In addition, the partial container may be configured to be able to change the position in the height direction with respect to the container.

  On the other hand, according to the present invention, components requiring sterilization and cleaning, a plasma generator for generating discharge by plasma to generate hydrogen peroxide in treated water, and piping for transmitting treated water containing hydrogen peroxide to the components And the plasma generating apparatus is a container for containing the water to be treated and a partial container installed in the container, wherein the plasma generator is fixed to the container and the water to be treated is contained in the container. In the partial container which is sealed by the water surface, and the first electrode disposed above the water surface of the treated water in the partial container when the treated water is accommodated in the container and the treated water There is also provided a home appliance comprising an electrode pair comprising a second electrode disposed, the electrode pair for generating a discharge by plasma between the first electrode and the surface of the water to be treated.

  According to the present invention, stable discharge can be performed even if the plasma generator that generates discharge by plasma vibrates.

(A), (b) is the figure which showed schematic structure of the plasma generator in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which showed the relationship of the airtight case and water surface when the to-be-processed water is thrown in in a container. It is the figure which showed the relationship between a container, a ground electrode, and an airtight case. It is a figure showing an electric circuit for generating discharge by plasma in a plasma generator. (A), (b) is the figure which showed schematic structure of the plasma generator in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. (A), (b) is the figure which showed schematic structure of the plasma generator in the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which showed schematic structure of the plasma generator in the 4th Embodiment of this invention. (A), (b) is the figure which showed schematic structure of the plasma generator in the 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which showed the state when making the plasma generator 5 in 5th Embodiment of this invention incline. (A), (b) is the figure which showed schematic structure of the plasma generator in the 6th Embodiment of this invention. (A), (b) is the figure which showed schematic structure of the plasma generator in the 7th Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure showing composition of a washing machine carrying a plasma generator in a 2nd embodiment of the present invention. It is the figure which showed the structure of the dishwasher which mounts the plasma generator in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which showed the structure of the heat exchanger unit of the air conditioner which mounts the plasma generator in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

[Background and Summary of this Embodiment]
When a high voltage is applied between the electrodes kept at a constant distance, discharge by plasma can be generated. The first method is to place two electrodes in water and apply a high voltage, and it is known that hydrogen peroxide is generated when plasma is generated in bubbles generated in water. As a second method, one of the electrodes is placed in water (hereinafter this electrode is referred to as "ground electrode") and the other electrode is placed above the water surface (hereinafter this electrode is referred to as "high voltage electrode" It is known that there is a method of applying a high voltage, and a discharge by plasma is generated between the tip of the high voltage electrode and the water surface, and hydrogen peroxide is generated as in the first method.

  Hydrogen peroxide produced by these methods can be used as a bactericide. It is said that hydrogen peroxide has a strong oxidizing power due to hydroxyl radicals and oxygen radicals generated by the decomposition thereof, and these exert a bactericidal action by destroying the cell structure of a microorganism. On the other hand, hydrogen peroxide has the property of decomposing into harmless oxygen and water if left to stand. For this reason, it does not remain as a harmful substance even if released to the environment, and is drawing attention as an ideal eco-friendly microbicide.

  The plasma can be generated if there is a power source to which a high voltage can be applied and a pair of electrodes. This fact indicates that there is a possibility that the plasma generator can be realized with a simple configuration and inexpensive cost. In the plasma generator having such advantageous features, hydrogen peroxide, which is said to be an ideal bactericidal agent, is obtained as described above, so the plasma is used to treat water and sterilize it International Publication WO 2013/161327 and Patent No. 5884066, documents “Activation / inactivation response of HeLa cells by exposure to plasma treated water”, Takehiko Sato, Yasuyo Yokoyama, Kohei Jogura, J. Plasma Fusion Res. Vol. 91, No. 12 (2015) 766-770 "and the like.

  Of the two methods described above for treating water with plasma with hydrogen peroxide generation in mind, the electrode is placed in water and plasma is generated in bubbles generated in water to generate hydrogen peroxide In the first method, it is necessary to attach a device for generating air bubbles of appropriate size in the water as well as the electrodes as a component of the device, and at the same time, a means for supplying a gas as well. There is a problem of The first method also has a problem that the electrode may be worn if the voltage application for plasma generation is continued for a long time. On the other hand, according to the second method of generating hydrogen peroxide by generating plasma discharge on the water surface, the apparatus has a simple configuration and hydrogen peroxide can be generated at low cost.

  However, the following technical problems exist in the second method for generating plasma on the water surface to generate hydrogen peroxide. That is, if the distance between the tip of the high voltage electrode and the water surface changes during discharge of plasma, the stability of the generated plasma can not be maintained, and the amount of hydrogen peroxide generated changes. In an extreme case, water may come in contact with the tip of the high voltage electrode and the discharge by the plasma may be stopped. As described above, in the apparatus for generating plasma on the water surface, it is necessary to keep the distance between the high voltage electrode and the water surface constant. In addition, this problem is particularly serious when there is a possibility that the device equipped with the plasma generator vibrates. As such an example, the case where a plasma generator is mounted in household appliances, such as a washing machine, a dishwasher, an air conditioner, an air cleaner, a humidifier, is mentioned. When a plasma generator is mounted on such a home appliance, development of a technique for stabilizing the distance between the high voltage electrode and the water surface with higher accuracy is required.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the plasma generating apparatus can be continuously operated by making the space around the high-voltage electrode of the plasma generating apparatus a sealed space sealed by a part of the container and the water surface formed by the treated water. Even if it vibrates or tilts, stable plasma discharge can be realized. In addition, the position of both electrodes is adjusted so that the gas generated from the ground electrode does not mix into this sealed space during plasma discharge, and the distance between the tip of the electrode disposed above the water surface and the water surface is 1 mm to By setting the range to 5 mm, plasma discharge was stably maintained for a long time.

First Embodiment
FIGS. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a schematic configuration of a plasma generator 1 according to the first embodiment. Among these, FIG. 1 (a) shows a top view of the plasma generator 1 and FIG. 1 (b) shows a cross-sectional view of the plasma generator 1. As shown in FIG. As shown in these figures, the plasma generator 1 includes a container 10, a high voltage electrode 20, a ground electrode 30, and a sealed case 40.

  The container 10 is molded using, for example, a transparent polycarbonate (PC) having a thickness of 3 mm as a material. The high voltage electrode 20 is made of, for example, SUS304 and has a wedge shape with a thickness of 0.3 mm, and the tip thereof is polished in a needle shape in order to discharge stably. The ground electrode 30 is made of, for example, SUS304, and is in the form of a mesh having a planar shape of 40 mm × 40 mm in size and 0.2 mm in thickness. Alternatively, the high voltage electrode 20 and the ground electrode 30 may be made of, for example, a material such as iron, stainless steel, platinum or the like.

  The sealed case 40 is a case for making the high voltage electrode 20 installed above the water surface in a sealed state, and constitutes a part of the container 10. The sealed case 40 is, for example, made of PC having a thickness of 3 mm as in the case of the container 10, and is a cylinder having a height of 10 mm and an inner diameter of 35 mm. The upper surface of the cylinder is sealed by an upper lid 41 so as to be able to hold the high voltage electrode 20. The upper lid 41 doubles as part of the upper surface 11 of the container 10. The high voltage electrode 20 is disposed on the upper lid 41 so that the tip thereof is inside the sealed case 40 and the upper end thereof can be connected to the tab 12 disposed on the upper portion of the upper lid 41. Here, although the upper lid 41 of the sealed case 40 doubles as part of the upper surface 11 of the container 10, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, at least one surface of the sealed case 40 doubles as a part of at least one surface of the container 10, such as the side surface of the sealed case 40 doubles as a part of the side surface of the container 10 You may Alternatively, the sealed case 40 may be fixed to the container 10 in another manner. In this embodiment, an example of a partial container installed in a container, which is fixed to the container and is sealed by the water surface of the treated water when the treated water is accommodated in the container As, the sealed case 40 is provided.

  The amount of water to be treated in the container 10 is, for example, 0.1 L. Although not shown in FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b), the container 10 can be provided with a water supply port for supplying treated water and a drainage port for discharging treated water. . By filling the container 10 with the water to be treated and applying a voltage between the high voltage electrode 20 and the ground electrode 30, a discharge by plasma is generated between the high voltage electrode 20 and the water surface, and accordingly, the water is treated in the water to be treated. Hydrogen peroxide is generated.

FIG. 2 is a view showing the relationship between the sealed case 40 and the water surface when the water to be treated is introduced into the container 10. As illustrated, when the water to be treated is introduced into the container 10, the first water surface L1 of the water to be treated is formed in the lower part of the closed case 40. As described above, when the inner diameter of the sealed case 40 is 35 mm, the area of the first water surface L1 is 9.6 cm ² . In this state, the position of the high voltage electrode 20 is adjusted such that the distance d between the high voltage electrode 20 and the first water surface L1 is 3 mm. In the present embodiment, the high voltage electrode 20 is provided as an example of the first electrode disposed above the water surface of the treated water in the partial container when the treated water is stored in the container.

  FIG. 3 is a view showing the relationship between the container 10, the ground electrode 30, and the sealed case 40. As shown in FIG. As shown, the ground electrode 30 is disposed on the lower surface of the container 10. At this time, the position of the ground electrode 30 is adjusted so that the gas generated from the ground electrode 30 is not mixed into the sealed case 40 during the plasma discharge. That is, the ground electrode 30 is installed on the lower surface of the container 10 at a position not overlapping the sealing case 40 in the vertical direction. For example, the ground electrode 30 is installed at such a position that the shortest distance D between the end of the ground electrode 30 and the end of the sealed case 40 is 60 mm. A part of the ground electrode 30 is connected to a tab 13 provided at the lower part of the container 10. In the present embodiment, the ground electrode 30 is provided as an example of the second electrode disposed in the water to be treated when the water to be treated is accommodated in the container.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an electric circuit for generating discharge by plasma in the plasma generator 1. As shown, the tabs 12 and 13 described above are connected to a high voltage power supply 50 for applying a voltage.

  Here, the applicant performed the production of hydrogen peroxide as follows using the above-described plasma generator 1. 0.1 L of tap water was put into the container 10 as treated water. The high voltage electrode 20 and the ground electrode 30 were connected to a TREK power supply MODEL 5/80, High Voltage Amplifier. In this state, current was supplied with a pulse wave of voltage 2000 V, current 16 mA, and frequency 20 kHz. It was confirmed that discharge by plasma was generated on the water through the transparent container 10 with the application of voltage. In this state, discharge was continued for 1 hour to stop voltage application. When the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the water to be treated was evaluated by a pack test made by Kyoritsu Chemical Co., Ltd., a treatment solution having a hydrogen peroxide concentration of 130 ppm was obtained.

  Further, the container 10 was fixed to a vibrating device VORTEX-GENIE 2 (registered trademark) manufactured by Scientific Industries, Inc., and current was supplied under the same conditions as described above while giving vibrations corresponding to the dials 3 and 4 for 1 hour. It was confirmed that discharge by plasma was generated on the water with application of voltage. Also, in this case, although the water surface was greatly wavy due to the vibration, it did not stop for one hour. When the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the water to be treated was evaluated by a pack test made by Kyoritsu Chemical Co., Ltd., a treatment solution having a hydrogen peroxide concentration of 130 ppm was obtained. That is, it was confirmed that the same amount of hydrogen peroxide was generated as in the case of not giving vibration.

Second Embodiment
FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b) are diagrams showing a schematic configuration of a plasma generator 2 in the second embodiment. Among these, FIG. 5 (a) shows a top view of the plasma generator 2 and FIG. 5 (b) shows a cross-sectional view of the plasma generator 2. As shown in FIG. As shown in these figures, the plasma generator 2 includes a container 10, a high voltage electrode 20, a ground electrode 30, a sealed case 40, a water supply pipe 61, an overflow pipe 62, a drainage pipe 63, and a drainage valve. And 64.

  The container 10 is molded using, for example, a transparent polycarbonate (PC) having a thickness of 3 mm as a material. The high voltage electrode 20 is made of, for example, SUS304 and has a wedge shape with a thickness of 0.3 mm, and the tip thereof is polished in a needle shape in order to discharge stably. The ground electrode 30 is made of, for example, SUS304, and is in the form of a mesh having a planar shape of 40 mm × 40 mm in size and 0.2 mm in thickness. Alternatively, the high voltage electrode 20 and the ground electrode 30 may be made of, for example, a material such as iron, stainless steel, platinum or the like.

  The sealed case 40 is a case for making the high voltage electrode 20 installed above the water surface in a sealed state, and constitutes a part of the container 10. The sealed case 40 is, for example, made of PC having a thickness of 3 mm as in the case of the container 10, and is a cylinder having a height of 10 mm and an inner diameter of 35 mm. The upper surface of the cylinder is sealed by an upper lid 41 so as to be able to hold the high voltage electrode 20. The upper lid 41 doubles as part of the upper surface 11 of the container 10. The high voltage electrode 20 is disposed on the upper lid 41 so that the tip thereof is inside the sealed case 40 and the upper end thereof can be connected to the tab 12 disposed on the upper portion of the upper lid 41. Here, although the upper lid 41 of the sealed case 40 doubles as part of the upper surface 11 of the container 10, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, at least one surface of the sealed case 40 doubles as a part of at least one surface of the container 10, such as the side surface of the sealed case 40 doubles as a part of the side surface of the container 10 You may Alternatively, the sealed case 40 may be fixed to the container 10 in another manner. In this embodiment, an example of a partial container installed in a container, which is fixed to the container and is sealed by the water surface of the treated water when the treated water is accommodated in the container As, the sealed case 40 is provided.

  The water supply pipe 61 is installed on the upper surface of the container 10, and supplies a predetermined amount of treated water in a state where the drain valve 64 is closed. The overflow pipe 62 is installed on the side of the container 10, and with the drainage valve 64 closed, the second water surface L2 in the container 10 is maintained at a constant water level by discharging the treated water at the same water level. Adjust to The drainage pipe 63 is a pipe which is disposed on the lower surface of the container 10 and which discharges the water to be treated including the generated hydrogen peroxide to the outside of the container 10. The drain valve 64 discharges the treated water to the outside by opening it and controls not to discharge the treated water to the outside by closing it. For example, the water to be treated including the generated hydrogen peroxide can be discharged with the drainage valve 64 opened so that the water does not freeze due to the environmental temperature around the container 10.

  The amount of water to be treated in the container 10 is, for example, 0.1 L. By filling the container 10 with the water to be treated and applying a voltage between the high voltage electrode 20 and the ground electrode 30, a discharge by plasma is generated between the high voltage electrode 20 and the water surface, and accordingly, the water is treated in the water to be treated. Hydrogen peroxide is generated.

  In addition, the method described in the first embodiment with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 and the method of generating hydrogen peroxide described in the first embodiment are the same as in the second embodiment as well. I omit explanation.

Third Embodiment
6 (a) and 6 (b) are diagrams showing a schematic configuration of a plasma generator 3 in the third embodiment. Among these, FIG. 6 (a) shows a top view of the plasma generator 3 and FIG. 6 (b) shows a cross-sectional view of the plasma generator 3. As shown in FIG. As shown in these figures, the plasma generator 3 includes a container 10, a high voltage electrode 20, a ground electrode 30, and a sealed case 40.

  The container 10 is molded using, for example, a transparent polycarbonate (PC) having a thickness of 3 mm as a material. The high voltage electrode 20 is made of, for example, SUS304 and has a wedge shape with a thickness of 0.3 mm, and the tip thereof is polished in a needle shape in order to discharge stably. The ground electrode 30 is made of, for example, SUS304, and has a bar shape elongated in the vertical direction. Alternatively, the high voltage electrode 20 and the ground electrode 30 may be made of, for example, a material such as iron, stainless steel, platinum or the like. The ground electrode 30 is inserted into a portion other than the closed case 40 of the upper surface 11 of the container 10, and is installed at a position of 1 mm from the lower surface of the container 10.

  The sealed case 40 is a case for making the high voltage electrode 20 installed above the water surface in a sealed state, and constitutes a part of the container 10. The sealed case 40 is, for example, made of PC having a thickness of 3 mm as in the case of the container 10, and is a cylinder having a height of 10 mm and an inner diameter of 35 mm. The upper surface of the cylinder is sealed by an upper lid 41 so as to be able to hold the high voltage electrode 20. The upper lid 41 doubles as part of the upper surface 11 of the container 10. The high voltage electrode 20 is disposed on the upper lid 41 so that the tip thereof is inside the sealed case 40 and the upper end thereof can be connected to the tab 12 disposed on the upper portion of the upper lid 41. Here, although the upper lid 41 of the sealed case 40 doubles as part of the upper surface 11 of the container 10, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, at least one surface of the sealed case 40 doubles as a part of at least one surface of the container 10, such as the side surface of the sealed case 40 doubles as a part of the side surface of the container 10 You may Alternatively, the sealed case 40 may be fixed to the container 10 in another manner. In this embodiment, an example of a partial container installed in a container, which is fixed to the container and is sealed by the water surface of the treated water when the treated water is accommodated in the container As, the sealed case 40 is provided.

  The amount of water to be treated in the container 10 is, for example, 0.1 L. Although not shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the container 10 can be provided with a water supply port for supplying treated water and a drainage port for discharging the treated water. . By filling the container 10 with the water to be treated and applying a voltage between the high voltage electrode 20 and the ground electrode 30, a discharge by plasma is generated between the high voltage electrode 20 and the water surface, and accordingly, the water is treated in the water to be treated. Hydrogen peroxide is generated.

  Further, the method described in the first embodiment with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 and the method of generating hydrogen peroxide described in the first embodiment are the same as in the third embodiment, I omit explanation.

Fourth Embodiment
FIG. 7 is a view showing a schematic configuration of a plasma generating apparatus 4 in the fourth embodiment. As shown in the figure, the plasma generator 4 includes a container 10, a high voltage electrode 20, and a ground electrode 30.

  The container 10 has, for example, a cylindrical shape, and is molded using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) having a thickness of 0.5 mm as a material. The high voltage electrode 20 and the ground electrode 30 are made of, for example, SUS304, and are obtained by processing a plate having a thickness of 0.1 mm. The tip of the high voltage electrode 20 is polished in a needle shape as in the first embodiment. Alternatively, the high voltage electrode 20 and the ground electrode 30 may be made of, for example, a material such as iron, stainless steel, platinum or the like. However, in the fourth embodiment, unlike the first to third embodiments, there is no structure corresponding to the sealing case 40 for sealing the high voltage electrode 20. The container 10 itself and the water surface formed by the water to be treated are in a state in which the high voltage electrode 20 is sealed. Further, in the fourth embodiment, since the ground electrode 30 is not installed on the lower surface of the container 10, the gas generated therefrom mixes in the space in which the high voltage electrode 20 is sealed. However, even in such a case, if the purpose is to obtain a low concentration hydrogen peroxide solution, the purpose can be achieved by applying the fourth embodiment.

  The amount of water to be treated in the container 10 is, for example, 0.25 L. Further, although not shown in FIG. 7, the container 10 can be provided with a water supply port for supplying treated water and a drainage port for discharging the treated water.

  Here, the applicant performed the generation of hydrogen peroxide using the above-described plasma generator 4 under the same conditions as in the first embodiment except that the discharge time was 0.5 hours. When the hydrogen peroxide concentration in to-be-processed water was evaluated by Kyoritsu Chemical-made pack test, the process liquid of 20 ppm-35 ppm of hydrogen peroxide concentrations was obtained.

  In addition, the container 10 was fixed to a vibrating device VORTEX-GENIE 2 (registered trademark) manufactured by Scientific Industries, Inc., and current was supplied under the same conditions as described above while giving vibration corresponding to the dials 3 to 4 for 0.5 hours. . It was confirmed that discharge by plasma was generated on the water with application of voltage. Also, in this case, the water surface was greatly wavy due to the vibration, but did not stop for 0.5 hours. When the hydrogen peroxide concentration in to-be-processed water was evaluated by Kyoritsu Chemical-made pack test, the process liquid of 20 ppm-35 ppm of hydrogen peroxide concentrations was obtained. That is, it was confirmed that the same amount of hydrogen peroxide was generated as in the case of not giving vibration.

Fifth Embodiment
FIGS. 8 (a) and 8 (b) are diagrams showing a schematic configuration of a plasma generation device 5 in the fifth embodiment. Among these, FIG. 8 (a) shows a top view of the plasma generator 5 and FIG. 8 (b) shows a cross-sectional view of the plasma generator 5. As shown in FIG. As shown in these figures, the plasma generator 5 includes a container 10, a high voltage electrode 20, a ground electrode 30, a sealed case 40, and an outer peripheral case 45.

  The container 10 is molded using, for example, a transparent polycarbonate (PC) having a thickness of 3 mm as a material. The high voltage electrode 20 is made of, for example, SUS304 and has a wedge shape with a thickness of 0.3 mm, and the tip thereof is polished in a needle shape in order to discharge stably. The ground electrode 30 is made of, for example, SUS304, and is in the form of a mesh having a planar shape of 40 mm × 40 mm in size and 0.2 mm in thickness. Alternatively, the high voltage electrode 20 and the ground electrode 30 may be made of, for example, a material such as iron, stainless steel, platinum or the like.

  The sealed case 40 is a case for making the high voltage electrode 20 installed above the water surface in a sealed state, and constitutes a part of the container 10. The sealed case 40 is, for example, made of PC having a thickness of 3 mm as in the case of the container 10, and is a cylinder having a height of 10 mm and an inner diameter of 35 mm. The upper surface of the cylinder is sealed by an upper lid 41 so as to be able to hold the high voltage electrode 20. The upper lid 41 doubles as part of the upper surface 11 of the container 10. The high voltage electrode 20 is disposed on the upper lid 41 so that the tip thereof is inside the sealed case 40 and the upper end thereof can be connected to the tab 12 disposed on the upper portion of the upper lid 41. Here, although the upper lid 41 of the sealed case 40 doubles as part of the upper surface 11 of the container 10, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, at least one surface of the sealed case 40 doubles as a part of at least one surface of the container 10, such as the side surface of the sealed case 40 doubles as a part of the side surface of the container 10 You may Alternatively, the sealed case 40 may be fixed to the container 10 in another manner. In this embodiment, an example of a partial container installed in a container, which is fixed to the container and is sealed by the water surface of the treated water when the treated water is accommodated in the container As, the sealed case 40 is provided.

  The outer peripheral case 45 is a case installed at an outer peripheral portion spaced a predetermined distance from the sealed case 40. The outer peripheral case 45 is, for example, a cylinder with an inner diameter of 50 mm, and a hole 46 with a height of 5 mm is provided in the lower portion thereof. Since the hole 46 is provided on the front side of the outer peripheral case 45 in the drawing, it does not appear exactly in the cross-sectional view, but is illustrated for convenience.

  The amount of water to be treated in the container 10 is, for example, 0.1 L. Further, although not shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the container 10 can be provided with a water supply port for supplying treated water and a drainage port for discharging the treated water. . By filling the container 10 with the water to be treated and applying a voltage between the high voltage electrode 20 and the ground electrode 30, a discharge by plasma is generated between the high voltage electrode 20 and the water surface, and accordingly, the water is treated in the water to be treated. Hydrogen peroxide is generated.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a state in which the plasma generation device 5 in the fifth embodiment is inclined. When the container 10 is inclined, the gas present at the outer peripheral portion of the sealed case 40 is discharged from the hole 46 provided in the outer peripheral case 45 to the outside.

  When the outer peripheral case 45 is not installed, for example, if the outer case 45 is inclined at 15 °, the gas in the closed case 40 is discharged to the outside, and the external water enters the closed case 40, and the high voltage electrode 20 and the first Water surface L1 contacts. On the other hand, when the outer peripheral case 45 is present, as shown in the drawing, the gas in the sealed case 40 is difficult to be discharged to the outside, and external water hardly enters the sealed case 40. Therefore, even if the container 10 is inclined by 15 ° to 20 °, the distance between the high voltage electrode 20 and the first water surface L1 is maintained.

Sixth Embodiment
FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (b) are diagrams showing a schematic configuration of a plasma generator 6 in the sixth embodiment. As shown in these figures, the plasma generator 6 includes a container 10, a high voltage electrode 20, a ground electrode 30, a sealed case 40, a solenoid 55, a water supply pipe 61, an overflow pipe 62, and a drainage pipe 63. And a drain valve 64.

  The container 10 is molded using, for example, a transparent polycarbonate (PC) having a thickness of 3 mm as a material. The high voltage electrode 20 is made of, for example, SUS304 and has a wedge shape with a thickness of 0.3 mm, and the tip thereof is polished in a needle shape in order to discharge stably. The ground electrode 30 is made of, for example, SUS304, and is in the form of a mesh having a planar shape of 40 mm × 40 mm in size and 0.2 mm in thickness. Alternatively, the high voltage electrode 20 and the ground electrode 30 may be made of, for example, a material such as iron, stainless steel, platinum or the like.

  The sealed case 40 is a case for making the high voltage electrode 20 installed above the water surface in a sealed state, and constitutes a part of the container 10. The sealed case 40 is, for example, made of PC having a thickness of 3 mm as in the case of the container 10, and is a cylinder having a height of 10 mm and an inner diameter of 35 mm. The upper surface of the cylinder is sealed by an upper lid 41 so as to be able to hold the high voltage electrode 20. However, if the upper lid 41 doubles as part of the upper surface 11 of the container 10 as in the second embodiment, water can enter the inside of the sealed case 40 when the water is vigorously sent to the container 10 There is sex. Therefore, in the sixth embodiment, the sealed case 40 is made movable in the height direction, and after the water is put in the container 10, the sealed case 40 is installed. Specifically, the position in the height direction can be changed by turning on and off the solenoid 55. That is, as shown in FIG. 10A, the water to be treated is introduced into the container 10 with the solenoid 55 turned off, that is, with the closed case 40 above the water surface in the container 10. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10B, the solenoid 55 is turned on to immerse the sealed case 40 in the water to be treated in the container 10, thereby forming the first water surface L1. Then, in this state, the position of the high voltage electrode 20 is adjusted so that the distance between the high voltage electrode 20 and the first water surface L1 is 3 mm.

  The water supply pipe 61 is installed on the upper surface of the container 10, and supplies a predetermined amount of treated water in a state where the drain valve 64 is closed. The overflow pipe 62 is installed on the side of the container 10, and with the drainage valve 64 closed, the second water surface L2 in the container 10 is maintained at a constant water level by discharging the treated water at the same water level. Adjust to The drainage pipe 63 is a pipe which is disposed on the lower surface of the container 10 and which discharges the water to be treated including the generated hydrogen peroxide to the outside of the container 10. The drain valve 64 discharges the treated water to the outside by opening it and controls not to discharge the treated water to the outside by closing it. For example, the water to be treated including the generated hydrogen peroxide can be discharged with the drainage valve 64 opened so that the water does not freeze due to the environmental temperature around the container 10.

  The amount of water to be treated in the container 10 is, for example, 0.1 L. By filling the container 10 with the water to be treated and applying a voltage between the high voltage electrode 20 and the ground electrode 30, a discharge by plasma is generated between the high voltage electrode 20 and the water surface, and accordingly, the water is treated in the water to be treated. Hydrogen peroxide is generated.

  Further, the method described in the first embodiment with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 and the method of generating hydrogen peroxide described in the first embodiment are the same as in the sixth embodiment, I omit explanation.

Seventh Embodiment
FIGS. 11 (a) and 11 (b) are diagrams showing schematic configurations of plasma generating devices 7 and 8 in the seventh embodiment. For example, in the second embodiment, when the flow rate of the water supplied from the water supply pipe 61 is large, water may enter the sealed case 40, and the water surface may be in contact with the high voltage electrode 20 to prevent plasma discharge. Therefore, in the seventh embodiment, a screen is installed to reliably maintain the distance between the high voltage electrode 20 and the water surface.

  In the case of FIG. 11A, the plasma generator 7 includes a container 10, a screen 14, a high voltage electrode 20, a ground electrode 30, a sealed case 40, a water supply pipe 61, an overflow pipe 62, and a drainage pipe 63. And a drain valve 64. In the plasma generator 7, the partition 14 is provided on the lower surface of the container 10. In this case, the water supplied from the water supply pipe 61 is supplied from above the screen 14 to the lower part of the sealed case 40 as indicated by a broken line in the drawing.

  Further, in the case of FIG. 11 (b), the plasma generator 8 comprises a container 10, a screen 15, a high voltage electrode 20, a ground electrode 30, a sealed case 40, a water supply pipe 61, an overflow pipe 62, drainage. A pipe 63 and a drain valve 64 are provided. In the plasma generator 8, the partitions 15 are provided on the upper surface 11 of the container 10. In this case, the water supplied from the water supply pipe 61 is supplied from below the screen 15 to the lower part of the sealed case 40 as shown by a broken line in the figure.

  Thus, in FIGS. 11 (a) and 11 (b), the distance between the high voltage electrode 20 and the water surface is set so that the plasma discharge can be reliably performed by installing the partitions 14 and 15 so that water does not enter the sealed case It adjusts the flow rate of the water supply to hold it. However, if the flow rate of the water supplied from the water supply pipe 61 is 20 liters per minute or less, the distance between the high voltage electrode 20 and the water surface can be maintained without using the partitions 14 and 15. In this case, not only the number of parts and cost for installing the partitions 14 and 15 can be reduced, but also the variation of the concentration of hydrogen peroxide generated in the water to be treated with the discharge of the plasma is eliminated, and the stable concentration can be achieved. It also becomes possible to keep.

  The container 10 is molded using, for example, a transparent polycarbonate (PC) having a thickness of 3 mm as a material. The high voltage electrode 20 is made of, for example, SUS304 and has a wedge shape with a thickness of 0.3 mm, and the tip thereof is polished in a needle shape in order to discharge stably. The ground electrode 30 is made of, for example, SUS304, and is in the form of a mesh having a planar shape of 40 mm × 40 mm in size and 0.2 mm in thickness. Alternatively, the high voltage electrode 20 and the ground electrode 30 may be made of, for example, a material such as iron, stainless steel, platinum or the like.

  The sealed case 40 is a case for making the high voltage electrode 20 installed above the water surface in a sealed state, and constitutes a part of the container 10. The sealed case 40 is, for example, made of PC having a thickness of 3 mm as in the case of the container 10, and is a cylinder having a height of 10 mm and an inner diameter of 35 mm. The upper surface of the cylinder is sealed by an upper lid 41 so as to be able to hold the high voltage electrode 20. The upper lid 41 doubles as part of the upper surface 11 of the container 10. The high voltage electrode 20 is disposed on the upper lid 41 so that the tip thereof is inside the sealed case 40 and the upper end thereof can be connected to the tab 12 disposed on the upper portion of the upper lid 41. Here, although the upper lid 41 of the sealed case 40 doubles as part of the upper surface 11 of the container 10, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, at least one surface of the sealed case 40 doubles as a part of at least one surface of the container 10, such as the side surface of the sealed case 40 doubles as a part of the side surface of the container 10 You may Alternatively, the sealed case 40 may be fixed to the container 10 in another manner. In this embodiment, an example of a partial container installed in a container, which is fixed to the container and is sealed by the water surface of the treated water when the treated water is accommodated in the container As, the sealed case 40 is provided.

  The amount of water to be treated in the container 10 is, for example, 0.1 L. By filling the container 10 with the water to be treated and applying a voltage between the high voltage electrode 20 and the ground electrode 30, a discharge by plasma is generated between the high voltage electrode 20 and the water surface, and accordingly, the water is treated in the water to be treated. Hydrogen peroxide is generated.

  In addition, since the method described in the first embodiment with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 and the method of generating hydrogen peroxide described in the first embodiment are the same as in the seventh embodiment, I omit explanation.

Eighth Embodiment
Next, a home appliance on which the plasma generation device 2 according to the second embodiment is mounted will be described as an eighth embodiment. Here, although a washing machine, a dishwasher, and an air conditioner are taken as an example of home appliances, the present invention is not limited thereto. Further, instead of the plasma generator 2 in the second embodiment, the water supply pipe 61, the overflow pipe 62, and the drainage to the plasma generator 3 in the third embodiment or the plasma generator 5 in the fifth embodiment What attached the pipe | tube 63 and the drainage valve 64, or plasma generator 6 in 6th Embodiment and plasma generator 7a, 7b in 7th Embodiment may be mounted in household appliances.

  FIG. 12 is a view showing the configuration of a washing machine 70 equipped with the plasma generator 2. As illustrated, the washing machine 70 includes a plasma generator 2, a water supply pipe 71 for supplying washing water used for washing clothes and the like, and a detergent for mixing detergent with washing water supplied through the water supply pipe 71. A case 72, a washing tank 73 for storing washing water supplied through a water supply pipe 71, a drainage pipe 74 for discharging washing water used for washing clothes etc. to the outside of the washing machine 70, and a drainage pump 75; Equipped with

  The washing machine 70 branches the water supply pipe 71 for sending the water received from the water supply tap to the detergent case 72, and the container 10 of the plasma generator 2 is filled with water from the water supply pipe 61. The washing machine 70 causes the water exceeding the specified amount to flow into the washing tub 73 through the overflow pipe 62. The washing machine 70 generates plasma for a fixed time by the plasma generator 2 to generate hydrogen peroxide solution, and opens the drain valve 64 at the lower part of the container 10 to feed water from the drain pipe 63 to the washing tank 73. Thereby, the clothes, the washing tub 73, the drainage pipe 74 and the like are disinfected and cleaned with the generated hydrogen peroxide solution. That is, in the present embodiment, the washing tank 73, the drain pipe 74, and the like are provided as an example of the parts requiring sterilization cleaning, and the drainage is an example of a pipe for transmitting the water to be treated containing hydrogen peroxide to the parts. A tube 63 is provided.

  FIG. 13 is a view showing the configuration of a dishwasher 80 on which the plasma generator 2 is mounted. As shown, the dish washer 80 is supplied through the plasma generator 2, a water supply pipe 81 for supplying washing water used to wash dishes, a washing tank 82 for containing dishes, etc., and the water feed pipe 81. And a drain pipe 84 and a drain pump 85 for discharging the wash water used for washing dishes and the like to the outside of the dish washer 80.

  The dish washer 80 branches the water supply pipe 81 for transferring the water received from the water supply tap to the water receiving tank 83, and the container 10 of the plasma generator 2 is filled with water from the water supply pipe 61. The dishwasher 80 causes the water exceeding the specified amount to flow into the water receiving tank 83 via the overflow pipe 62. The dishwashing machine 80 generates plasma for a predetermined time by the plasma generator 2 to generate hydrogen peroxide solution, and opens the drain valve 64 at the lower part of the container 10 to feed water from the drain pipe 63 to the water receiving tank 83. Thereby, the dishes, the washing tank 82, the water receiving tank 83, the drainage pipe 84 and the like are disinfected and cleaned with the generated hydrogen peroxide solution. That is, in the present embodiment, the cleaning tank 82, the water receiving tank 83, the drainage pipe 84 and the like are provided as an example of the parts requiring sterilization and cleaning, and the pipes for transmitting the water to be treated containing hydrogen peroxide to the parts. The drain pipe 63 is provided as an example.

  FIG. 14 is a view showing the configuration of the heat exchanger unit 90 of the air conditioner on which the plasma generator 2 is mounted. As illustrated, the heat exchanger unit 90 includes a plasma generator 2, a heat exchanger 91 for exchanging heat between air and a refrigerant, and a circulation pump 92 for circulating water drained from the plasma generator 2. And a pipe 93 for sending the circulated water to the heat exchanger 91. However, in the plasma generator 2, the upper surface of the container 10 and the upper surface of the sealed case 40 are not integrated, and the sealed case 40 is fixed to the side surface of the container 10 on the front side There is. Further, the plasma generator 2 does not include the water supply pipe 61, and the overflow pipe 62 is provided on the lower surface of the container 10.

  The heat exchanger unit 90 uses the dew condensation water of the heat exchanger 91 to cool the container 10 of the plasma generator 2 at the time of cooling. The heat exchanger unit 90 drains water exceeding the specified amount through the overflow pipe 62. The heat exchanger unit 90 generates plasma for a fixed time by the plasma generator 2 to generate hydrogen peroxide solution, and the drainage valve 64 at the lower part of the container 10 is opened to drain the drainage pipe 63. Then, water is supplied from the pipe 93 to the heat exchanger 91 or the like using the circulation pump 92. Thus, the portion of the heat exchanger 91 or the like is disinfected and cleaned with the generated hydrogen peroxide solution. That is, in the present embodiment, the heat exchanger 91 is provided as an example of a part requiring sterilizing and cleaning, and the drainage pipe 63 and the pipe are provided as an example of a pipe for transmitting the water to be treated containing hydrogen peroxide to the part. 93 is provided.

[Effect of this embodiment]
As described above, in the present embodiment, the peripheral space of the high voltage electrode is a sealed space sealed by a part of the container and the water surface formed by the water to be treated. As a result, the volume of gas in the enclosed space is kept constant, so the distance between the high voltage electrode and the water surface is kept constant, and a stable discharge state is obtained.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the positions of the high-voltage electrode and the ground electrode are adjusted so that the gas generated from the ground electrode does not mix into the sealed space. As a result, the volume of the gas in the enclosed space is kept constant, and for the same reason, a stable discharge state can be obtained. As the gas generated from the ground electrode, hydrogen may be generated due to electrochemical reaction when the amount of flowing current is increased, and steam may be generated as small bubbles when the temperature is increased due to heat generation.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the distance between the high voltage electrode and the water surface is 1 mm to 5 mm. This also contributes to stabilizing the discharge and securing the amount of hydrogen peroxide generated. Keeping this distance less than 1 mm is practically difficult in consideration of fluctuations in the water surface, and if the water surface contacts the tip of the high-voltage electrode, the discharge may stop or the tip of the electrode may deteriorate. there is a possibility. On the other hand, when the distance is longer than 5 mm, there is a tendency that no discharge occurs at the time of voltage application or the generation amount of hydrogen peroxide decreases.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 ... plasma generation device, 10 ... container, 14, 15 ... partition, 20 ... high voltage electrode, 30 ... ground electrode, 40 ... sealed case, 50 ... high voltage power supply, 55: Solenoid, 61: Water supply pipe, 62: Overflow pipe, 63: Drain pipe, 64: Drain valve, 70: Washing machine, 80: Dishwasher, 90: Heat exchanger unit

Claims (15)

A container for containing treated water;
An electrode disposed in the container for generating a discharge by plasma;
And a partial container installed in the container,
The said partial container is fixed to the said container, and when the said to-be-processed water is accommodated in the said container, it will be in the state sealed by the water surface of the said to-be-processed water. The electrode is an electrode pair comprising at least a first electrode and a second electrode,
The first electrode is disposed above the water surface of the water to be treated in the partial container when the water to be treated is stored in the container.
The second electrode is disposed in the treated water.
The plasma generator according to claim 1, wherein the discharge by the plasma is generated between the first electrode and the water surface of the water to be treated.   The water surface of the water to be treated, which makes the partial container sealed, is at the same height or at a lower height than the water surface of the water to be treated contained in the container. The plasma generator according to 1.   The plasma generator according to claim 1, wherein at least one surface of the container and at least one surface of the partial container are integrated. At least one surface of the container is an upper surface of the container,
The plasma generator according to claim 4, wherein at least one surface of the partial container is an upper surface of the partial container.   The plasma generator according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode is fixed to the partial container.   The plasma generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode is disposed on the lower surface of the container and has a planar shape.   The plasma generating apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the second electrode is disposed at a position not vertically overlapping the partial container on the lower surface of the container.   The plasma generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode is disposed on the upper surface of the container and has a bar shape elongated in the vertical direction.   The plasma generation according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the tip of the first electrode and the water surface of the water to be treated when the water to be treated is accommodated in the container is 1 mm to 5 mm. apparatus. A water supply pipe for supplying the treated water to the container;
An overflow pipe for adjusting a water surface of the water to be treated outside the partial container in the container when the water to be treated is accommodated in the container to a predetermined height;
The plasma generator according to claim 1, further comprising: a drainage valve for controlling drainage of the water to be treated from the container.   The plasma generator according to claim 11, wherein the momentum of the water supplied from the water supply pipe is a water amount of 20 liters or less per minute.   The plasma generating apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a screen for reducing the force of the water supplied from the water supply pipe.   The plasma generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the partial container is configured to be capable of changing the position in the height direction with respect to the container. Parts that require sterile cleaning,
A plasma generating device that generates discharge by plasma to generate hydrogen peroxide in the water to be treated;
Piping for sending the treated water containing the hydrogen peroxide to the component;
The plasma generator is
A container for containing the water to be treated;
A partial container installed in the container, the partial container being fixed to the container and being sealed by the water surface of the water to be treated when the water to be treated is accommodated in the container;
From the first electrode disposed above the water surface of the water to be treated in the partial container when the water to be treated is stored in the container, and the second electrode to be disposed in the water to be treated What is claimed is: 1. A household electric appliance comprising: an electrode pair comprising: an electrode pair for generating a discharge by the plasma between the first electrode and a surface of the water to be treated.

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