JPH11300141A - Air treating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance the treating efficiency in such case that air is dried or foreign matters are removed or air is separated by using a hollow filament membrane. SOLUTION: The device main body 10 has an inflow port 11 of untreated air and an outflow port 12 of treated air, and an air treating element consisting of plural hollow fiber membranes 13 is provided in it. In order to hold the hollow fiber membranes 13 at a specified temperature, the device main body 10 is provided with a heating part 15 and the air to be treated is held at a temp. of 25-30 deg.C to be treated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention uses a hollow fiber membrane to remove foreign matter in the air and treat it with clean air, treat wet air with dry air, and use nitrogen and oxygen in the air. And an air treatment device for separating the air.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a pneumatic circuit for supplying compressed air to a pneumatic actuator such as a pneumatic cylinder that operates by pneumatic pressure, water vapor in air supplied from a compressor is removed to process wet air into dry air. For this purpose, a dehumidifier, which is also called an air dryer or a dryer, is used, and a filter is used to remove foreign substances such as dust in the air and process the air into clean air. Further, an air separation device is used to separate air into a gas having a high oxygen concentration and a gas having a high nitrogen concentration.

[0003] In order to perform such a treatment, those using a hollow fiber membrane have been developed. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-66616 discloses a dehumidifier using a hollow fiber membrane. JP-A-8-299736 discloses a filter using a hollow fiber membrane.

[0004]

A filter using a hollow fiber membrane is formed by bundling a large number of hollow fiber membranes of a predetermined length in a state in which the openings at both ends are directed toward the air outflow side. Is formed, and when untreated air is supplied from the bent end side, only air permeates and flows into each hollow fiber membrane, and foreign matter is prevented from permeating into the hollow fiber membrane. This makes it possible to remove foreign matter.

[0005] A dehumidifier using a hollow fiber membrane has an apparatus main body in which a number of hollow fiber membranes of a predetermined length are bundled and accommodated.
When untreated air is supplied from one end and penetrated toward the other end, the water vapor contained in the untreated air is transmitted through the side wall of each hollow fiber membrane, and dry air is sent from the other end. Will be obtained.

[0006] An air separation apparatus using a hollow fiber membrane bundles a large number of hollow fiber membranes of a predetermined length and accommodates them in a main body of the apparatus.
When the untreated air is supplied from one end and penetrated toward the other end, oxygen contained in the untreated air is permeated from the side wall of each hollow fiber membrane, and the permeated oxygen and It can be separated into nitrogen which is not permeated and flows out from the other end of the hollow fiber membrane.

As described above, for the hollow fiber membrane used for purifying air, dehumidifying air, or separating air, it is necessary to increase the processing efficiency by using an apparatus for each processing. This is an important issue in miniaturization. Until now, the relationship between the pressure of the air supplied to the hollow fiber membrane and the processing efficiency is considered to be important, and studies have been made on setting the pressure.

However, as a result of various studies so far, it has been found by the inventors' research that the treatment efficiency of the hollow fiber membrane largely depends on the temperature of the untreated air supplied to the hollow fiber membrane. Was.

For example, in a filter using a hollow fiber membrane, the processing efficiency of foreign matter greatly changes depending on the temperature of the outside air sucked by a compressor or the temperature in a factory. Sometimes fluctuated.

It is an object of the present invention to improve the processing efficiency when air is dried, foreign matter is removed, or air is separated using a hollow fiber membrane.

[0011]

According to the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for treating air, comprising: an apparatus body having an inlet for untreated air and an outlet for processed air; and the inlet and the outlet in the apparatus body. And an air treatment element comprising a plurality of hollow fiber membranes disposed between the air treatment element and a temperature adjusting means for adjusting the temperature of the air treated by the hollow fiber membrane or the temperature of the hollow fiber membrane to 25 to 30 ° C. It is characterized by.

In the air treatment apparatus according to the present invention, the air treatment element is formed by a plurality of the hollow fiber membranes each having an open end facing the outlet, and the untreated air containing foreign matter flowing from the inlet is formed. Among them, by allowing only air to permeate into the hollow fiber membrane, clean air from which foreign matter has been removed is discharged from the outlet.

In the air treatment apparatus of the present invention, one end of each of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes is arranged so as to be opened at the inlet, and the other end of each hollow fiber membrane is opened at the outlet. Is disposed, and by allowing water vapor in untreated air flowing from the inflow port to the outflow port to pass through the side wall of each hollow fiber membrane, dry air is discharged from the outflow port. And

In the air treatment apparatus according to the present invention, one end of each of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes is arranged so as to be opened at the inlet, and the other end of each hollow fiber membrane is opened at the outlet. Is disposed, oxygen in the untreated air flowing from the inflow port to the outflow port is allowed to permeate from the side wall of each of the hollow fiber membranes, thereby discharging a gas having a high oxygen concentration from the outflow port, A gas having a high nitrogen concentration penetrating through the hollow fiber membrane is discharged from another outlet.

In the present invention, the air is treated at a predetermined temperature by the hollow fiber membrane, and the treatment efficiency can be made the best.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an air processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. This apparatus is a filter apparatus for removing foreign matter such as dust contained in unprocessed air. ing.

The main body 10 of this filter device is formed by a cylindrical holder 10a at the center, an inlet joint 10b attached to one end thereof, and an outlet joint 10c attached to the other end thereof. And
An unprocessed air inlet 1 is connected to the joint 10b on the inlet side.
1 is formed, and an outlet 12 of the processed air is formed in the joint 10c on the outlet side.

A plurality of hollow fiber membranes 13 are provided in the holder 10a.
Are incorporated to form an air treatment element,
Each of the hollow fiber membranes 13 has a predetermined length bent into two, and the open ends of both ends are open to the outlet 12, and the two folded portions of each hollow fiber membrane 13 are It is on the inlet 11 side.

The hollow fiber membrane 13 is made of, for example, polyethylene or polypropylene as shown in FIG.
It is in the form of a thread having a through hole 14 inside, and is a porous hollow fiber membrane having a large number of pores formed in the side wall. In the case shown, a hollow fiber membrane 13 having an outer diameter of about 0.38 mm is used, and the average inner diameter of the pores is about 0.1 μm. Therefore, when untreated air containing foreign matter such as dust is supplied from the inflow port 11, the foreign matter larger than the inner diameter of the pore does not enter the through hole 14 of the hollow fiber membrane 13, and the foreign matter is processed. The cleaned air will flow out of the outlet.

A heating section 15 composed of a heater is provided at the joint 10b on the inlet side. The heating section 15 is connected to a power supply via a cable 16. As described above, when the joint portion 10b is heated by the heating portion 15, the heat is transmitted to the holder portion 10a, and the temperature of the hollow fiber membrane 13 constituting the air treatment element reaches a predetermined temperature.
The temperature of each hollow fiber membrane 13 is 25-30.
℃.

It has been found that the efficiency of removing foreign substances is reduced by the hollow fiber membrane 13 outside this temperature range. For example, when the temperature of the hollow fiber membrane 13 is set to 15 ° C., the efficiency of the removal treatment is reduced. Was about 30% lower than when the temperature of the hollow fiber membrane 13 was 25 ° C. Hollow fiber membrane 1
When the temperature of No. 3 was set to 30 ° C. or higher, the processing efficiency similarly decreased.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a filter device according to another embodiment. In this case, a joint 1 on the inlet side is used.
A heating unit 15 is provided on the upstream side of the inlet 1b.
The temperature of the untreated air flowing into 1 is heated to a predetermined temperature. In this case, a temperature sensor 17 is provided to detect the temperature of the air entering the inlet 11, and a detection signal of the temperature sensor 17 is sent to the control unit 18. The power supplied to the heating unit 15 is feedback-controlled by the signal of (1). In FIG. 2, members common to the members shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an air processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. This apparatus removes water vapor contained in unprocessed air to obtain dry air. The device is a dryer.

The apparatus main body 20 of the drying apparatus is formed by a cylindrical element holder part 20a, an inlet joint part 20b attached to one end thereof, and an outlet joint part 20c attached to the other end. An inlet 21 for unprocessed air is formed in the joint 20b on the inlet side, and an outlet 22 for processed air is formed in the joint 20c on the outlet side.

A plurality of hollow fiber membranes 23 are provided in the holder 20a.
Are incorporated to form an air treatment element,
One end of each hollow fiber membrane 23 is open to the inflow port 21 and the other end is open to the outflow port 22. The hollow fiber membranes 23 are arranged in the holder portion 20 a, and have a through-hole 24 formed therein. . Both ends of each hollow fiber membrane 23 are fixed to the fixing member 20.
It is fixed to the holder 20a by d.

As the hollow fiber membrane 23, as in a fluorine-based water vapor permeable membrane or a polyimide resin-based gas separation membrane, water vapor is selectively permeated and separated by the difference in the partial pressure of water vapor existing on the inner and outer surfaces of the membrane. A non-porous hollow fiber membrane, that is, a gas separation membrane, having excellent water vapor permeability that can lower the dew point temperature without a cycle is used. Therefore, in the untreated wet air flowing in from the inflow port 21, water vapor permeates through the side wall of the hollow fiber membrane 23, and dry air flows out from the outflow port 22.

The outside of the hollow fiber membrane 23 is a gas separation chamber 27. In order to supply a part of the dry air flowing out to the outlet 22 into the gas separation chamber 27, an outlet is provided. A purge gas introduction passage 28 is formed in the side joint portion 20c, and the opening thereof is adjusted by a throttle valve 28a. A discharge port 29 is provided in the joint portion 20b on the inflow side to discharge the purge gas in the gas separation chamber 27 to the outside.

The holder section 20a is provided with a heating section 25 comprising a heater.
Connected to the power supply. As described above, when the holder section 20a is heated by the heating section 25, the heat is transmitted to the hollow fiber membrane 23 and reaches a predetermined temperature. The temperature is controlled so that each hollow fiber membrane 23 has a temperature of 25 to 30 ° C.

In the drying apparatus shown in FIG. 3, the air flowing into the inflow port 21 may be heated similarly to the case shown in FIG. 2, and the temperature of the heating unit 25 is feedback-controlled by a temperature sensor. You may do it.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing an air processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. This apparatus is configured to separate air from a concentrated oxygen gas having a high oxygen concentration and a concentrated nitrogen gas having a high nitrogen concentration. It is an air separation device that separates into gas.

The main body 30 of the air separation apparatus is formed by a cylindrical holder 30a, an inlet joint 30b attached to one end thereof, and an outlet joint 30c attached to the other end thereof. . An inlet 31 for unprocessed air is formed in the joint 30b on the inlet side, and an outlet 32 for processed through gas is formed in the joint 30c on the outlet side. An outlet 37 for a permeated gas is formed in the holder 30a.

A plurality of hollow fiber membranes 33 are provided in the holder 30a.
Are incorporated to form an air treatment element,
One end of each hollow fiber membrane 33 opens to the inflow port 31 and the other end opens to the outflow port 32, and is disposed in the holder 30a.
a.

Of the air that has flowed into the internal through hole 34 from one end of the hollow fiber membrane 33, the oxygen mainly passes through the side wall and is guided to the outside of the hollow fiber membrane 33, and is discharged from the permeated gas outlet 37. Is done. On the other hand, the gas which flows through the internal through-hole 34 without passing through the side wall of the hollow fiber membrane 33 and has a lower oxygen concentration and a relatively higher nitrogen concentration flows out of the outlet 32. become.

In such an air separation device, the untreated air flowing from the inflow port 31 flows through the through-holes 34 in the hollow fiber membrane 33, and oxygen is mainly transmitted from the side walls thereof. A gas having a high oxygen concentration flows out from the permeated gas outlet 37, and a gas having a high nitrogen concentration flows out from the through gas outlet 32.

The holder section 30a is provided with a heating section 35 composed of a heater.
Connected to the power supply. As described above, when the holder 30a is heated by the heating unit 35, the heat is transmitted to the hollow fiber membrane 33 and reaches a predetermined temperature. The temperature is controlled so that each hollow fiber membrane 33 has a temperature of 25 to 30 ° C.

In the drying apparatus shown in FIG. 4, the air flowing into the inflow port 31 may be heated in the same manner as described above, and the temperature of the heating section 35 is feedback-controlled by a temperature sensor. Is also good.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, as the hollow fiber membrane, there are a non-porous one and a porous one, but an arbitrary one can be used according to each processing condition.

[0040]

According to the present invention, when removing foreign matter, removing water vapor and separating air using a hollow fiber membrane, the temperature of the hollow fiber membrane or the processing air is set to a predetermined temperature.
The processing efficiency can be made the best, and the processing efficiency can be greatly improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a filter device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing another type of a vital device.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing an air separation device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, 20, 30 Device body 10a, 20a, 30a Holder portion 10b, 20b, 30b Joint portion 10c, 20c, 30c Joint portion 11, 21, 31 Inlet 12, 22, 32 Outlet 13, 23, 33 Hollow fiber membrane 14, 24, 34 Through hole 15, 25, 35 Heating unit 16, 26, 36 Cable 17 Temperature sensor 18 Control unit 27 Gas separation chamber 28 Purge gas introduction path 29 Outlet 37 Outflow port

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An apparatus body having an inlet for untreated air and an outlet for treated air; and a plurality of hollow fiber membranes disposed in the apparatus body between the inlet and the outlet. An air treatment element comprising: an air treatment element comprising: air treated by the hollow fiber membrane or a temperature adjusting means for adjusting the temperature of the hollow fiber membrane to 25 to 30 ° C. 2. The air treatment device according to claim 1, wherein the air treatment element is formed by a plurality of the hollow fiber membranes each having an open end facing the outlet, and the foreign matter flowing from the inlet is removed. An air treatment apparatus, characterized in that, by allowing only air out of the unprocessed air to pass through into the hollow fiber membrane, clean air from which foreign matter has been removed is discharged from the outlet. 3. The air processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one end of each of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes is disposed so as to be opened at the inlet, and each of the hollow fiber membranes is opened at the outlet. The other end of the hollow fiber membrane is disposed so that water vapor in untreated air flowing from the inflow port toward the outflow port is transmitted through the side wall of each hollow fiber membrane, so that dry air is discharged from the outflow port. An air treatment device, characterized in that: 4. The air processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one end of each of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes is disposed so as to be opened at the inflow port, and each of the hollow fiber membranes is opened at the outflow port. The other end of the hollow fiber membrane is allowed to pass through the side wall of each hollow fiber membrane from the inflow air toward the outflow port from the inflow port, so that the gas having a high oxygen concentration is transmitted from the outflow port. An air treatment apparatus, wherein a gas having a high nitrogen concentration which has been discharged and passed through the hollow fiber membrane is discharged from another outlet.