JP2022143536A - fluid purifier - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a fluid purifier that has a simplified structure but improved throughput.SOLUTION: A fluid purifier 10 has: a cabinet 12 that defines a channel 22 extending in an axial direction; rotating bodies 14a-14d that are provided in the channel 22 so that a pivot 30 of rotating bodies 14a-14d faces in the axial direction, and have a plurality of vanes 20a-20d extending from the pivot 30 in the radial direction, with the plurality of vanes 20a-20d including a photocatalyst; and a light source 16 that emits ultraviolet light 18 into the channel 22 in the axial direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a fluid purification device.

A device for purifying a fluid by irradiating the fluid with ultraviolet light is known. Devices that purify fluids using photocatalysts are also known. For example, a structure in which a rotating body having a photocatalyst is provided and an ultraviolet lamp is arranged outside the rotating body in parallel with the rotating shaft, and a structure in which an ultraviolet lamp is disposed on the central axis of the rotating body has been proposed (for example, patent documents 1).

JP-A-2001-113267

When the ultraviolet lamps are arranged outside the rotating body, it is necessary to increase the number of ultraviolet lamps in order to uniformly irradiate the entire rotating body with ultraviolet rays, which leads to an increase in cost and an increase in the size of the apparatus. When an ultraviolet lamp is placed on the central axis of the rotating body, the rotating body is rotated using the flow of fluid, so a separate pump or the like is required to generate the flow of fluid, which increases costs and increases the size of the device. leads to

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of these problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for improving the processing capacity of a fluid purifier with a simple configuration.

A fluid purifying device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a housing defining a flow path extending in the axial direction, and a rotating body provided in the flow path so that the rotation axis of the rotor extends in the axial direction, and extends radially from the rotation axis. A rotating body having a plurality of blades, the plurality of blades containing a photocatalyst, and a light source for axially irradiating ultraviolet light into the flow channel.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the processing capability of a fluid purification apparatus can be improved with a simple structure.

1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a fluid purification device according to an embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the fluid purification device of FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing how fluid is purified by blades irradiated with ultraviolet light.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are omitted as appropriate. Also, in order to facilitate understanding of the explanation, the dimensional ratio of each component in each drawing does not necessarily match the dimensional ratio of the actual light emitting element.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a fluid purification device 10 according to an embodiment. The fluid purification device 10 includes a housing 12 , a plurality of rotating bodies 14 a, 14 b, 14 c and 14 d, and a light source 16 .

The fluid purification device 10 irradiates the fluid flowing inside the housing 12 with ultraviolet light 18 from a light source 16 to purify the fluid. Photocatalysts are contained in the blades 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d of the plurality of rotors 14a to 14d, respectively. By irradiating the photocatalysts with the ultraviolet light 18, the photocatalysts are activated to purify the fluid. The fluid to be treated by the fluid purifier 10 is, for example, gas such as air. The fluid to be treated by the fluid purification device 10 may be liquid such as water.

The housing 12 defines a channel 22 through which the fluid to be treated flows. Housing 12 has a first end 24 and a second end 26 and extends axially from first end 24 to second end 26 . The housing 12 is formed in a cylindrical shape, for example, a cylindrical shape. The housing 12 is made of a metal material such as aluminum or stainless steel, or a fluororesin material such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Housing 12 has an inner surface 28 exposed to flow path 22 . The inner surface 28 of the housing 12 may be constructed of a material with high ultraviolet light reflectance, such as aluminum or PTFE. Interior surface 28 of housing 12 may include a photocatalyst.

A plurality of rotating bodies 14 a to 14 d are provided in flow path 22 . A plurality of rotating bodies 14a to 14d have a common rotating shaft 30. As shown in FIG. The rotating shaft 30 extends axially near the center of the flow path 22 . A plurality of rotating bodies 14a to 14d are arranged at intervals in the axial direction. In the illustrated example, four rotating bodies 14a to 14d are provided, and the first rotating body 14a, the second rotating body 14b, the third rotating body 14c, and the fourth rotating body 14d are arranged in order from the upstream side to the downstream side. I'm in. The number of rotating bodies 14a to 14d is not limited to four, and may be three or less, or five or more.

Each of the plurality of rotors 14a-14d has a plurality of blades 20a-20d. A plurality of rotating bodies 14 a to 14 d are rotated by a driving mechanism 32 such as a motor that rotates a rotating shaft 30 to generate a fluid flow F within the flow path 22 . The rotational direction of the plurality of rotating bodies 14a to 14d is common, for example, clockwise when viewed from the light source 16 as indicated by arrow R. As shown in FIG. A fluid flow F generated by the rotation of the plurality of rotating bodies 14 a - 14 d is directed from the first end 24 to the second end 26 of the housing 12 . Thus, the first end 24 is upstream of the fluid flow F and the second end 26 is downstream of the fluid flow F.

The light source 16 is provided upstream of the plurality of rotating bodies 14a to 14d. The light source 16 is attached, for example, to a fixing member 34 provided at the first end 24 of the housing 12 . The securing member 34 extends radially inward from the inner surface 28 of the housing 12 . The fixing member 34 is provided with a through hole 36 for passing fluid. The light source 16 axially irradiates the ultraviolet light 18 into the channel 22 . The light source 16 irradiates the fluid flowing through the flow path 22 with the ultraviolet light 18, and also irradiates the ultraviolet light 18 toward the blades 20a to 20d of the rotating bodies 14a to 14d.

Light source 16 includes a plurality of LEDs 38 , substrate 40 and heat sink 42 . A plurality of LEDs 38 are configured to output ultraviolet light 18 . The plurality of LEDs 38 are arranged in an array on the mounting surface of the substrate 40 and arranged so as to irradiate the ultraviolet light 18 in the axial direction. A plurality of LEDs 38 are arranged in a two-dimensional array at regular intervals on the mounting surface of a circular substrate 40, for example. The light source 16 may further include a reflector or lens for collimating the irradiation direction of the ultraviolet light 18 output from each of the plurality of LEDs 38 in the axial direction.

The plurality of LEDs 38 are configured to emit, for example, ultraviolet light in the vicinity of 260 nm to 290 nm, which is a wavelength with high sterilization efficiency. The plurality of LEDs 38 may be configured to emit ultraviolet light having a wavelength that is highly efficient in activating the photocatalysts provided on the vanes 20a-20d of the plurality of rotors 14a-14d. The plurality of LEDs 38 may be configured, for example, to emit ultraviolet light of about 280 nm to 380 nm with high activation efficiency of titanium oxide. The plurality of LEDs 38 may include a first LED that emits first ultraviolet light of about 260 nm to 290 nm with high sterilization efficiency, and a second LED that emits second ultraviolet light of about 300 nm to 380 nm with high photocatalyst activation efficiency. For example, the first LEDs and the second LEDs may be alternately arranged on the mounting surface of the substrate 40 .

A heat sink 42 is provided on the back side of the plurality of LEDs 38 and on the back side of the substrate 40 . The heat sink 42 is provided on the upstream side of the flow path 22 with respect to the plurality of LEDs 38 . The heat sink 42 is provided upstream of the fixing member 34 that fixes the light source 16 . The heat sink 42 is cooled, for example, by a fluid flow F that passes through the through holes 36 and into the channels 22 .

FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the fluid purification device 10 of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, the housing 12 and the fixing member 34 are cut in half in the axial direction, and the right halves of the housing 12 and the fixing member 34 are omitted so that the internal structure of the housing 12 can be easily seen.

The plurality of LEDs 38 are arranged in a two-dimensional array at regular intervals on the mounting surface of the substrate 40 . The plurality of LEDs 38 are not provided near the center of the substrate 40 at locations facing the rotating shaft 30, but are provided at locations facing the blades 20a-20d of the plurality of rotating bodies 14a-14d. As a result, it is possible to efficiently irradiate the ultraviolet light 18 toward the rotating region of the blades 20a to 20d through which the fluid passes. Note that the plurality of LEDs 38 may be additionally provided near the center of the substrate 40 .

The plurality of rotors 14a-14d are configured to have different numbers of blades 20a-20d. Specifically, the number of blades 20a of the first rotor 14a on the upstream side near the light source 16 is small, and the number of blades 20d of the fourth rotor 14d on the downstream side far from the light source 16 is large. By reducing the number of blades 20a of the first rotor 14a located upstream, more ultraviolet light 18 can be irradiated to the blades 20b-20d of the rotors 14b-14d located downstream.

The first rotating body 14 a is provided most upstream in the flow path 22 and is provided at a position closest to the light source 16 . The first rotating body 14a has a plurality of first blades 20a extending radially outward from the rotating shaft 30 . The plurality of first blades 20a are provided around the rotating shaft 30 at intervals in the circumferential direction. In the illustrated example, the first rotor 14a has four first blades 20a.

The second rotating body 14b is provided between the first rotating body 14a and the third rotating body 14c. The second rotating body 14b is provided downstream of the first rotating body 14a and upstream of the third rotating body 14c. The second rotating body 14b has a plurality of second blades 20b extending radially outward from the rotating shaft 30. As shown in FIG. The plurality of second blades 20b are provided around the rotating shaft 30 at intervals in the circumferential direction. The number of second blades 20b on the second rotor 14b is greater than the number of first blades 20a on the first rotor 14a. In the illustrated example, the second rotor 14b has five second blades 20b.

The third rotating body 14c is provided between the second rotating body 14b and the fourth rotating body 14d. The third rotating body 14c is provided downstream of the second rotating body 14b and upstream of the fourth rotating body 14d. The third rotating body 14 c has a plurality of third blades 20 c extending radially outward from the rotating shaft 30 . The plurality of third blades 20c are provided around the rotating shaft 30 at intervals in the circumferential direction. The number of third blades 20c that the third rotor 14c has is greater than the number of second blades 20b that the second rotor 14b has. In the illustrated example, the third rotor 14c has six third blades 20c.

The fourth rotating body 14 d is provided at the most downstream position in the flow path 22 and at the farthest position from the light source 16 . The fourth rotating body 14d has a plurality of fourth blades 20d extending radially outward from the rotating shaft 30. As shown in FIG. The plurality of fourth blades 20d are provided around the rotating shaft 30 at intervals in the circumferential direction. The number of fourth blades 20d that the fourth rotating body 14d has is greater than the number of third blades 20c that the third rotating body 14c has. In the illustrated example, the fourth rotor 14d has seven fourth blades 20d.

Next, the operation of the fluid purification device 10 will be described. The driving mechanism 32 is operated to rotate the rotating bodies 14a to 14d. A plurality of rotating bodies 14 a - 14 d act as fans to create a fluid flow F, creating a fluid flow F from first end 24 to second end 26 . The light source 16 is turned on while the drive mechanism 32 is operating, and the ultraviolet light 18 is emitted axially from the light source 16 into the channel 22 . The ultraviolet light 18 is applied to the blades 20a-20d of the plurality of rotating bodies 14a-14d, respectively. Photocatalysts contained in vanes 20 a - 20 d are activated by ultraviolet light 18 . The activated photocatalyst decomposes organic matter molecules contained in the fluid and removes the organic matter from the fluid. The ultraviolet light 18 sterilizes microorganisms and the like contained in the fluid. As a result, the fluid passing through the fluid purification device 10 is purified.

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing how the fluid is purified by the blades 20a irradiated with the ultraviolet light 18. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3 shows the first rotating body 14a rotating in the direction indicated by the arrow R. As shown in FIG. The surface of the first blade 20a of the first rotor 14a contains a photocatalyst, which is activated by the ultraviolet light 18 from the light source 16. As shown in FIG. When the first rotating body 14a rotates, fluid is drawn in by the rotating first blades 20a, and a fluid flow F along the surface of the first blades 20a is generated. As a result, the photocatalyst activated on the surface of the vanes 20a and the fluid are in contact with each other for a longer period of time, and the cleaning effect of the photocatalyst can be enhanced.

According to this embodiment, by irradiating the ultraviolet light 18 in the axial direction along which the fluid flows, the time during which the ultraviolet light 18 acts on the fluid can be lengthened. This makes it possible to efficiently irradiate the fluid with ultraviolet light with a smaller number of LEDs than when a plurality of LEDs are arranged along the axial direction.

According to the present embodiment, by irradiating the blades 20a to 20d containing photocatalysts with the ultraviolet light 18, the fluid can be purified using the photocatalyst action. As a result, it is possible to purify the fluid more efficiently than in the case of simply irradiating the ultraviolet light 18 without using a photocatalyst. In addition, by arranging a plurality of rotating bodies 14a to 14d at intervals in the axial direction, it is possible to enhance the purification performance of the photocatalyst.

According to the present embodiment, by reducing the number of blades 20a of the rotor 14a on the upstream side, the ultraviolet light 18 can easily reach the blades 20b to 20d of the rotors 14b to 14d on the downstream side. In addition, by increasing the number of blades of the rotors 14b to 14d on the downstream side compared to the upstream side, the area of the blades 20b to 20d that receives the ultraviolet light 18 that reaches the rotors 14b to 14d on the downstream side can be increased. It is possible to improve the purification performance by the photocatalyst.

The present invention has been described above based on the embodiments. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and that various design changes and modifications are possible, and that such modifications are within the scope of the present invention. It is understood.

In the above-described embodiment, the rotation directions of the plurality of rotors 14a to 14d are common. In another embodiment, the rotation directions of the rotating bodies 14a-14d may be different. The plurality of rotators 14 a to 14 d may include a clockwise rotator that rotates clockwise when viewed from the light source 16 and a counterclockwise rotator that rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the light source 16 . For example, the first rotating body 14a and the third rotating body 14c may be clockwise, and the second rotating body 14b and the fourth rotating body may be counterclockwise. When the rotating shaft 30 rotates clockwise, a reversing mechanism such as a gear is provided between the counterclockwise rotating body and the rotating shaft 30 to reverse the rotating direction of the rotating shaft 30 and the rotating direction of the counterclockwise rotating body. may be provided. By making the rotation directions of the plurality of rotating bodies 14a to 14d different, it is possible to prevent the blades 20a to 20d of the rotating bodies 14a to 14d from continuing to overlap in the axial direction. As a result, it becomes easier for the ultraviolet light 18 to reach the blades 20b to 20d of the rotors 14b to 14d on the downstream side.

In the embodiment described above, the rotational speeds of the plurality of rotors 14a to 14d are common. In another embodiment, the rotational speeds of the rotating bodies 14a-14d may be different from each other. For example, the rotation speeds of the rotors 14a to 14d may be gradually decreased from the upstream side to the downstream side. For example, when the rotation speed of the first rotor 14a is 1, the rotation speed of the second rotor 14b is 0.9, the rotation speed of the third rotor 14c is 0.8, and the rotation speed of the fourth rotor 14d is The rotational speed may be 0.7. Conversely, the rotation speeds of the rotors 14a to 14d may be gradually increased from the upstream side to the downstream side. For example, when the rotation speed of the first rotor 14a is 1, the rotation speed of the second rotor 14b is 1.1, the rotation speed of the third rotor 14c is 1.2, and the rotation speed of the fourth rotor 14d is The rotational speed may be 1.3. Between the rotating bodies 14a to 14d and the rotating shaft 30, a transmission mechanism such as gears for adjusting the rotation speed may be provided. By shifting the rotational speeds of the plurality of rotors 14a to 14d, it is possible to prevent the blades 20a to 20d of the rotors 14a to 14d from continuing to overlap in the axial direction. As a result, it becomes easier for the ultraviolet light 18 to reach the blades 20b to 20d of the rotors 14b to 14d on the downstream side.

Only the rotation directions of the plurality of rotors 14a to 14d may be different, only the rotation speeds of the plurality of rotors 14a to 14d may be different, or the rotation of the plurality of rotors 14a to 14d may be different. Both the direction and the speed of rotation may be different. Further, when at least one of the rotation direction and the rotation speed of the plurality of rotating bodies 14a to 14d is made different, the number of blades 20a to 20d possessed by each of the plurality of rotating bodies 14a to 14d may be the same or different. may be

In the above-described embodiment, the case of using a plurality of rotating bodies 14a to 14d is shown. In another embodiment, the fluid purification device 10 may have only one rotating body 14a.

Several aspects of the invention are described below.

A first aspect of the present invention includes a housing that defines a flow path extending in the axial direction, and a rotor that is provided in the flow path so that the rotation axis of the rotating body is in the axial direction, and the The fluid purifier includes a rotating body having a plurality of extending blades, the plurality of blades containing a photocatalyst, and a light source for irradiating ultraviolet light into the flow path in the axial direction. According to the first aspect, by irradiating the ultraviolet light in the axial direction in which the flow path extends, the time for which the ultraviolet light acts on the fluid flowing in the flow path can be lengthened, and the fluid is purified by the irradiation of the ultraviolet light. Efficiency can be increased. Further, by including a photocatalyst in the blades of the rotating body, the photocatalyst can be activated by irradiation with ultraviolet light, and the fluid can be purified using the activated photocatalyst. By including the photocatalyst in the blades of the rotating body, the time that the fluid interacts with the photocatalyst can be lengthened, and the purification capability can be enhanced.

A second aspect of the present invention comprises a plurality of rotating bodies spaced apart in the axial direction, and each of the plurality of rotating bodies is arranged such that the rotation axis of each rotating body is in the axial direction. The fluid purifier according to the first aspect, comprising a plurality of vanes provided in the flow path and extending radially from the rotating shaft, wherein the plurality of vanes contain a photocatalyst. According to the second aspect, by arranging a plurality of rotating bodies in series in the axial direction, it is possible to lengthen the time for the fluid to act on the photocatalyst, and to enhance the purification performance.

A third aspect of the present invention is the fluid purifier according to the second aspect, wherein each of the plurality of rotating bodies differs in the number of the plurality of blades included in each rotating body. According to the second aspect, by varying the number of the plurality of blades that each of the plurality of rotating bodies has, it becomes easier for the ultraviolet light to reach the blades of the rotating body on the downstream side. Thereby, the purifying ability using the photocatalyst can be further enhanced.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is the fluid purifier according to the second or third aspect, wherein each of the plurality of rotating bodies differs in at least one of the rotating speed and rotating direction. According to the third aspect, by differentiating at least one of the rotation speed and the rotation direction of the plurality of rotors, the blades of the plurality of rotors are prevented from continuing to overlap in the axial direction, and the rotors on the downstream side are prevented from Ultraviolet light can easily reach the blades. Thereby, the purifying ability using the photocatalyst can be further enhanced.

In a fifth aspect of the present invention, the light source includes an LED that emits the ultraviolet light, and a heat sink provided on the back side of the LED, and the heat sink is arranged upstream of the flow path from the LED. A fluid purification device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects. According to the fifth aspect, by arranging the heat sink on the upstream side of the flow path from the LED, the heat sink can be efficiently cooled using the flow of the fluid drawn into the flow path. As a result, the LED can be efficiently cooled, and a higher intensity ultraviolet light can be irradiated into the channel. As a result, the purifying ability can be further enhanced.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Fluid purifier, 12... Case, 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d... Rotating body, 16... Light source, 18... Ultraviolet light, 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d... Blade, 22... Flow path, 30... Rotating shaft , 38 ... LED, 42 ... heat sink.

Claims (5)

a housing defining a flow path extending in the axial direction;
a rotating body provided in the flow path so that the rotation axis of the rotating body is aligned with the axial direction, and having a plurality of blades extending radially from the rotating shaft, the plurality of blades containing a photocatalyst;
and a light source that irradiates ultraviolet light in the axial direction into the flow path. comprising a plurality of rotating bodies spaced apart in the axial direction;
Each of the plurality of rotating bodies has a plurality of blades provided in the flow path so that the rotation axis of each rotating body is aligned with the axial direction and extending radially from the rotation axis, and the plurality of blades 2. The fluid purification device of claim 1, wherein the includes a photocatalyst. 3. The fluid purifier according to claim 2, wherein each of said plurality of rotating bodies has a different number of said plurality of blades included in each rotating body. 4. The fluid purifier according to claim 2, wherein each of said plurality of rotating bodies is different from each other in at least one of rotational speed and rotational direction. 5. The light source according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the light source includes an LED that emits the ultraviolet light, and a heat sink provided on the back side of the LED, and the heat sink is arranged upstream of the flow path from the LED. or the fluid purifier according to claim 1.

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