JP2023094632A - Electrolytic water generator - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an electrolytic water generator capable of selectively supplying electrolytic water and supplying water only, without the need for a separate water channel for water supply only.SOLUTION: A control part 5 has a selection operation part 53 for selecting either an electrolytic water supply operation function part 51, a water supply alone operation function part 52 or both operation function parts, whereas the electrolytic water supply operation function part 51 operates and controls both a water supply system 3 and an electrolyte supply system 4 to discharge electrolytic water into an electrolytic water discharge channel 72, and the water supply alone operation function part 52 independently controls the operation of the water supply system 3 while the operation of the electrolyte supply system 4 is stopped, to supply water only into the electrolytic water discharge channel 72.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an electrolyzed water generator used in an air purifier or the like having functions of sterilization, deodorization, dust removal, and gas removal, and contributes to the technology of generating hypochlorous acid water by electrolysis.

In the past, it was used in closed or semi-closed spaces such as home appliances, equipment, air conditioners, water supply and sewage infrastructure, farming and livestock environments, and schools, hospitals, and commercial facilities where people gather. Hypochlorous acid water generated by an electrolyzed water generator is used for bacteria, hygiene management, infectious disease countermeasures, and BCP (Business Continuity Plan).

For example, electrolyzed water generators used in air purifiers generate chlorine gas by electrolyzing raw chemical solutions in an electrolytic cell, and mix the chlorine gas into the water supply supplied from the water supply system to produce slightly acidic electrolyzed water. are generating.

Further, the electrolyzed water production apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes an electrolytic cell, a raw material pump that supplies raw material water to the electrolytic cell, a raw water pipe that connects the discharge port of the raw material pump and the inflow port of the electrolytic cell, and an electrolytic solution advection inhibiting portion formed between the discharge port and the inflow port in the raw water pipe.

WO2013/027477

However, the electrolyzed water generator used in conventional air purifiers has only the function of generating electrolyzed water. will be Therefore, it was not possible to supply only water from the apparatus, and in order to supply water, it was necessary to provide a separate water supply channel. As a result, the device configuration and control become complicated, which causes an increase in the cost of members, assembly, and maintenance, and causes an increase in the size of the device.

It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-described problems, and to provide an electrolyzed water generator capable of selectively supplying electrolyzed water or water only without providing a separate water channel for supplying only water. aim.

In order to solve the above problems, the electrolyzed water generator of the present invention has a gas mixture unit connected to the electrolyzed water discharge passage, and the chlorine gas generated by the electrolysis of the electrolytic solution is mixed in the water supply in the gas mixture unit. An electrolytic cell that generates electrolyzed water by gas, a water supply system that is connected to an electrolyzed water discharge passage through an air-mixing portion of the electrolytic cell and feeds water from a water supply source to the air-mixing portion, and an electrolytic solution that supplies the electrolytic solution to the electrolytic cell. A supply system and a control unit for controlling each part of the device, the control unit having a selection operation unit for selecting one of the electrolyzed water supply operation function unit, the water supply independent operation function unit, and both operation function units, The water supply operation function unit controls the operation of both the water supply system and the electrolyte supply system to discharge electrolyzed water into the electrolyzed water discharge path, and the water supply independent operation function unit supplies water while the operation of the electrolyte supply system is stopped. The system is independently controlled to supply only water to the electrolyzed water discharge passage.

The electrolyzed water generating apparatus of the present invention has an air-mixing unit connected to an electrolyzed water discharge passage, and generates electrolyzed water by mixing chlorine gas generated by electrolysis of an electrolytic solution into water supply in the air-mixing unit. an electrolytic cell;
A water supply system that supplies water from a water supply source to an air-fuel mixture section through a three-way valve, selectively switches between a state of connection to the air-fuel mixture section and a state of connection to a water supply channel by operating the three-way valve, and supplies electrolyte to the electrolytic cell. An electrolytic solution supply system and a controller for controlling each part of the device are provided, and the controller has a selection operation part for selecting one of the electrolyzed water supply operation function part, the water supply independent operation function part, and both operation function parts. The electrolyzed water supply operation function unit controls the operation of both the water supply system and the electrolyte supply system to discharge electrolyzed water to the electrolyzed water discharge path, and the water supply independent operation function unit stops the operation of the electrolyte supply system. The water supply system is switched to a state in which it is connected to the water supply path by operating the three-way valve, and the operation of the water supply system is independently controlled to supply only water to the water supply path.

As described above, according to the present invention, since the water supply system is connected to the electrolyzed water discharge passage through the air-fuel mixture portion of the electrolytic cell, when the operation of the electrolytic cell is stopped, only water is supplied to the electrolyzed water discharge passage. be. That is, by using the water supply system connected to the electrolyzed water discharge passage through the gas mixture part of the electrolytic cell for both the electrolyzed water supply operation mode and the water supply independent operation mode, it is possible to supply only water when it is desired to supply electrolyzed water. In either case, the electrolyzed water generator can be used alone, and there is no need to provide a separate water channel. Further, the operation control of the water supply independent operation function unit can be easily realized by the control of only stopping the operation of the electrolytic cell in the operation control of the electrolyzed water supply operation function unit.

In addition, the water supply independent operation function unit switches the water supply system to a state in which the water supply system is connected to the water supply channel by operating the three-way valve in a state where the operation of the electrolyte supply system is stopped, and independently controls the operation of the water supply system to operate the water supply channel. Since only water is supplied to the water supply system, the water supply system can be used in both the electrolyzed water supply operation mode and the water supply independent operation mode. can be handled by the operation of

A block diagram showing an electrolyzed water generator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Schematic diagram showing a main part of the electrolyzed water generator according to the same embodiment Flow diagram of the electrolyzed water supply operation function part of the electrolyzed water generator according to the same embodiment Flow diagram of the water supply independent operation function part of the electrolyzed water generator according to the same embodiment Block diagram showing an electrolyzed water generator according to another embodiment of the present invention

An electrolyzed water generator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
(Example 1)
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the electrolyzed water generator 1 includes an electrolytic cell 2, a water supply system 3, an electrolytic solution supply system 4, and a controller 5 as main components.

The electrolytic cell 2 shown as an example in the present embodiment has an electrode 21 inside the cell and an air-mixing section 22 connected to an electrolyzed water discharge passage 72 as shown in FIG. Then, the chlorine gas G is generated by electrolyzing the hydrochloric acid of the raw material chemical solution, which is the electrolytic solution, and the chlorine gas G is released from the opening 23 of the electrolytic cell 2 in the gas mixture part 22 into the water supply flowing through the pipe of the water supply system 3. Air is mixed to obtain slightly acidic electrolyzed water (hypochlorous acid water). The slightly acidic electrolyzed water here is an aqueous solution containing hypochlorous acid (HCLO) as the main active ingredient, pH 5.0-6.5, and effective chlorine concentration 10-80 mg/kg.

The water supply system 3 is connected to the electrolyzed water discharge passage through the air-mixing portion 22 of the electrolytic cell 2, and electrolyzes from the upstream water supply source 71 side to the downstream side of the flow path for supplying water from the water supply source 71 to the air-mixing portion 22. A pressure reducing valve 31 , an electromagnetic valve 32 , a flow meter 33 , a check valve 34 and an electrolyzed water trap 35 are provided in order toward the tank 2 . The electrolyzed water trap 35 has a high-level flow path that flows at a position higher than the inlet to the air-mixing section 22 of the electrolytic cell 2 , and suppresses backflow of the electrolytic water from the electrolytic cell 2 to the water supply system 3 .

The electrolytic solution supply system 4 has an electrolytic solution tank 6 arranged in the lower part of the apparatus, and supplies hydrochloric acid, which is a raw chemical solution, which is an electrolytic solution stored in the electrolytic solution tank 6 , to the electrolytic cell 2 . In the middle of the flow path from the electrolytic solution tank 6 to the electrolytic bath 2, an electrolytic solution transfer device 41 composed of a tube pump or the like and an electrolytic product trap 42 are arranged in order from upstream to downstream.

The electrolyzed product trap 42 suppresses backflow of the electrolyzed product from the electrolytic bath 2 to the electrolyte solution supply system 4, and is made up of a one-rotation tube that revolves around the horizontal axis.

The control unit 5 that controls each part of the apparatus has an electrolyzed water supply operation function unit 51, a water supply independent operation function unit 52, and a selection operation unit 53 that selects one of both operation function units.

In the electrolyzed water supply operation mode, the electrolyzed water supply operation function unit 51 controls the operation of both the water supply system 3 and the electrolyte solution supply system 4 to discharge electrolyzed water to the electrolyzed water discharge passage 72, and the water supply independent operation function unit 52 , the operation of the water supply system 3 is independently controlled while the operation of the electrolyte solution supply system 4 is stopped, and water is supplied to the electrolytic water discharge passage 72 .

That is, as shown in FIG. 3, when the electrolyzed water supply operation function unit 51 starts operation 511, it opens 512 the electromagnetic valve 32, measures the flow rate of water flowing through the water supply system 3 with the flow meter 33, and measures the flow rate is judged by the flow meter judgment 513.

If the amount of water measured by the flow meter 33 is equal to or greater than the set value (2 L/min), it is determined that the amount of water is appropriate, and the electrolytic solution supply system 4 is operated. If the amount of water is less than the set value (2 L/min), it is determined that the amount of water is inappropriate, and error stop 514 is performed.

In the operation of the electrolyte supply system 4, the operation of the electrolytic cell 2 is started, the current value generated in the electrolytic cell 2 is measured 515, and the ON/OFF control 516 of the operation of the electrolyte transfer device 41 is performed according to the current value. intermittent operation to generate 517 electrolyzed water.

This intermittent operation is performed for adjusting the hypochlorous acid concentration of the electrolyzed water to be constant or variable. When the current value is low, the amount of electrolyzed products generated in the electrolytic cell 2 per unit time is small. is high, the amount of electrolyzed products generated in the electrolytic cell 2 per unit time increases. Adjust the hypochlorous acid concentration of Alternatively, in order to variably adjust the hypochlorous acid concentration of the electrolyzed water, the ON/OFF control 516 for the operation of the electrolytic solution transfer device 41 adjusts the ratio of ON time and OFF time.

After stopping the operation 518 , the control unit 5 stops the operation 519 of the electrolytic cell 2 and closes 520 the electromagnetic valve 32 .

In the water supply independent operation mode, the water supply independent operation function unit 52 independently controls the operation of the water supply system 3 to supply water to the electrolyzed water discharge passage 72 while the operation of the electrolytic solution supply system 4 is stopped.

That is, as shown in FIG. 4, when the water supply independent operation function unit 52 starts operation 521, it opens 522 the solenoid valve 32, measures the flow rate of water flowing through the water supply system 3 with the flow meter 33, and measures the flow rate. Adequacy is determined by flow meter determination 523 .

If the amount of water measured by the flow meter 33 is equal to or greater than the set value (2 L/min), it is determined that the amount of water is appropriate, and only water is passed through 524 without operating the electrolyte supply system 4 . If the amount of water is less than the set value (2 L/min), it is determined that the amount of water is inappropriate, and error stop 525 is performed. When the operation is stopped 526 , the control unit 5 closes 527 the electromagnetic valve 32 .

The operation of the above configuration will be described below. When electrolyzed water is supplied, the electrolyzed water supply operation function unit 51 is selected in the selection operation unit 53 of the control unit 5, and the electrolyzed water is discharged from the electrolyzed water discharge passage 72 by the operation by the electrolyzed water supply operation function unit 51. Let

When only water is supplied, the water supply independent operation function unit 52 is selected by the selection operation unit 53 of the control unit 5 , and water is discharged from the electrolyzed water discharge passage 72 by operation by the water supply independent operation function unit 52 .

As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the water supply system 3 is connected to the electrolyzed water discharge passage 72 through the air-fuel mixture portion 22 of the electrolytic cell 2, only water is discharged when the operation of the electrolytic cell 2 is stopped. It is supplied to the electrolyzed water discharge passage 72 . That is, by using the water supply system 3 connected to the electrolyzed water discharge passage 72 through the gas mixture part 22 of the electrolytic cell 2 in both the electrolyzed water supply operation mode and the water supply independent operation mode, when it is desired to supply only water, electrolysis can be performed. In any case where it is desired to supply water, the electrolyzed water generator can be used alone, and there is no need to provide a water channel separately. Further, the operation control of the water supply independent operation function unit 52 can be easily realized by the operation control of the electrolyzed water supply operation function unit 51 that only stops the operation of the electrolytic cell 22 .
(Example 2)
Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. Here, a three-way valve 36 is provided on the upstream side of the electrolyzed water trap 35 in the water supply system 3 , and a water supply line 37 is connected to the three-way valve 36 . Operation of the three-way valve 36 switches between a state in which the water supply system 3 is connected to the gas mixture section 22 of the electrolytic cell 2 and a state in which the water supply system 3 is connected to the water supply passage 37 .

In the case of supplying electrolyzed water, when the electrolyzed water supply operation function unit 51 is selected in the selection operation unit 53 of the control unit 5, the control unit 5 causes the water supply system 3 to operate through the three-way valve 36. 22 , and electrolyzed water is discharged from the electrolyzed water discharge passage 72 by the operation of the electrolyzed water supply operation function unit 51 .

When only water is supplied, when the water supply independent operation function unit 52 is selected in the selection operation unit 53 of the control unit 5, the control unit 5 connects the water supply system 3 to the water supply passage 37 through the three-way valve 36, Water is supplied from the water supply path 37 by operation by the water supply independent operation function unit 52 .

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the water supply system 3 is connected to the gas mixture portion 22 of the electrolytic cell 2 through the three-way valve 36, and the water supply system 3 is connected to the water supply passage 37 through the three-way valve 36. , the water supply system 3 can be used in both the electrolyzed water supply operation mode and the water supply independent operation mode. can be handled by

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 electrolyzed water generator 2 electrolytic cell 3 water supply system 4 electrolytic solution supply system 5 control unit 6 electrolytic solution tank 21 electrode 22 gas mixture unit 23 opening 31 pressure reducing valve 32 solenoid valve 33 flow meter 34 check valve 35 electrolytic water trap 36 Three-way valve 37 Water supply path 41 Electrolyte transfer device 42 Electrolyzed product trap 51 Electrolyzed water supply operation function unit 52 Water supply independent operation function unit 53 Selection operation unit 71 Water supply source 72 Electrolyzed water discharge path 511 Start operation 512 Open plug 513 Flow meter Judgment 514 Stop error 515 Measure current value 516 ON/OFF control 517 Generate 518 Stop operation 519 Stop operation of electrolyzer 520 Stop plug 523 Flow meter judgment 524 Water flow 525 Error stop 526 Stop operation 527 Stop plug G

Claims (2)

an electrolytic cell having an air-mixing portion connected to an electrolyzed water discharge passage, in which chlorine gas generated by electrolysis of an electrolytic solution is mixed in water supply in the air-mixing portion to generate electrolyzed water;
a water supply system connected to the electrolyzed water discharge passage through the gas mixture part of the electrolytic cell and supplying water from the water supply source to the gas mixture part;
an electrolytic solution supply system for supplying the electrolytic solution to the electrolytic cell;
Equipped with a control unit that controls each part of the device,
The control unit has a selection operation unit that selects one of the electrolyzed water supply operation function unit, the water supply independent operation function unit, and both operation function units,
The electrolyzed water supply operation function unit controls the operation of both the water supply system and the electrolyte supply system to discharge the electrolyzed water into the electrolyzed water discharge path,
The electrolyzed water generator, wherein the water supply independent operation function unit independently controls the operation of the water supply system while the operation of the electrolyte supply system is stopped, and supplies only water to the electrolyzed water discharge passage. an electrolytic cell having an air-mixing portion connected to an electrolyzed water discharge passage, in which chlorine gas generated by electrolysis of an electrolytic solution is mixed in water supply in the air-mixing portion to generate electrolyzed water;
a water supply system that supplies water from a water supply source to an air-fuel mixture section through a three-way valve, and selectively switches between a state of connection to the air-fuel mixture section and a state of connection to a water supply passage by operating the three-way valve;
an electrolytic solution supply system for supplying the electrolytic solution to the electrolytic cell;
Equipped with a control unit that controls each part of the device,
The control unit has a selection operation unit that selects one of the electrolyzed water supply operation function unit, the water supply independent operation function unit, and both operation function units,
The electrolyzed water supply operation function unit controls the operation of both the water supply system and the electrolyte supply system to discharge the electrolyzed water into the electrolyzed water discharge path,
The water supply independent operation function unit switches the water supply system to a state in which the water supply system is connected to the water supply channel by operating the three-way valve in a state where the operation of the electrolyte supply system is stopped, and independently controls the operation of the water supply system to supply water to the water supply channel. An electrolyzed water generator characterized by supplying water only.

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